How has the pandemic impacted jazz as we go forward in a new reality?
How has the pandemic affected jazz in a new reality? When COVID manifested itself in January 2020 worldwide, there were a ton of questions about how society would function? How would musicians make money? Would they be able to attain gigs? The pandemic saw some venues in the city close that were the lifeblood of jazz, small restaurants, and some beloved clubs, such as The Jazz Standard which the school has used for some of it’s large ensemble events.
Musicians who have been interviewed on the blog such as Antonio Sanchez and Thana Alexa in the wake of the pandemic started the Live From Their Living Rooms series of performances with the intention of giving grants to deserving NYC musicians. Venues such as the Blue Note created a live archive where subscribers could access the large collection of audio and streamed performances. What COVID could not do however is erase the scores of musicians lost. Figures integral to the music, like Jimmy Cobb, the lone surviving member of the band on Miles Davis‘ Kind of Blue passed, as did Jimmy Heath, the great saxophonist and arranger that was one of the last surviving links to Charlie Parker and the effervescent bebop scene of the 1940’s, Gary Peacock, the great bassist, Ellis Marsalis, the patriarch of the Marsalis family in April, 2020 and trumpeter Wallace Roney who gave one of his last interviews for the school and Mike Longo, the late pianist and musical arranger for years with trumpet titan, Dizzy Gillespie. The biggest most shocking loss of them all occurred last year: Chick Corea the effervescent and still prime form pianist from a rare form of cancer.
Smalls, the central hotbed of the New York jazz scene for many, was at first unfairly shut down and by the NYPD who enforced a liquor license rule (Smalls initially never had a liquor license) but Spike Wilner, the owner made sure, complying with former Mayor DeBlasio’s 50% capacity plan for New York State plan to reopen by establishing nonprofit status for the SmallsLIVE Foundation. In June of 2021, daily live streams were created featuring a sponsor, essential to keeping the club alive. The SmallsLIVE Foundation was gifted a phenomenal $25,000 from Billy Joel, in addition to supports from the Foundation, and individual donations.
New York Jazz Workshop was affected very hard as well during the pandemic. The school was in the midst of expansion Being a small space, we took out a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan. Just as expansion occurred, we halted operations which in turn slowed our attendance. This is not easy for a small school such as ours at all, so through the use of the PPP and EIDL, and our own perseverance and belief in this music, we were able to briskly turn the focus towards online classes, is quite difficult when there are known technology issues streaming and playing with live people together, still something quite impressive. The new normal was something that perhaps was something predicted in George Orwell’s 1984. The new bubble reality is one that is incredibly challenging. We pride ourselves on high quality workshops in both New York and Europe
I have been the staff writer for the New York Jazz Workshop School of Music blog in midtown Manhattan since 2014, and that has broadened my freelance writing skills considerably. In addition to writing artist bios, and articles of interest that pertain to the mission of the school, I have interviewed (in print on the site) legendary guitarist and NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny, trumpeter Cuong Vu, and in 2015 embarked on producing a podcast for the school where I have achieved my dream and interviewed jazz giants such as Dave Liebman, Lenny White, rising talents like Thana Alexa, Logan Richardson, guitarist and bassist Brian Kastan, among others. I also work on SEO optimization for the blog. In 2015 I started my blog Jazz Views with CJ Shearn, and have written liner notes for 5 time Grammy winner and Oscar and Golden Globe nominee, Antonio Sanchez (for his latest recording “Channels of Energy”) and guitarist Gene Ess for his latest recording, scheduled to be released in November 2018.
My passion for jazz music is what drives me, which is an interest I’ve had since I can remember. I initially began writing about jazz at the age of 13 for my high school newspaper, and in my late teens contributed occasionally to jazzreview.com. In college I was member of the Harpur Jazz Project which brought jazz acts to campus. I’ve also contributed in the past to AllAboutJazz where I was mentored by John Kelman. I decided to focus on my passion for jazz music journalism after a job in the social services field as a caseworker went south, and as a person with a physical disability I work on going against the odds, living independently and having accomplished things people had said I’d never do.