Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
In late May, The California Clipper, a Chicago club that hosted local jazz, announced its closure.
(Photo: californiaclipper.com)The National Independent Venue Association says that up to 90 percent of its members in the United States could close as a result of lost revenue during the pandemic, according to a survey of its 2,000 constituents.
The organization—which was founded following the closure of the U.S. economy to promote the needs of clubs across the country—released a document June 8 collecting data from its members and describing federal action that it supported.
The dour news outweighed the positive.
NIVA cited Pollstar data from early April that expects “the live industry would lose up to $8.9 billion of revenue” during 2020 if venues remain closed. To contextualize the impact, the organization referenced a Chicago Tribune story that said arts programing brings in billions each year to major metro centers and used the city’s Loop area as a reference point.
NIVA goes on to voice its support of tax credits and the RESTART Act—which has been proposed by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.)—while adding that it believes current Paycheck Protection Program funding will be insufficient. RESTART, which focuses on small- and mid-sized businesses, aims to expand payroll assistance for six months, allows more flexibility for allocation of those funds by businesses and provides a seven-year payback plan.
“This is the first and only bipartisan proposal that supports the hardest-hit businesses by fixing the Paycheck Protection Program and providing relief through the rest of the year,” Bennet said in a separate press release. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.
Mar 30, 2026 10:20 PM
Every April for the past quarter century, something remarkable has happened across the United States and far beyond.…
