Jazz Club President's Newsletter

Ed Linehan

President

January 9, 2022

"As a musician you have to keep one foot back in the past and have one foot forward into the future."

– Dizzy Gillespie

Happy New Year, Damn It!

Yes, we completed another trip around the sun, but I'm not sure what's more relevant - the start of 2022 AD or of 0003 AC - that's Anno Covidium. Don't google it, I made it up.

That's how it feels. Like life can be divided into before and after the start of covid. It seems all the rules, expectations and even our ability to make plans with confidence have changed in this new age. And, as if the virus itself wasn't enough to deal with, we have the added pleasure of arguing about it. Where did it come from? How should we protect ourselves? How do we live, work, play while it's still around? What's real? Who can we trust?

No matter where you stand in the debate, we are all weary of this plague and we want to get back to normal.... or at the very least to a new normal. Wouldn't it be amazing if we could just make this virus disappear - poof! Then we could get back to the important stuff like racism, fascism, global warming, economic competition and grandchildren! You know, the good old days BC.

While there is no magic bullet, we do have what we have always had. An unflinching human desire to persevere and even more, to flourish in the face of challenges.

So, Happy New Year Damn It, Carpe Diem!

Inside This Newsletter

News:

The Jazz Cruise
JCS Board Votes to Continue Season
Jazz At Two: New Admission Rate
New Performance Partnership Begins
Scholarship Fund Growing
Club Membership Approaches 750

Festival Updates:

Giving Hunger The Blues - Sunday Feb. 6
Sarasota Jazz Festival - March 13-19

Upcoming Performances:

Joy of Jazz in Venice January 9
Jazz Thursdays at SAM January 13
Jazz At Two January 14 & 21
Monday Night Jazz Cabaret January 24 &31

......Spring Series Tickets

News!

The Jazz Cruise 2022 Cancelled

The biggest jazz news of the week was made when Jazz Cruises CEO, and our good friend, Michael Lazaroff announced the cancelation of their 2022 cruise season. Nearly 100 Jazz Club members had booked staterooms on the January 17 sailing. They were all given the option of a refund or a reservation on the 2023 Jazz Cruise.

The decision to cancel was made in direct response to a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notice indicating that it was unsafe for guests to sail on cruise ships, regardless of their vaccination status. On Saturday in his weekly newsletter Michael wrote in great detail about the decision to cancel. Click The Weekender graphic below to read it in full.

Click Here For Information On The Jazz Cruise 2023

Jazz Club Board Votes to Continue Season of Events

Last week at its monthly meeting the Jazz Club Board reviewed the local Covid conditions and passed a resolution to continue the current season. The Board recognized that the number of daily cases has grown rapidly for the last four weeks and is predicted to continue to do so for at least the rest of January. It also noted that attendance is way down at Jazz At Two and slowing at the Monday Night series. The Decision to continue was made for the following reasons:

The new Omicron variant is highly contagious but results in fewer serious illnesses, particularly for the fully vaccinated.
The great majority of hospitalized individuals have been unvaccinated.
All people attending Jazz Club events have shown proof of being fully vaccinated.

Should any of these variables change leading to more threatening conditions the Board will reconsider its decision at that time. The Board reiterated that each individual has to assess their own health conditions and vulnerabilities when considering attendance at any public event.

Jazz At Two:

New Admission Rate

Attendance at Jazz At Two has been down by slightly more than 50% for the first ten performances of the season. That has resulted in an operating deficit of $5,170. A call for sponsors resulted in four members contributing $2,600, effectively cutting the losses in half.

With 14 more events scheduled in the series the Board was looking at the potential of an additional $7,500 deficit. In response the Board approved two actions:

To request a rent reduction from the church; and
To increase the admission price for members to $15.

These decisions were well received this past Friday by the seventy people in attendance at the weekly concert. The increase will go into effect on Friday, January 14. The non-member full price admission will remain at $20.

New Performance Partnership Begins with Sarasota Museum

The Sarasota Art Museum will begin its new monthly jazz series this Thursday, Jan 13. The Jazz Club is curating the series. See the ad below for more information. This is an outdoor event.