Jazz Showcase has to move

[Lazaro Vega]

If this is posted elsewhere I'll hit the delete.

Venerable Jazz Showcase losing its lease, founder says

Howard Reich

August 28 2006

The Jazz Showcase -- Chicago's most celebrated and long-running jazz

club--is losing its lease, Showcase founder Joe Segal said Sunday night.

The club, which for a decade has featured some of the world's biggest jazz

stars in tony quarters at 59 W. Grand Ave., must leave by Jan. 1, Segal said.

"We don't know where we're going or what's going to happen yet," said

Segal, who has been presenting jazz in Chicago at various locations since 1947.

"I'm pretty tired of moving," added Segal, 80.

Segal was not certain what would happen to the room after he moves. His

landlord could not be reached for comment late Sunday.

Before arriving in March 1996 at the current location, the Jazz Showcase

had flourished for 14 years in the Blackstone Hotel, at 636 S. Michigan.

The impresario lost that room when new owners took over the building.

The Jazz Showcase, believed to be the country's second-oldest continuously

running jazz club after the Village Vanguard in New York, in earlier

incarnations presented touring artists on North Rush Street, North Lincoln

Avenue, in the Loop and on the South Side.

Virtually everyone significant in jazz has played for Segal during the past

59 years, from bebop icon Charlie Parker to contemporary masters such as

Roy Hargrove.

In recent years, Segal's son Wayne has been a major player in running the

Grand Avenue location and in programming Joe's Bebop Cafe and Jazz

Emporium, an affiliated room on Navy Pier.

Where will the Jazz Showcase resurface?

"I'm not sure yet," Segal said.

"We've heard that the South Loop is hot."

[robviti]

shocking news. i'll spending a lot of time there this thursday through sunday night for the after-festival jams hosted by ira sullivan.

[ejp626]

Where will the Jazz Showcase resurface?

"I'm not sure yet," Segal said.

"We've heard that the South Loop is hot."

It looks like I will be back in Chicago by early spring. This looks like one more reason to head to the South Loop -- now if the furor over HotHouse settles down by spring I will be set.

[sal]

Shocked to hear this news!

[sheldonm]

I had some personal conversations about this with Joe's son Wayne a few weeks ago and was asked not to discuss it publicly but since the article is out I guess I can discuss a little of it. They have their eyes on a couple locations but last I heard, nothing in stone. After getting some details on their current situation / rising rent and so on, probably a good time to re-locate. They have lots of ideas to make the Showcase better....and I have no doubt they will!!!

m~

[wigwise]

The Jazz Showcase, believed to be the country's second-oldest continuously

running jazz club after the Village Vanguard in New York, in earlier

incarnations presented touring artists on North Rush Street, North Lincoln

Avenue, in the Loop and on the South Side.

I thought Baker's in Detroit held claim to the title of "oldest continually running Jazz club"...

[randissimo]

The Jazz Showcase, believed to be the country's second-oldest continuously

running jazz club after the Village Vanguard in New York, in earlier

incarnations presented touring artists on North Rush Street, North Lincoln

Avenue, in the Loop and on the South Side.

I thought Baker's in Detroit held claim to the title of "oldest continually running Jazz club"...

Baker's has been in operation over 71 years now and at the same location..

[sheldonm]

The Jazz Showcase, believed to be the country's second-oldest continuously

running jazz club after the Village Vanguard in New York, in earlier

incarnations presented touring artists on North Rush Street, North Lincoln

Avenue, in the Loop and on the South Side.

I thought Baker's in Detroit held claim to the title of "oldest continually running Jazz club"...

...maybe Joe believes it to be!! Actually, I think there was some who say Baker's was not really a working jazz club for some of those years.

m~

[jazzypaul]

I had some personal conversations about this with Joe's son Wayne a few weeks ago and was asked not to discuss it publicly but since the article is out I guess I can discuss a little of it. They have their eyes on a couple locations but last I heard, nothing in stone. After getting some details on their current situation / rising rent and so on, probably a good time to re-locate. They have lots of ideas to make the Showcase better....and I have no doubt they will!!!

m~

They're worried about rising rent and they're considering south loop? Yikes. Of course, a trifecta of HotHouse, the Velvet Lounge and the Showcase all within a cheap cab ride of each other isn't a bad idea at all...

[ejp626]

I had some personal conversations about this with Joe's son Wayne a few weeks ago and was asked not to discuss it publicly but since the article is out I guess I can discuss a little of it. They have their eyes on a couple locations but last I heard, nothing in stone. After getting some details on their current situation / rising rent and so on, probably a good time to re-locate. They have lots of ideas to make the Showcase better....and I have no doubt they will!!!

m~

They're worried about rising rent and they're considering south loop? Yikes. Of course, a trifecta of HotHouse, the Velvet Lounge and the Showcase all within a cheap cab ride of each other isn't a bad idea at all...

Well, at the moment rent in the south loop is almost certainly lower than River North. There still isn't quite as much foot traffic in the South Loop.

[LWayne]

I will be back in Chicago in October and the Jazz Showcase, as always, will be on the itinerary. Now it will definitely be a priority.

From an earlier post-is there a danger of the HotHouse closing? I was hoping to catch Tomasz Stanko there again. The show last year was a killer!

LWayne

[sheldonm]

Joe and Wayne made it clear in several conversations I had with them and to the crowds at the Showcase each night that they will be moving.....NOT closing! Their final performance at this time will be New Years Eve of this year!

m~