The move was made out of necessity; now it seems it was fate.
The Georgia Straight Jazz Society was in need of a new venue for its shows in December, and hastily booked the Little Red Church in Comox as a stop-gap until a more suitable venue could be found in the new year.
Turns out, the stand-alone venue at the top of Comox Road is just what the society needs.
“I think we have certainly settled on our home until the end of May (2022-2023 season) because the move to the Little Red Church has worked out quite well,” said GSJS president, Malcolm Holt.“There are some adjustments to be made because it is not a lounge setting that we are accustomed to, but it is a room that is good for performance. It’s appreciated by a lot of people, because so many people in the jazz society don’t go to (these concerts) for a meal or a drink; they go to listen to the music.”
And the musicians appreciate that about the Georgia Straight Jazz Society.
“The number of musicians that tell us how significant it is to play to an audience that actually turned up to listen to the music, as opposed to a venue where the performers are tucked away in the corner and nobody applauds, and half the people aren’t even listening - it’s something we hear time and time again,” said Holt.
Jazz performers are particularly grateful for the GSJS, as the number of dedicated jazz venues has dwindled considerably.
“A couple of weeks ago, we were told (by a performer) that ‘all we have are you guys (GSJS), Frankie’s Jazz Club (Vancouver) and Hermann’s Jazz Club (Victoria).’ They are the only three places in the province where (jazz) musicians are specifically brought in to play for an audience on a weekly basis. So we are in pretty significant company and we certainly have been given very strong endorsements by national musicians coming in on national tours.”
The Little Red Church has been designed with acoustics in mind. Acoustic screening is hanging from the ceiling and attached to the walls throughout the venue to minimize reverberation, giving it the feel of a true concert hall.
Holt is hopeful the venue becomes the permanent home for the GSJS.
The response from the artists who have performed there already is what opened Holt’s eyes to the possibility that the Little Red Church is exactly what the GSJS has been looking for all these years.
“Two weeks ago we had Ernesto Cervini playing with his Juno Award-winning band… and after the show they said ‘you have no idea how important your organization is. You are nurturing the art, you are giving us an opportunity to perform to an appreciative audience… and it is really important what you are doing.’”
One drawback from the new venue is the overhead has increased. With past venues, there was little or no rental fee, as the bars benefitted from the food and beverage consumption.
“Now that we are renting, and we have insurance costs, yes, there is overhead we had not had before,” said Holt. “But the feedback has been so positive that we are comfortable in facing those additional costs.”
The GSJS has approximately 300 members. The society is also looking at introducing a sponsorship program to help with the added costs.
“We will be approaching organizations and companies - a whole cross-section of businesses in the community - with the idea of getting some regular or modest support from them to keep this going,” said Holt. “Our goal remains the same - to keep jazz alive in the Comox Valley.”
terry.farrell@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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