is there live jazz in your neighborhood?

[kiwijohn]

What kind of live jazz is available in your neighborhood?
In my town there isn't much,but we do every now and then get good trios and quartets,mostly playing standards..the last jazz in this town was a swing and blues band played a week or two ago....

[jazzalta]

The only jazz in my neighbourhood is in my basement. Actually, besides my little trio, there are two other groups around town. But the venues are rare and the pay is....well, it's jazz so lots of times we play for meals and/or drinks. I did a gig yesterday in a little restaurant for a meal. And we do freebies, but not in places that compete with the legit groups (that play classic rock or country). Our town has 70,000 people and there is just not the demand for jazz. Not surprisingly, since it is a University town, our patrons are mostly students.

[johnnyc]

Richmond, Va. has a few places that have live jazz, Virginia Commonwealth University is in the city and they have a very good music, performing arts, jazz, classical program. Many of the students play around the town, and teach in the local music stores.

A few nights ago I saw a local band play at the Fusion Club in Richmond. A friend played drums, there was keyboard, base and a guitar player from the area who now resides in Nashville as a session player.

They are all great players, but the guitar player, who i saw about a year ago on Austin City Limits, he was on the road with a country singer Clay Davidson.

He played jazz that night and was totally awesome. His ability to play straight ahead, contemporary type jazz and even tastefully add a few country licks, had most of the audience, which was comprised of mostly musicians, smiling and in awe of his playing.

During the summer months there is a Friday night at Sunset series of shows, I saw Peter White, Russ Freeman, with the Rippingtons, and Chuck Loeb. Joyce Cooling, as well as Chris Botti, who has a great guitar player, Shayne Fontaine.

these shows are outside, there is always a local band the opens for the main act, the shows cost 15.00, with free parking. Jazz is supported in Richmond, but like most places it is not the focal point of the music scene.

But I really can't complain.

[Professor1]

The Dallas/Fort Worth area has lots of jazz going on. I play in a jazz dance band myself. There are also the many versions of the North Texas Lab bands.