A Message from Phillip Greenlief
I was really happy when the Jazz House recently asked me to serve on their Board of Directors. As some of you may know, I have a history of presenting shows at the space that goes back to the origins of the TUVA days. When Rob Woodworth and his band of volunteers took the space over I was glad to see that someone had plans on developing the potential of the space.
Develop it they did. The work that the folks at the Jazz House have done since then fulfills everything I would want from such a community-based space: 1) a place to hear live music that crosses the borders that corporations have put on the music, 2) a place that seeks to educate young people in the community about music, 3) a place that offers "jump-on-in" jam sessions (which is precisely how I came to this music nearly 25 years ago when I moved here), 4) a place that hangs the art of local artists on its walls, and finally 5) a place that is proactive in going after funding to secure respectable fees for artists and to continue to provide the quality programming that we have come to expect from the Jazz House.
As a member of the Jazz House's Board of Directors, I will continue to help bring folks from Europe, Japan, and other parts of the world and the U.S. to play for you. I will research and write grants so these touring artists can expect a decent fee when they travel halfway around the world to play their music in your neighborhood. And finally, I will serve the Jazz House by "whatever means necessary" to keep its doors open for local artists.
I invite all readers of this missive to think about ways you can support the Jazz House. Come to shows, drop any extra funds you might have in your pocket in their "donations drum", and talk to people with money and see if they would be willing to make contributions to keep this space alive. Most folks have no idea how much time and energy spaces like this take to realize this essential service. I have lived in this area since the late 1970's, and have seen venue after venue come and go - places that I always hoped would remain open, places that I have dear memories associated with some of the most wonderful evenings of my life, where I sat listening to great music by the masters of jazz and all its tenets. Don't let the Jazz House become a memory - despite the full steam it has now, you never know what can come along to make these precious jewels of our community disappear. Apathy is arts' anathema.
What will keep this place alive is your support - come to shows, encourage musically-oriented kids you might know to attend classes and workshops, think creatively about funding possibilities, and ENJOY THE SHOW!
Sincerely,
Phillip Greenlief