Producing my own "6-shows/year" jazz series at my UU church

[Rooster_Ties]

Hi all. Well, here and elsewhere the series brand name "Jazz and Beyond" is testing fairly well.

I say only "farily" well because all the responses I've gotten have either been positive (though none have been wildly positve), or else neutral -- with no negatives (or at least none that anybody would share with me).

The first press release goes out today/tonight, so then the series brand name begins to be cast in stone.

And much to my delight and occasional amazement, this thing is really starting to get off the ground!! I've been talking to musicians right and left, and there seems to be quite a bit of interest in their participation. I think they're all a little bit skeptical, given the newness of the series, and my enthusiasm for it - which is perhaps a bit overboard at times.

But as soon as I can deliever a couple audiences of 100 (or hopefully more like 125, or even occasionally 150) -- then the proof will be out there. If we can draw those kind of numbers (100+ per concert), then the musicians will get to split something on the order of about $600 or so (assuming 100 paying butts in the chairs at $10 each, with a 66/33 split, meaning the band gets 2/3rds of the door (minus some very moderate event-related expenses, not more than $50 per show), and then the church gets 1/3 -- plus the church gets whatever we make on selling beer, wine, and sodas -- so the church will probaby get a total of about $400 to $500 per show (beverage sales included), best guess).

(And if we can somehow get 150 paying butts in the chairs ($10 per butt), then the band would get almost $1,000!! )

I'm pretty sure $600 is way better than most other average paying gigs in this town (as I understand it) -- plus it's a true "concert" setting (in a great room, with a hell of a good piano), with a respectful audience, and musicians only having to play two sets, with maybe a short encore. (Concerts start at 8:00 PM usually, and will be done by 10:00 or so.)

Bring it on!!

Edited November 15, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Alexander Hawkins]

This sounds really exciting. I like the 'Jazz and Beyond' brand - but it does beg a question: namely, in what sense 'beyond?' I think this might be an important consideration...

[Rooster_Ties]

The "...and beyond" serves two purposes...

One, to telegraph that this is a more inclusive/expansive definition of jazz. This phrase from my first little press release gets at this too: "...with a diverse range of music and musicians – from hard bop to progressive, and traditional to the avant-garde".

And secondly -- "...and Beyond" also gives me a little wiggle room to occasionally (once a year, or more likely once every two or three years) to program some "world music"-type stuff -- or some "world/jazz" hybrid thing. I don't have a lot of plans to do anything like this, but "...and Beyond" does allow for something like that -- if some great opportunity comes along. Or maybe a Blues concert once in a blue moon (maybe twice a decade, at most).

(And it's not like jazz festivals hold to a "jazz only" mantra these days either.)

By the way, my original idea (which has since gone the way of the Dodo bird), was to call the series "Jazz Brew and Beyond". Our already existing and successful classical chamber music series is called "Classical Grapes" -- which refers to the wine, cheese, crackers, fruit, and other treats available before the concert, and during the intermission (included in the ticket price). Thinking our jazz series would be more of a Beer and Pretzels kind of thing, I was thinking of "Jazz Brew and Beyond", but ultimately I didn't like the ring of that, and decided to go with just "Jazz and Beyond".

Edited November 15, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Jim Alfredson]

I'm still amazed that you're going to be selling alcohol at a church function. Do churches need liquor licenses?

[Rooster_Ties]

I'm still amazed that you're going to be selling alcohol at a church function. Do churches need liquor licenses?

Called our fundraising committee chair just now, and officially the money that exchanges hands is a "suggested donation" in exchange for a beverage freely made available to all who attend the event. (We even have "suggested donation" signs.) So we are not officially "selling" alcohol. As I understand it, we've done this for several decades (as have many other churches), and nobody seems particularly concerned about.

Maybe similar to how The Blue Room (best jazz room in town) is officially a bar (they sell no food), and officially they should have to card everybody who comes in who is of questionable age (and not let anybody in who's under 21). But I've seen high-school kids in there all the time (almost always with adult supervision), and other under-21 types (musicians on jam nights), but since it's a jazz bar - nobody offical much cares about the underages being in there. They do certainly card people in terms of alcohol consuption (I've seen that plenty of times), but as far as getting in the door -- there's never been any problem that I can see with being under 21.

There's rules, and then there's rules.

Edited November 15, 2006 by Rooster_Ties

[Alexander Hawkins]

The "...and beyond" serves two purposes...

One, to telegraph that this is a more inclusive/expansive definition of jazz. This phrase from my first little press release gets at this too: "...with a diverse range of music and musicians – from hard bop to progressive, and traditional to the avant-garde".

And secondly -- "...and Beyond" also gives me a little wiggle room to occasionally (once a year, or more likely once every two or three years) to program some "world music"-type stuff -- or some "world/jazz" hybrid thing. I don't have a lot of plans to do anything like this, but "...and Beyond" does allow for something like that -- if some great opportunity comes along. Or maybe a Blues concert once in a blue moon (maybe twice a decade, at most).

(And it's not like jazz festivals hold to a "jazz only" mantra these days either.)

By the way, my original idea (which has since gone the way of the Dodo bird), was to call the series "Jazz Brew and Beyond". Our already existing and successful classical chamber music series is called "Classical Grapes" -- which refers to the wine, cheese, crackers, fruit, and other treats available before the concert, and during the intermission (included in the ticket price). Thinking our jazz series would be more of a Beer and Pretzels kind of thing, I was thinking of "Jazz Brew and Beyond", but ultimately I didn't like the ring of that, and decided to go with just "Jazz and Beyond".

Sounds cool! I definitely like the name, like I say - that was just the obvious 'next question'. I also like the fact that you're making it stylistically inclusive. Sadly unusual these days, IMHO!

All the best with it!

[Rooster_Ties]

I also like the fact that you're making it stylistically inclusive. Sadly unusual these days, IMHO!

Wouldn't have it any other way. If there was already an existing local jazz series that had some meat on the bone, I'd already be a happy customer of theirs. Alas, there isn't. And there won't be until somebody does something about that -- and I'm just the someody to do it.

I'm just thankful I've got a bit of help in doing all this, and lots of musician friends, and an incredible venue to do it in (with that great piano), and a good location, and a supportive congragation that will come out for things like this (I think ), and everything else. It's a perfect storm for a great jazz series -- I just know it.

And one of the most rewarding things will be in getting some bigger audiences for some of the more progressive and/or creative stuff (a couple of concerts per year) -- bigger than they're ever used to. Bigger, and -- plus -- some real money for the musicians too. If I play my cards right, maybe I can get some guys $150 or even $200 per man for one night, where they'd usually be scrappin' by for $75, or $50, or even as little as $35 per man -- in front of an audience of maybe 20 or 30 (or 15 some nights, alas).

'Bout damn time I found something I could do for this music.

Edited November 18, 2006 by Rooster_Ties