after hours?

[Brian Nation]

After an evening of listening to great, stimulating jazz the last thing I want to do is go home and hit the sack. Unless it's to . . . uh, never mind that. I've been fired up all evening - great music wakes you up, doesn't get you ready for bed . . unless .. er - anyway . . . . Am I the only one? I've dug the music all night and now I want to hang! I want something to eat, maybe a drink or seven, and more music!!! But by the time the drummer's lugged his gear out to his or her SUV the club's empty - everyone's halfway back to their bungalows. Unless it's Mike Allen. Then at least I can count on a smoked meat sandwich at Siegel's. Which, by the way, is open all night, has superb meat, and yet maybe two other people might be there when we arrive. What's up with this town? Seems like everyone I know has to be up early or has to go home to check their email. How the hell can you be a good musician if you're getting enough sleep?

I miss the after-hours joints we used to have. When I think about the clubs I used to go to I also remember where we went after to hang out all night. Basin Street, Jablu, Lion's Den, and all the others I've forgotten due to lack of sleep. The musicians who had boring gigs needed some place to go and really play! If we had an after hours scene now would anybody go?

Or is there some place nobody's telling me about because nobody likes me?

[zula]

As long as the city & the province are run by these folks, what do you expect...

[Brian Nation]

Originally Posted by zula

As long as the city & the province are run by these folks, what do you expect...

I dunno . . . they look kinda fun. Anyway, this one we can't blame on the politicians. The after hours joints were probably all illegal. The question is would players show up?

[Brian Nation]

Canada's nightly national jazz radio show is called "After Hours". It comes on at ten! Does this tell us something?

[zula]

Too many of them had kids too early or aged too early, imo....

Frankly, though like you, I'm a night owl, Brian, I'm not sure I'd wanna serve liquor till the wee hours in this town, legally or not. A lot of people don't know how to drink...responsibly. Yet, I do agree with you on late night music. If venues were all pretty central, like in Montreal (I was just talking with someone about this), where players meet at a centrally located space & jam regularly after their own gigs. Very good for the music scene!

Btw, during the Jazz Fest we hope to have our license extended to 2 or 3 am for the "1AM JAM". An avant-jam session of sorts...or more accurately, a jam session that's open to many possibilities.

[Allan Johnston]

Ah yes...Basin Street...I remember sleeping through a few sets there...while on the stand, unfortunately. ;-)

I can think of a few reasons why after hours Jazz gigs might not be happening like they were back in the 70's and 80's. For one thing - as a rule, they don't pay very well. For another - the "up late" drugs youngsters do these days seem to orient their brains in the exact opposite direction of deep, mindful listening. Correct me if I'm wrong - do they have Jazz Raves?

Al

[John LeMarquand]

In the early 60's the three jazz clubs that had an after hours policy, The Cellar, The Espresso and the Flat 5 were all run by musicians. For what ever reason that's not happening any more.

[zula]

...and if any of this was happening, it would not be posted here.

[Brian Nation]

Originally Posted by John LeMarquand

In the early 60's the three jazz clubs that had an after hours policy, The Cellar, The Espresso and the Flat 5 were all run by musicians. For what ever reason that's not happening any more.

Jablu, located on Harwood at Burrard, around the corner from Commercial Electronics (in their basement, actually) was run by Mike Taylor, also a musician.

Originally Posted by Allan Johnston

Ah yes...Basin Street...I remember sleeping through a few sets there...while on the stand, unfortunately. ;-)

Do you remember who ran Basin Street, Al?

Originally Posted by zula

...and if any of this was happening, it would not be posted here.

I'd post it in pig latin.

[Allan Johnston]

Originally Posted by Brian Nation

Do you remember who ran Basin Street, Al?

If I ever knew, Brian, it's in a part of my brain that's not accessable right now. Who was it?

[Brian Nation]

Originally Posted by Allan Johnston

Who was it?

Don't know. I'm asking.

[reddiva]

The sad part is these days, if someone goes out on a limb and stays open late, they run the risk of getting shut down, never mind fined. This, of course, depends on which neighbourhood your club is in... or, no, nevermind, it doesn't. Rich or poor, it's just not being left alone. Our tax dollars at work. (Insert Vancouver-No-Fun comments here.)

And as to "responsible drinking", the only way for people to learn how is to let them... right now we have baby boomers , as well as 19 year olds, that think drinking is something their "allowed" to do, as opposed to something that is a part of our culture and normal family life (insert Puritan North American vs. Epicurean European comments here). Biiiiig time mental and everthing cultural, societal, etc., shift... And I don't really see us shifting that way, so far.

Just a drinkers two cents... Pass the martinis and burn, baby, burn!

I'd offer up my living room as a venue but... um... shit, that's not a bad idea....

*hic*
C

[phildwyer]

The guys who ran Basin Street were John and Don. I don't really know anything else about them except that John wore glasses, and Don was a little high strung. I played my first ever gig as a leader(in Vancouver anyway) at Basin Street, in 1983, with Hugh, Rudy, and Mike Lent. Fras used to say that playing there was like 'getting jetlag without leaving town'.

Phil

[Nou Dadoun]

Originally Posted by phildwyer

I played my first ever gig as a leader(in Vancouver anyway) at Basin Street, in 1983, with Hugh, Rudy, and Mike Lent. Fras used to say that playing there was like 'getting jetlag without leaving town'.

Phil

Was that the Basin Street on Hastings, I remember at least two incarnations; I think I heard you there in about 1983. I used to hang quite a bit after hours but these days, it's hard enough getting out for before hours gigs. [I understand now why people have kids when they're younger, they don't know any better and they don't know what they're missing. My kids are both younger than Brian's grandkids, let's see if Brian edits that out!]

But as a family guy working at a fairly demanding day job (Work! what some people will do for money...) and not being able to afford a place in the city proper big enough for the family (and a record collection), it's tough getting to a fraction of the stuff I want to check out, let alone just hanging out...

But even the late night hang during the jazz festival has been increasingly scaled back, I remember the Pit or the old slipper or Studio 16 going to 4 and 5 am pretty regularly and there hasn't been anything going that late for the last few years at least. Good luck with the 1 am jam Cem, that could work out really well; it sounded like Ironworks might be trying some later stuff as well; anyway, better go get my geritol, I'm up running with my 6 year old in the morning ... N

[cweeds]

Im glad to hear that Cem is doing a late night hang at Rime. I think one of the biggest problems with the whole late night thing is quite simple. No one comes. In this town especially or at least at The Cellar, I have found the audience somewhat older and I'm still amazed that when the club is packed and the music is burning whether its Kenny Barron or a great local band, there are people that get up after the first set and go home. They are not disappointed or don't like the music, they're just tired and what to go home.

When The Cellar was operating illegally (apparently) in 2000 we used to have 3 sets and we'd go till 1:00 am. Very very very rarely was it busy other than a few die hards who would stay and a few stragglers by who happened upon the club.

In 2003 for jazz fest we decided to apply for an extension in our hours till 1:00 and have a third set. This decision almost put us out of business.

As for the jams, I say this being as guilty as the next guy. The top musicians don't go in this city, they just don't. The Cellar jam failed miserably, Rime's jam is lacking the presence of any of the great Vancouver players (all due respect to those of you who have been there). I understsand that some musicians have families and even day jobs that may prevent them from coming but the Rime jam is at 3:00 in the afternoon. Again, Im not calling anyone out here, its just a fact that musicians don't really want to go out and support jams for whatever reasons.

We have been a very sleepy city since I can remember and if you think its any better in NYC, you'd be suprised. If you have gone there lately ( I have ) and talk to the locals and the musicians, the late night hangs are diminishing greatly, the late sets are being abaondoned etc. Smalls of course has reopened and is still the epitomy of late night hangs but even the Big Apple is becoming sleepy.

Just my 2 cents.