Do you guys know that old joke: How do end up with a million dollars in the music business?...
Start with 2 million and open a jazz club.
Of course, any good joke has a grain of truth to it...and running a jazz club sure is no joke. Only a certain breed of jazz devotee is able to assemble the right balance of nerve, dedication, and insanity to run their own jazz club.
If you’ve ever been curious about what it takes, let me walk you through the steps with the Professor’s guide to opening your own jazz club:
To begin with, don’t jump straight into buying your own space. It’s a less risky start to adopt some time in someone else’s. For some odd reason (that’s beyond me) it’s important that you find a space that has absolutely no relationship to music, with zero atmosphere, and put on jazz afternoons there.
Here are some prime examples:
-Masonic Halls
-Retirement homes
-Golf Clubs
Also, make sure you host your jazz afternoons at seemingly random times...let’s say, the third Sunday of the month, or every second Tuesday except in July. Or you could get creative: how about every third lunar cycle of the summer solstice except for the Chinese leap year. Having a confusingly complex calendar will ensure a tiny, confused but loyal crowd.
If you find that adopting someone else’s space hasn’t sent you broke yet, then you’re ready for the next step: opening your ver
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