No More JVC Jazz Festival New York

[robviti]

Curtain falls on JVC Jazz Festival New York

By CHARLES J. GANS – 14 hours ago

NEW YORK (AP) — The curtain has fallen on the JVC Jazz Festival New York, and the Big Apple will likely be without a flagship jazz festival until new sponsorship emerges.

A spokesman for the Japanese electronics company said it would not be sponsoring any jazz events in 2009, ending what he called "a productive and successful relationship" dating back to 1984 when JVC first attached its name to the New York festival.

"JVC is proud of its association with the Jazz Festivals, but the marketplace in which JVC competes today has changed dramatically, and so JVC has chosen to take our promotional activities in a different direction, and one that will no longer include jazz event sponsorship," Terry Shea, a spokesman for the Wayne, N.J.-based JVC U.S.A., said in a statement e-mailed to The Associated Press.

Jazz impresario George Wein, who arranged the original JVC sponsorship deal, called JVC "the best sponsor anybody ever had."

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[Hardbopjazz]

Being from NY this sucks.

[PHILLYQ]

I live in NYC and I won't miss it. Nearly every event featured very high ticket prices and sometimes too many groups. By too many groups, I mean so many that everyone had about a half hour, no encores. The concerts were verrry mainstream and frquently lacked any imagination. My $0.02

[BFrank]

EVERY night is a jazz festival in NYC.

[7/4]

I live in NYC and I won't miss it. Nearly every event featured very high ticket prices and sometimes too many groups. By too many groups, I mean so many that everyone had about a half hour, no encores. The concerts were verrry mainstream and frquently lacked any imagination. My $0.02

Exactly what he said. I never really dug festivals.

[Hardbopjazz]

I live in NYC and I won't miss it. Nearly every event featured very high ticket prices and sometimes too many groups. By too many groups, I mean so many that everyone had about a half hour, no encores. The concerts were verrry mainstream and frquently lacked any imagination. My $0.02

That is true, too many performances and not enough time for each person or group.

[fasstrack]

I live in NYC and I won't miss it. Nearly every event featured very high ticket prices and sometimes too many groups. By too many groups, I mean so many that everyone had about a half hour, no encores. The concerts were verrry mainstream and frquently lacked any imagination. My $0.02

Thank you. The shows were mostly overpriced 'theme' things with big names, ill-conceived, and poorly brought off. I know some or the musicians weren't happy with them.

Go to Smalls instead. Real, unpretentious jazz by players as good or better than the hot shots can be heard every night, plus you get to stay all night for 3 bands for a lousy $20. Or Jack Kleinsinger's occasional things.

Wein had his day, though, and did a lot of great things. He probably figured he had to dumb down to survive. Cold business.....

[makpjazz57]

I'm a straight ahead, bebop/hard bop kinda girl. That being said, even if I still lived in the NY/metro area, I wouldn't be buying tickets for the JVC jazz fest anymore. I've been looking at the lineup the last couple of years and there's not much that is very appealing to me. If I did still live close to the great jazz town of NYC, I'd be frequenting all of the clubs instead, even during JVC fest week.

Back in the late 70's and early 80's, I was, at times, literally the first person on line at Carnegie Hall to purchase tickets for KOOL/JVC/Newport NY - whatever it was called at the time. There's just way too much of not my kinda jazz happening at the JVC Jazz Fests these days.

Does anyone remember the incredible midnight jam sessions at Radio City Music Hall during the festival in NYC?

Marla

[Chuck Nessa]

Back in the late 70's and early 80's, I was, at times, literally the first person on line at Carnegie Hall to purchase tickets for KOOL/JVC/Newport NY - whatever it was called at the time. There's just way too much of not my kinda jazz happening at the JVC Jazz Fests these days.

Marla

Curious if you were in Carnegie for a Chicago night I co-produced in '80 or '81. We had Hodes, Franz Jackson, Ira Sullivan, Lee Konitz, Roscoe Mitchell, Mama Yancey and a bunch of other folks. There was a nasty disturbance when Roscoe and Hugh Ragin played a duo version of S II Examples. Joe Williams was the mc and chastised the audience members. I'll never forget the flight, where I rode with most of the participants, from Chicago to NYC. Also loved Roy Eldridge in the dressing room encouraging all the participants. Mama just wanted a bottle of Jack Daniels and Don DeMichael made sure she got it.