[romalama]

I don't get it. One of the best piano players in the world, George Colligan, is playing at the Cellar and maybe 10 people show up. No students, no musicians. I guess the $12 and $8 covers are too much to hear someone like George. Can someone explain this to me?

[Equackasous]

I'm a student and a musician and I was there for 4 tunes last night. I am coming back for whole night tonite... but I aggree with you. (see my rant on the Uptown Quintet)

George Colligan is a serious mofo and you sounded great as well Terry. (along with the rest of the band). Here's hoping some students show up tonight....or some more people for that matter. That show was the best one I had seen... well... since the last one I saw at that joint!

[ReneCM]

Yeah seriously... this is very disheartening. I'm in Toronto, or I'd be at every set... George is seriously, seriously, ridiculously bad. Maybe people aren't as familiar with his stuff, but he's as great as anyone playing today.

I really hope more people show up tonight!

[Cyclicymn]

Was there any media on it?

Jazz doesn't usually get mentioned in the mainstream press...I'm thinkin' how do we change that.

[petrarkaponye]

Whenever stuff like this happens, I always think back to seeing Diane Krall in a duo with Russ Botten at the Alma Street Cafe (1991? Help me out here Russ).

There was a reasonable crowd, though the place was by no means packed. And a lot of the people who were there were paying more attention to their salads and each other than to the music. I bet some of those same people pay $100 a pop to see her at the Orpheum now.

I don't remember seeing anything about this in any newspaper. I went because Morgan recommended George as a player worth seeing, and because it was Terry's gig and I hadn't seen him play in a long time.

I don't know what the answer is. I've said here before that I think the major impediments to Vancouvers jazz scene are a lack of press-media and a lack of venues. The players are here, lots of them, and the level of musicianship is of the highest order. But there is a woefully inadequate infrastructure to present this to the public. People tend to take a chance on stuff if they think it's hip. There needs to be public discourse suggesting that this music is worth checking out.

The other thing that strikes me when I come back here is how little people go out to do stuff. Movies they go to, but live ANYTHING, theater, music...doesn't draw well. It's really weird.

Personally, I'm really diggin this aspect of Vancouvr while I'm here. I make a point to catch at least one live gig a week. I would have loved to catch VEJI at the Cultch, but I was working that night.

Darlene and I usually have a 'date night' in New Orleans, one night a week when we go out to hear music. I'm finding the level of stuff we hear here is every bit as good or better than the stuff we were hearing in NOLA, the big difference being here, the room is almost always half empty, and there the places are usually packed and the crowds very enthusiastic. If things really get cooking people will even dance to straight ahead jazz (although, to be fair, in Louisiana people will cut a rug to the sound of a waiter dropping a tray).

The half empty rooms in Vancouver mean it's easy to get a table, but it sure sucks for the players. Not just in terms of money but also musicians play better to full, enthusiastic houses.

[clitlyphype]

There's an excellent article in the November Vancouver magazine about the Vancouver comedy scene. There are tons of comedy rooms in the city and audiences in most of them. People are going out to see live comedy. I'm sure there's attendance in some of the other arts, too.

And let's not forget what the New York musician from the Uptown Quintet. Spike Willner wrote on this very forum, "As far as attendence, well... first of all Friday night was packed. Also, Thursday night was not that bad, really. I mean I have routinely played for a house that was smaller in number than the band - and it was a trio gig. The vibe was great and those that were there were into it and appreciative. That makes for alot in my book."

So here's a NY musician saying he routinely plays to smaller houses. And NY has approximately the population of... the whole of Canada! It would be great, though, if more people turned up to these concerts, I agree. But let's not pretend it's a particular malaise of Vancouver.

[Nfvzjvcl]

New York City has 30,000,000 people?
I never knew that.
Wow.

They do have an entire bundle of places where you can hear live jazz, though - so maybe the comparison is much less appropriate than we might otherwise think.

And why the constant pretence that Vancouver has no particular malaise?

[clitlyphype]

Lazz writes:
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[Anfester]

In the early sixties I used to go hear this trio at a small downtown club in NYC. There were nights when the "house ... was smaller in number than the band". The band was Jimmy Guiffre, Paul Bley, and Steve Swallow. Around '75 I went to hear Mingus in Montreal. He drew better. There might have been 8 people that night. It's not popular music, folks. Quote:

[Nfvzjvcl]

Vancouver is in many ways a fine place to live. It is not difficult at all to find worse. And it feels like home to me. But it does possess characteristics that I find frustrating and for which I have to make adjustment and accomodation. That's ok. It's my choice and I'm glad to be back. It amuses me a good deal, however, on occasions when I have shared my perspective with others, to have them so defensively rejected out of hand with the words “But it’s the same everywhere”. The simple truth is that it is not the same everywhere else. Not at all. For me, proper balance and perspective requires that this be recognised.

One other thing – Guy, or Brian, or anyone else – and completely separate from that issue: can anyone explain to me the meaning and origin of this “My bad” locution, please? I see it used a lot and I think I understand what people mean pretty well when they use it, but fundamentally it makes little sense on its own and I am curious about what I presume must have been an original reference somewhere that will make it all clear.

[Anfester]

my bad

[romalama]

New York City has about 8 million people. The New York metropolitan area has about 22 million people but that includes Northern New Jersey, Connecticut, some of Pennsylvania. Nobody ever includes these when talking about the population of New York. The poulation of New York includes only the five boroughs. Manhattan itself is one the smallest boroughs and is about 1 1/2 million people. A lot of the population in New York live so far out in the boroughs, it would be like from here to Chilliwack. I'm not exactly sure why I'm writing all of this. Maybe I am just missing New York right now. I wish I could get a good bagel or a decent slice of pizza!

[ireleda]

Hey Terry;

Do you miss the New York rents? Currently $1500 (US) for a small 1 bedroom.

By the way, played at Smalls last night for a total of about 14 people....
maybe folks just hate jazz but to be fair, I tried to get tickets to the Hank Jones/Barry Harris duet concert at Lincoln Center and it was completely sold out. Couldn't get near the place.

[romalama]

i don't miss the rents and $1500 actually sounds a little cheap.

[Nfvzjvcl]

Thanks Brian - still makes no sense to me...
Bad is an adjective - so, my bad what?
What's the real story here?

[uchetrip]

Quote:

[clitlyphype]

Population of just the city of Vancouver is about 600,000 as of 2003. I think you include the greater area in both New York and Vancouver because people commute there everyday. There are not a lot of entertainment or sports options in the outlying areas, so people go into the city. That's where they draw from. It's not that far, all things considered. I stay with a friend in Summit, New Jersey, whenever I go, and I go into the city everyday. I think David Letterman commutes from Connecticut.

I remember one year there seeing that one of my favourite trumpet players, Ruby Braff, was playing some restaurant. I simply had to go. I think it was called Zinno, or something like that. I got there and there were two tables in front of the band, and the rest of the large restaurant was in an adjacent room. It was packed, but nobody was listening to the music. In fact, you couldn't really hear it from that other room. If anything, it was background music. They were there to eat. I was pissed because that's where I was seated. But as soon as the table by the band opened up, I grabbed it quickly. So there was me and my friend listening, and the other table, which included Marian McPartland. Nobody else there could care less.

I first heard (and I guess used) "my bad" playing pickup basketball in university in the mid-80s as a way to acknowledge a mistake. It's only recently become prevalent. I use it somewhat ironically, being the square white guy I am. Bad is an adjective, to be sure, but the noun ("mistake") is implied. Just like you'd say, "It's hot" instead of "It's a hot day".

[ireleda]

Grant Stewart and I used to have a huge 3 bedroom apartment in the East Village that we paid $800 /month for. Alot of musicians rented the third room there... now that place probobly goes for three grand. There also used to be shitload of small divey joints (ie Deanna's) that had musicians playing all night in that neighborhood. Now everything is coroporate. New York is now corporate. I remember when I was a teenager going to Bradleys to hear Tommy Flannagan play duet with George Mraz during the week for no cover! Now a ticket to hear Barry and Hank duo at Lincoln Center is $75.oo for the cheap seats.

Just ranting a little here. What's up Terry? How's the Chinese?

[Nfvzjvcl]

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[Nfvzjvcl]

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