It’s no surprise that the coronavirus has affected us all in drastic ways. Many jobs have been lost, businesses forced to close that might never recover, families wondering how they will pay for food and housing. These are unprecedented times and no one is sure what will happen in the future. As bleak as the situation may seem at times the important thing is not to give up. In New York City, jazz club owner Spike Wilner is doing that and fighting for what is his and for what is ours as musicians, artists, and lovers of jazz all around the world. The owner of world-renowned jazz clubs Smalls and Mezzrow recently turned his online streaming platform SmallsLIVE into a non-profit entitled Smalls LIVE Foundation for Jazz Art and Education.
This newly constructed website has an archive including all shows at both Smalls and Mezzrow from 2007, allowing viewers to see their favorite artists and relive some of their most cherished concerts as well as discover phenomenal shows they might have missed. Donations of $10 and above will allow supporting members access to this vast archive through the end of the tax year and donations are tax-deductible so please consider donating to the foundation. This helps out not only the clubs themselves but the musicians who perform at Smalls and Mezzrow receive the help they need to weather this storm, which in turn helps all the jazz venues in New York.
Smalls has been a staple venue for the jazz community for decades as well as a sought after hang for New Yorkers and tourists alike. When I say it is a family hang, it truly is a family hang with both musicians and fans coming together regularly, breaking that artists and audience barrier, and enjoying one another’s company as a close-knit community. Musicians finishing with gigs or coming home from being on the road stop in with regularity, celebrities from every walk come into the club, and fans from all over the world seem to know Smalls and Mezzrow are prime destination spots to check out great jazz while in New York. Music legend Billy Joel has even recognized the importance of these venues by contributing to the newly established foundation, and I hope that others will follow suit.
These times are tough for everyone, but every donation helps in preserving not only these clubs, but the entire New York scene by taking care of the musicians who perform there night in and night out. History is full of great jazz clubs that have gone under, and we cannot allow anymore to do so. Musicians and patrons alike, we all have to do our part in supporting our community because if we don’t no one will do it for us. Smalls faced similar hardships after 9/11, being forced to close for a year and a half, but came back stronger than before, and with everyone’s support, it can continue to thrive and be a place we all call home.
Photographs, courtesy of Michelle Watt. For further information on Smalls please visit.
https://www.instagram.com/smallsjazzclub/
https://www.facebook.com/smallslive/
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