Hello – This week’s Our Scene // Your Scene is exclusively about the relationship of musicians, audiences, venues, and the rules surrounding safety and live performances. You’ll also find some science, some music, some longer thoughts on masks from Phil, and a special edition Flashlighter at the bottom.
We started the week with an ask on Facebook:
If you’re playing gigs, can we chat for a story in JazzColumbus.com? I wanna know what’s on your mind before/during/after. Are you wearing a mask? Are your bandmates? Did you discuss it? How do you feel?!
The post received nearly 100 comments and reignited a conversation in the JazzColumbus circle that has been going on for nearly 5 months. Masks, no masks, distance, not so distant, audiences, venues, and the folks who make up the non-livestreamed scene. What decisions are folks making and why?
There were a few comments I had to take down, two folks were calling out a few musicians by name for playing in an unsafe environment. I took them down because I wasn’t comfortable with that happening without all of the information, but it did cause me to wonder why that wasn’t happening more often.
There wasn’t a huge variety in the tone of the responses we got. Most musicians who had commented were playing some, and were somewhat to very concerned about their safety.
You can find what I gathered below. For posterity’s sake, I added mine first.
Alex Burgoyne, saxophonist, editor of Jazz Columbus
I’m grateful that most of my scheduled gigs were in small venues or with large ensembles – the first to cancel when everything went down. It was easy to make decisions about gigs when there weren’t any. And I’ve been lucky that I really haven’t had to weigh my safety against making a living either. I know a lot of folks who because of the situation our work puts us in, were forced to fight for unemployment just to survive.
I’ve been playing occasional outdoor “yard” concerts since April. The New Basics Brass Band have been on a Goodwill tour of sorts, playing 30 minute concerts all across the city. Some for hire, and some for lifting spirits. We do our best to stay far enough apart and wear masks when we’re in close proximity. I’ve also played two of the Wally Mitchell livestream performances, also in a yard. Same basic deal with these.
I feel pretty safe. I don’t hang too long after the gigs. I try and stay a safe distance. But it’s also a gig, and as much as I’d like to make it my priority, safety just isn’t built into my habit on gigs, so it’s on my mind the whole time. I want to hang out and chat, drink a beer, hug my friends, and because that’s not happening, I always feel somewhat unsatisfied or unsettled.
It’s been eye-opening for me to find out what I miss most. I love writing and performing new music, and finding new (to me) musical alleys, I love new challenges and familiar songs, and I love expressing myself for 50 minutes at a time. But it’s the social part of the experience that is most absent. I miss making music with people I communicate best with, but right now, I’m constantly reminded of how different things are, and that has been taking a lot of my attention, on gigs and off.
I played inside for a livestream for Phil’s series a few weeks ago. I asked that everyone wear a mask because I couldn’t and they obliged. It felt weird, but it was the only time since March I’ve been able to completely play. Maybe there’s more of that to come.
I’d love to find a performance setting that felt right. I saw Pete Mills and co. at Land Grant Brewery last week. Their safety diligence was spot on, so much so that I was almost annoyed. It was awesome.
Being annoyed at safety seems like what we should be aiming at.
Chad Greenwald, bassist
I’ve had 5 gigs this month, and for the most part it is just awkward and strange to perform. You want to put on a show, but you also want to keep a safe distance. Out of the 6 gigs that I have had, only 1 performance were there any masks in the crowd.
Performing in this environment is just unsettling, even when outdoors. I had a performance that originally started outdoors, but then was moved indoors, and for the next two weeks, I was constantly concerned on if I had either gotten COVID, or gave it to my family. Every single cough or sneeze freaked me out just a little.
I sing in my band, and wasn’t wearing a mask when performing, but now due to several instances of COVID with other bands in the area, I am now wearing a mask, even when singing.
And yes, it does suck.
For the most part, people keep distant, but there’s only that one person that either believes this is a hoax, and tries talking to you really close, or the one person that tries to sing with the band.
I do look forward to when this is over, and we can all feel comfortable performing again.
Anthony Jackson, saxophonist
Playing at Two Truths has been an immensely nice experience! They are really diligent in following guidelines and they take things seriously. This allows me to focus on the music and play for a moderate sized crowd and develop my chops in a low stress environment!
The money is modest compared to pre-covid. But I’m appreciative and optimistic that the money will come again. And in the meantime thankful I can make music for people. Even if its 5-15 people.
Zach Compston, percussionist, educator
My experience with gigs during COVID: I’m always wearing a mask at my gigs, even outdoors. It doesn’t get in the way of my playing as a drummer, and it’s important to be consistent. Venues such as Land Grant Brewing and Blue Velvet Room have done a good job setting up social distance, and we do the same when filming/streaming from JAG’s World Headquarters at the Jazz Academy/Lincoln Theatre. Wiping down mics if you must share, keeping masks on between sets/setup/teardown/etc., these are all things I think are important. My message to everyone is try to stay on it – do your due diligence until we get this thing under control!
Rosemarie Litzinger, audience member
Everyone knows how much I love music. I went to one outdoor concert this summer. While I felt pretty safe – most people wore masks and for the most part did the social distancing – I am in no hurry to go back. I would love to go to the Rockmill venue this Sunday and hear Sydney McSweeney but I am not going.
I have to be happy with the live streams for now.
Some Facts About the CDC & NIAID
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention is a national public health institute, and a federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.
The United States spends nearly 12 billion dollars on the CDC every year. They employ 15,000 people and award nearly 85% of their yearly budget in grants that are aimed at advancing the health, safety and awareness at the community level.
This is Dr. Anthony Fauci. 
He has been the director for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for nearly 40 years. He is one of our countries leading experts on things like Covid-19. He has devoted his life to public service, is not a political actor, and doesn’t care what your political affiliation is. He does however want you to wear a mask.
More From You
Zsolt Dvornik, guitarist
I was playing with a big band where the musicians were socially distanced on a big stage. Was I worried on stage? Not at all. Since I read the article about the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (they measured how much breathable air is actually distributed while the musicians were playing, and it was about 50cm, and 80cm only for flute), I knew I was safe even from the trumpet section.
Only virus-wise, not volume-wise.
However I was much more worried about the audience. Based on the policy in place, people were allowed to walk or dance only wearing a mask, but can sit at a table without it. This sounded absolutely illogical to me. Just because someone sits at a table why is it safe to remove the mask? We are all learning this game, so maybe it is just me, but I don’t think that the restaurant logic works for an event like this. So, I decided to wear my mask during the break regardless if I was talking at a table, talking with my fellow musicians or when I was walking along, minding my business.
All in all I was happy to play, but as I was driving home I asked myself if I just risked intensive care because I wanted to play Orange Colored Sky so much?
Krisa Kitty, dancer/everyone’s favorite bartender, Scene Queen
When I was first asked to perform on stage and in person for our She Burns Bright gig at Natalie’s in Grandview on July 3rd, I was a bit apprehensive to say yes. After all, the Covid 19 cases in Columbus were not getting any lower, but I craved being back on stage with an actual audience.
We performed virtually for a She Burns Bright Show (a performance which empowers women, led by Nikki Wonder) in late April.
Performing burlesque in my dining room was the weirdest performance of my long career!
I was assured that everyone would wear masks, seats were spaced apart and facing the stage, and I could pull out of the show at any time if I (or anyone else) did not feel comfortable. A bunch of us looked at the space prior to the show and that made me feel better about performing. As promised, tables were very much spaced out and I did not see a single person without a mask on. The night of the show was very much the same: everyone distancing themselves and wearing masks. Natalie and Charlie Jackson were my former employers and I know that they are doing everything they can to keep live music alive in our city. I have zero regrets about doing this show, one of my highlights throughout this pandemic as none of my three bartending jobs have opened back up.
Rick Brunetto, percussionist, band leader
The Big Band has been playing at the Valley Dale Ballroom weekly on Fridays since July 3rd.
Tonight will be our 5th week there. We play 7:30-10:00 and the cover is $15. The Valley Dale is one of the largest venues in the city so it has enabled us to keep the tables and guests properly distanced. We take temperatures of each guests and require them to wear a mask when not seated at their tables. We have people dancing and it seems to be working.
The band is also spread out with 6ft distance between all of us. It has taken a few times to adapt but it has actually worked out quite well. We have monitor speakers in the sections and have been able to achieve a remarkable quality of performance. As you know the gigs are pretty much non existent. I know some musicians are still not comfortable going out and we totally respect that. I can say that all the musicians in our band are grateful for being able to play again and feel comfortable with the way we are doing this. We are approaching things cautiously and Valley Dale is constantly being sanitized and following all the regulations.
While our crowds have been relatively small it is providing a much needed opportunity to keep live music alive both for musicians and listeners.
Louis Armstrong and the Spanish Flu // The Louis Armstrong House
This is a portion of Louis Armstrong’s auto-biography (provided by the Louis Armstrong House Museum):
“It seemed as though things were a little more rougher when I returned from Houman, LA than when I first went there. With the Kaiser getting worse with his drastic antics, etc. and then too, there was a very serious sickness spreading around in New Orleans called the ‘Flu.’ Everybody was down with it – everybody except me. That’s because I was always psychic minded, and kept my self open at all times. I never in my life missed a week without taking some kind of psychic. And that alone kept all kinds of sickness out of me.
Anyway, just when the Government was about to let the crowds congregate again, which would have given us a chance to play our horns again, they clamped down, tighter than ever before. That made me go back to working, from one job to another. With everybody around me suffering with the Flu, I had to work and also play the part of a doctor to everyone in my family and friends of my neighborhood, which if I have to say it myself, I did a good job in curing them.”
-Louis Armstrong – 1916/1917
As Phil Sees It // Phil Maneri
Masks
David Bowie was a master at reinventing himself. Over the arc of his career his music and appearance was constantly evolving. Thin White Duke, Major Tom, Tin Machine, Dying man; so many faces. His art was complete and consummate. Although he wore a hundred faces one never really knew which one was truly him, or if they all were, or none of them.
Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk; they changed over time but their presentation was always authentic. There was never any question about who they were or what they intended, even if their art became difficult to digest, like late era Coltrane.
Masks come in many forms and mean many things. Bowie used his masks to erase previous conceptions and forge new ones. Bill Evans the pianist changed his style greatly in the late 50’s moving into the 1960s as he eschewed previously accepted piano voicings and instead forged newer complex treatments based on his study of Romantic Classical composers. He was a tortured soul that always appeared to be laboring under the weight of his emotional baggage that ultimately claimed him at a young age. In his own way he was masked. We could see some of what he carried but it only scratched the surface.
And perhaps in that way Miles was masked too. His voice and standoffish persona gave him mystique but also lended distance to him, no doubt a needed protection from the oppression of fame.
Coltrane, once he moved past his addiction phase seemed more and more authentic and genuine over the decade moving towards his early death. Lofty and spiritual yes, but not standoffish or withdrawn, just moving towards his higher calling that left him less connected to the earth as he moved.
We all wear masks of a sort, some complex and deflective like Bowie, some more subtle like Miles. As a consumer of music I have often felt more kinship and connection to those I felt were presenting themselves more authentically. The more an artist absorbs into character the less connection I feel. Contrarily as an artist I find being that authentic can be somewhat limiting. Adopting character like Bowie did, allows wholesale reinvention. The palate gets rather large in a good way.
Even later in his career Bowie became less of a character and more of what appeared to be himself. Or perhaps he was just so comfortable in masks they ceased to be masks. On the other hand Miles slowly and methodically moved away from us into his isolated chamber of cool. There’s no conclusion here, only contemplation about how I conduct myself and how others around me wear masks.
None of these masks impact the global health of humanity. None of them affect the health of your neighbors, friends, or co-inhabitants of your city or town.
Covid 19 isn’t a ruse, it isn’t a hoax it isn’t fake news.
It’s the biggest health problem on the planet earth right now. I know people very close to me who’ve had it, a couple have died from it. It’s not to be trifled with. I wouldn’t recommend ignoring it until it ravages your family to wake up to what its done across the planet. Even if it doesn’t help, doing so isn’t gonna hurt you or anyone else. Wear a fucking mask.
Here’s Some Science (and Gravy)
HERE is a robust list of studies and articles about the spread of Covid-19 during music performances.
And HERE is what seems like maybe the study with the clearest and most user-friendly information about aerosol spread in performing arts.
It’s clear that if you’re looking for the safest way to make music, there are some precautions you can take to mitigate risk. If you can, wear a mask, stay at least 6 feet from your bandmates. Take steps to make sure the audience abides by the same rules.
More From You
Tom Davis, guitarist
My first reaction to wearing a mask outside at summer gigs was that it was a drag. It was hot. And with my face covered up, how will I express all those non-verbal interpersonal communications of togetherness, joy, intent, encouragement, and approval? What about wry admissions of guilt and self-deprecating humility?? Well, here are the positive things I’ve pinpointed so far:
1. As improvising musicians we should be able to express all of those interactions listed above with music. We should also be receptive to those musical messages. One of my weaknesses is that I often calibrate my self-assessments (and sometimes my unfair assessments of others) in terms of absolutes. Cool or not. Cares about other people or doesn’t. Musician or not. If I’m really an improvising musician – REALLY – it’s not only possible to communicate musically, it’s a necessary step in achieving the sort of experience I want out of life. The ability to do so probably affects other aspects of life too. I don’t know, but it’s worth it to try it and find out.
2. If I also wear mirrored sunglasses, I can preserve the comfort of a perceived, yet mostly illusory, anonymity.
For that reason alone, I may never show my face again.
Linda Landis, trombonist
This summer the Piqua Civic Band, Of which I’ve been a member since 1974, decided that the stage was big enough for social distancing of 6’ between musicians, and since the concerts are outside in a beautiful open air Pavillion, everyone is under roof. The park benches were spaced and people were encouraged to wear their masks and distance themselves in the audience as we were on stage. These concerts are free and open to the public and at one time were MPTF gigs. We still raise the money to pay the band but no longer use the Musician’s Trust Fund.
We all wore our masks to the concerts and rehearsals and took them off to play and put them back on right after playing.
I was skeptical and not comfy doing this, but it all went well, and so far, no one has gotten sick. We live in a county that isn’t a hot spot, so we’re all ok….so far so good!! Being open air and outside I think was a plus. We started with the 4th of July and had a concert every Thursday night thereafter, and ended with our final concert July 30. I’m glad I decided to do this because it worked out well.
So far, not another gig until CJO decides to start up again and theaters reopen.
Guest Contributor // Doug Hare
One of my last gigs was an ominous gig on Friday the 13th called “Retrograde Raid” ushering in the Ides of March. Through these days of devastation, gigs of all sorts – recurring private parties, fundraisers, recitals, and regular pub gigs – vanished with just a remote possibility of happening sometime.
Despite having lost so many gigs so fast, I was able to stay positive because I couldn’t imagine church going anywhere and there were some recording opportunities for me that I hadn’t had time to seize. Therefore, for a moment, I even felt appreciation for the slow down because by that point, I had gotten so busy, I wanted more quality in my work.
With no time to lose, however, I found myself busy recording and even making some videos. I had been so busy with a wide variety of gigs that I had never really recorded too much at home. This first month of the shutdown had pushed me to utilize my iPhone and MacBook Pro to their limits. I lived in a little project studio most of the day.
I was grateful to have so much work in the studio, but I very much missed making music directly for an audience and feeling their reactions in real time. In late April, opportunities began to slowly open up. Here and there I went out to sing and play (or just play) for an occasional physically distanced performance. However it has been longstanding bastions of culture that have provided the most consistent outlets to make music in real time and space with people. These long standing institutions are Christ Church Anglican, located in the Short North, and BalletMet Academy, which is the ballet school for Columbus’ BalletMet dance company.
Christ Church decided to close along with the rest of the state and remain closed until June. It had never streamed their services and decided canceled services entirely until the state declared it was safe to reopen. To provide a thread of continuity, I recorded myself singing hymns accompanying myself on my piano. I was happy to get so many positive phone calls and e-mails expressing gratitude for the recordings. However, I yearned to play with real people because I missed interacting with them in real time. I missed hearing the congregation sing along. I missed working with my professional singers who can quickly bring choral pieces to life, spanning a stylistic range of five hundred years! I missed the subtle changes in a performance, inspired by real people, that elevate a piece during its performance from where it was during the rehearsal. As the organist and choirmaster I am very appreciative of the musical freedom afforded to me.
In June, the church reopened, but to my disappointment, only partially. For a month, there was no singing, no communion and very little music. These services were very dry and almost devoid of music. I was asked to play only a prelude, processional hymn (which wouldn’t be sung), recessional hymn and a postlude. The service was liturgy and a sermon with a shell of music around it. I chose to play a full half hour of prelude music to give more to the congregation. To be honest, it felt almost like a funeral to me. In contrast, members appreciated what music I did provide – and because I played a popular hymn for the processional, many told me afterward that they sang along despite the no-singing rule. After all, everyone was wearing masks, which continues to this day and sadly has caused several members to quit.
By July, I was excited to bring back paid singers again and congregation could sing again! Alas, I could only ask four to return. Before the closure, we previously had six to eight any given Sunday. Downsizing the choir took some thought and I felt terrible having to work through this. This was due mostly to the fact that there is only so much room for the choir, as the entire church is practicing physical distancing.
Furthermore, there are no more handshakes, no more coffee and cakes – which is a huge part of the Anglican church culture. Kidding aside, members are making the most of being able to be back at church! They are staying afterward – physically distanced – to catch up with each other and to talk about how much they enjoyed the choir’s anthem that week. I am sure they talk about how much they like the sermon as well.
In July, BalletMet opened up for its five-week Summer Intensive. It is somewhat safe to say it is like band camp for ballet students. This means classes have been running five to six days a week for the entire month of July! As an Academy accompanist I’ve been very excited playing almost every day. When the state closed, they had gone completely to online group classes. Fortunately for the dancers, they decided it was necessary to reopen for the Summer Intensive.
I love playing the piano for ballet classes because all styles are welcome (provided the music serves the needs of the class). I also love how there are no set lists. Ballet classes, all over the world, follow the same template of going through a series of exercises called combinations and every accompanist has a broad repertoire of pieces that might be useful to support the series of combinations. Every teacher has his or her teaching style. It is a joy to play something that in addition to serving the rhythm and tempo the dancers need, brings a smile to the teacher’s face. Believe it or not, Penny Lane works really well through the movement called the Tendu. I get to play lots of jazz standards, excerpts from classical music, original compositions, college fight songs, and sometimes even make up music on the spot.
Growing up I had believed I just wanted to be a recording artist. I do enjoy recording and I’m glad I get to record from time to time. Also, I have always loved playing with a wide array of electronic instruments and effects. It can be so much fun to mess around and see what something can do! However, at the end of the day, there is no substitute for taking an instrument, as is, and making music for a certain specific occasion, be it a church service for a specific time of the church calendar or a dance class for a particular combination. It can be very freeing when the circumstance of limitation brings out freedom from within. Christ Church only has a pipe organ and BalletMet only has pianos. Those who know me may remember a massive pedal board I once constructed for use with electric guitar, which I used to work very hard at. However, at the end of the day – and these days – I very much love creating ephemeral music for these bastions of culture.
The music is here, but for a moment, before it vanishes from where it came. The institutions remain.
Doug is a teacher, pianist, and composer
Jazz Live Streams
HERE is a shockingly robust list of live stream performances. There are daily and weekly performances plus loads of other opportunities to hear and see some distanced jazz.
Of course Jazz at Lincoln Center is doing a great job. HERE is a link to lots of their past live events.
Sarah Thompson, audience member
I have not gone to see music. As someone who was never a big fan of HUGE concerts, I am absolutely missing the smaller venue music scene as is the Columbus vibe.
1. Consistent decline in Covid-19 cases
2. More unique settings being offered. Outdoor spaces, etc
3. The ultimate… a vaccine
I have been willing to do get together a with close family and friends (all of who I know are being responsible)
The other piece I think worth noting and then therefor diving deeper into is the ultimate distrust of elected officials and leaders, which is creating the “different versions of safe”.
I find that conversation fascinating. It’s incredibly strange to watch.
Additionally, financial insecurity makes people act out of character. Collective trauma is real!!! Uncertainty and isolation are a recipe for depression, anxiety and weird behavior.
Patrick Overturf, percussionist, educator
We live in Dallas county which is a hot spot for covid right now. I’m honestly amazed that there are even places to play in the first place, let alone anywhere that is booking. There are also enough musicians in the Dallas area not comfortable with going out in the first place to where I’m actually working as a sideman more than I was before the pandemic began.
Before I started gigging again my wife and I were both very apprehensive about the safety. Fortunately there is a mandatory mask ordinance in Dallas county so everyone at the concerts has to be wearing a mask when they’re not at their table.
Wearing a mask while playing vibes or drums isn’t a big deal. It just took awhile for me to find a mask that I was really comfortable playing in. I also don’t eat or drink anything except for water during gigs so my mask stayed on the whole time.
If I do hang after gigs I’m wearing my mask unless I’m taking sip of a beverage; then it immediately goes back on.
It feels really good to be playing again! I will definitely never take playing with other people for granted.
Another important note: almost all of my teaching work is in a public school setting, whether in a classroom or teaching private lessons. I am infinitely more comfortable and feel safer on the bandstand than I will in a classroom.
Seth Alexander, percussionist, teacher
I have encountered approximately four different types of “gigs” since March and all this madness started. Each one has its pros and its cons.
Number one: Pre-recorded Videos. For most bands, this is the least ideal. The least amount of audience interaction. The most amount of logistical preparations. And unless you feel like paying for a social media advertisement while spending too much time online promoting the video- it doesn’t really get the band many results. However, when given the time and care that a good music video needs, they can have great audio and video quality and capture the moments of live performance that we all miss.
Number two: Live Streams. For the performers, this feels very much the same as a prerecorded video. You might be lucky enough to be in the same room as your bandmates, but there is still such a huge disconnect from the audience. Whenever I have tried one, it’s usually just a fun hang with bandmates,
while the comment section, Bandcamp, and paypal links get ignored by viewers.
Number three: Socially-Distanced Live. While almost always outside (for now, until the temperature drops), these are definitely the most ideal situations. The downside is of course the idea of social distance itself; the band needs enough room apart from each other, and if anyone requires performing sans mask, this means extra space between band members and the audience. The other downside is that most local businesses are struggling to stay afloat, so the paycheck may or may not just be a fairly empty tip jar. (The best experience I had with a socially-distanced live show was at local brewery Land-Grant’s new beer garden. They had a large outside stage, plenty of spaced tables with umbrellas, and a tip feature for the band in the app that customers use to pay for their food and drink.)
Number four: “normal” shows. I still cannot believe that I actually played this one. Yes, it paid well. But I was the only person (out of THREE in total, the other two on stage) at the performance that actually wore a mask. Luckily everything was outside and I could maintain distance on stage- drummers usually have that advantage. But there was very little precaution other than distance and a few masks. If you come across a gig like this, in which there is way too much caution thrown into the wind of COVID- don’t take it. One gig is not worth the risk, and these shows should not be happening.
Lisa Cave, audience member, Scene Queen
I was trying to write something deep and meaningful. But I watched a couple of live streams tonight and cried all the way through them. Which happens pretty much every time.
So that’s my contribution: I cry during live-streams.
Guest Contributor: Karla Kay
Lost Momentum
The creator / lead singer of the Victorious KayBirds was singing primarily Jazz / Great American Songbook tunes in the D.C. area prior to forming Victorious KayBirds (VKB) in the summer of 2018. (2 yr. anniversary).
The new band format is a mix of Soul, Blues, and NOLA (New Orleans) tunes. After only a year in the competitive Columbus music scene, VKB was booking consistently, thanks to talents of experienced, seasoned musicians. They so looked forward to keeping up the hard-won momentum in 2020, as VKB was invited to play at 5 major local festivals and a fair. They were also playing & booking private Life-Event parties and had played at the coveted Natalie’s CFP Live music venue with their eclectic Mardi Gras themed show.
Coronavirus -Cancellations began mid-March. As each gig, event, and festival was cancelled the momentum dissipated. The Lead singer / manager made the decision to not attempt to get any future gigs before September. She jumped in to help SBA as a loan officer to get the money out to small businesses, a job she had held after hurricane disasters. She tried to get the application and benefits facts out to other musicians through social media post. She asked her musicians to apply, so they would have the EIDL advance grant funds to help them through the summer of 2020.
She tried to help some venues with their applications, so live music will return in 2021. The VKB went to 2 small indoor gigs after March, and each time they did not all feel safe / comfortable.
The venue staff can only do so much. The Risk / Benefit was not balanced. Asking well-meaning fans to ‘stay back’ when they come up to stage to praise you is just too awkward.
Knowing we could be asymptomatic carriers and cause someone else to be ill is just too selfish. VKB band is now starting bookings for Mid-September and beyond. They will also work on original songs in October and go into a large studio in November. Most of the Coronavirus -Cancellations have promised to be rebooked in 2021
What’re You Spinning // Flashlighter Edition
We decided to combine our non-pandemic weekly (Flashlighter) with our WYS and make a list of the places and people who are playing regularly, distant, or otherwise.
This is not meant to be a complete list, but if you have someone or somewhere that’s doing an excellent job, let us know and we’ll feature them next week!
These folks have had music consistently since the Pandemic arrived in the states (to our occasional chagrin!). They have a stable of excellent jazz every week, featuring some of the best in Columbus. Their Facebook page features the Live streams of those performance (some of which can also be found on their YouTube page).
JAG has been providing interviews and performances weekly since March in their Offstage LIVE series. This week, they’re premiering a special collaboration video with the Columbus Urban League called, “Songs of Hope and Healing with Crucial Conversations” which features performances from Byron Stripling, Quan Howell, Phil Clark, and Sydney McSweeney and a great band featuring Bobby Floyd, Andy Woodson, and Reggie Jackson.
Their Facebook and YouTube pages feature a variety of live videos as well as some vintage CJO concert recordings.
The Blu Note has excellent music weekly, featuring some of the best jazz in Columbus. I can’t find a YouTube channel, but their Facebook page has a pretty good handheld selection of videos.
Natalie’s was one of the first venues we learned about that had closed and then re-opened with safety in mind. They have been streaming their live performances for a few months and they can be found on their Facebook page and their possibly secret until now YouTube page. This is a collaboration video they made featuring some frequent performers – it’s not jazz but it’s too good not to post. Dan White plays a solo at 3:41 – everybody loves Dan.
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