This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/31/arts/music/jazz-smalls-coronavirus-concerts.html
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Live From New York, It’s Jazz at a Distance | Live From New York, It’s Jazz at a Distance |
| (6 days later) | |
| In a different age, about three months ago, 20 bucks could buy you up to four sets of music at Smalls, the pulsing Greenwich Village basement club celebrated for crowd-pleasing, unfussy jazz. Squeeze into the front row and you’d be close enough to the musicians to sweat on one other. Buy a drink and you were welcome to stick around for a 1 a.m. jam session featuring brash up-and-comers — and maybe guest turns by established stars. That cover charge, and a willingness to pack yourself in, also bought access to the intimate Mezzrow, Smalls’s sister club, just across Seventh Avenue South. | In a different age, about three months ago, 20 bucks could buy you up to four sets of music at Smalls, the pulsing Greenwich Village basement club celebrated for crowd-pleasing, unfussy jazz. Squeeze into the front row and you’d be close enough to the musicians to sweat on one other. Buy a drink and you were welcome to stick around for a 1 a.m. jam session featuring brash up-and-comers — and maybe guest turns by established stars. That cover charge, and a willingness to pack yourself in, also bought access to the intimate Mezzrow, Smalls’s sister club, just across Seventh Avenue South. |
| Smalls and Mezzrow haven’t been packed in the last 12 weeks, of course. The clubs shuttered after performances on March 15, and their owner, Spike Wilner, said that even before the mandated shutdown, the crowds had diminished and musicians had been canceling gigs. | Smalls and Mezzrow haven’t been packed in the last 12 weeks, of course. The clubs shuttered after performances on March 15, and their owner, Spike Wilner, said that even before the mandated shutdown, the crowds had diminished and musicians had been canceling gigs. |
| But there’s a funny thing about jazz: It keeps roaring back to life. Live music returns to Smalls on June 1, in a socially distant way, thanks to Mr. Wilner’s persistence, the club’s shift into full nonprofit mode and a windfall from a celebrity benefactor — a $25,000 donation to the SmallsLIVE Foundation from Billy Joel. | But there’s a funny thing about jazz: It keeps roaring back to life. Live music returns to Smalls on June 1, in a socially distant way, thanks to Mr. Wilner’s persistence, the club’s shift into full nonprofit mode and a windfall from a celebrity benefactor — a $25,000 donation to the SmallsLIVE Foundation from Billy Joel. |
| “That gift was such a positive vibe at a time when things were really dark,” Mr. Wilner said last week. “The impact of the virus has been devastating on the jazz community.” | “That gift was such a positive vibe at a time when things were really dark,” Mr. Wilner said last week. “The impact of the virus has been devastating on the jazz community.” |
| In a phone interview, Mr. Joel said he felt compelled to support Smalls in its time of need: “Live music is the vitality of New York.” He added: “That great sound is the hum of the city. And during this pandemic, it’s the jazz and classical players who get hit first.” | In a phone interview, Mr. Joel said he felt compelled to support Smalls in its time of need: “Live music is the vitality of New York.” He added: “That great sound is the hum of the city. And during this pandemic, it’s the jazz and classical players who get hit first.” |
| Mr. Wilner’s plan for the money addresses the greatest hardship that jazz players are facing during the shutdown: lost gigs. He has booked a different jazz band at Smalls for two sets a night, at 7 and 8:30 p.m., all through June, paying the usual gig rate. It’s not quite a reopening, though. The musicians will be alone in the club except for an engineer and a manager. The audience will be at home, watching via the livestream that has regularly broadcast Smalls shows. | Mr. Wilner’s plan for the money addresses the greatest hardship that jazz players are facing during the shutdown: lost gigs. He has booked a different jazz band at Smalls for two sets a night, at 7 and 8:30 p.m., all through June, paying the usual gig rate. It’s not quite a reopening, though. The musicians will be alone in the club except for an engineer and a manager. The audience will be at home, watching via the livestream that has regularly broadcast Smalls shows. |
| Smalls makes its sets available in real time, then archives them behind a paywall for donors who have given at least $10 to the SmallsLIVE Foundation. The livestreams will also be available on the club’s Facebook page. | Smalls makes its sets available in real time, then archives them behind a paywall for donors who have given at least $10 to the SmallsLIVE Foundation. The livestreams will also be available on the club’s Facebook page. |
| No other major New York City jazz club is getting back to live, on-site performances so early. The trumpeter and composer Jeremy Pelt, who plays Smalls on reopening night in the drummer Joe Farnsworth’s quartet, has no qualms about being cautious while performing. “We’re armed with the basic knowledge of how the virus spreads. When I go down to Smalls, I’m not going to be hugging people and slapping high fives, even with my very dear friends. We’re going to make this music and leave.” | No other major New York City jazz club is getting back to live, on-site performances so early. The trumpeter and composer Jeremy Pelt, who plays Smalls on reopening night in the drummer Joe Farnsworth’s quartet, has no qualms about being cautious while performing. “We’re armed with the basic knowledge of how the virus spreads. When I go down to Smalls, I’m not going to be hugging people and slapping high fives, even with my very dear friends. We’re going to make this music and leave.” |
| The organist and composer Akiko Tsuruga noted that the Smalls stage is large enough for the players to connect while still staying six feet apart. She said that when her quartet plays there on June 12 she’ll miss the club’s community — the crowds of aficionados and out-of-towners, the musicians who pop in to hang — but will simply be happy for the chance to play. “The lockdown has reminded me how important playing music is to my life,” Ms. Tsuruga said. | The organist and composer Akiko Tsuruga noted that the Smalls stage is large enough for the players to connect while still staying six feet apart. She said that when her quartet plays there on June 12 she’ll miss the club’s community — the crowds of aficionados and out-of-towners, the musicians who pop in to hang — but will simply be happy for the chance to play. “The lockdown has reminded me how important playing music is to my life,” Ms. Tsuruga said. |
| The money matters, too, of course. Jazz musicians rely more than ever on live performances to pay their bills, especially as streaming has gutted revenues from recordings. Ms. Tsuruga has lost gigs with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the all-female collective Lioness, and Mr. Pelt had to cut short a European tour. | The money matters, too, of course. Jazz musicians rely more than ever on live performances to pay their bills, especially as streaming has gutted revenues from recordings. Ms. Tsuruga has lost gigs with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and the all-female collective Lioness, and Mr. Pelt had to cut short a European tour. |
| “This hit everybody right where it hurts, right in the pocket,” Mr. Pelt said. “That’s not even mentioning the mental effect of not playing with your colleagues.” | “This hit everybody right where it hurts, right in the pocket,” Mr. Pelt said. “That’s not even mentioning the mental effect of not playing with your colleagues.” |
| Some help has come from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, whose current president is Wynton Marsalis. The organization has allocated a million dollars for grants of $1,000 to the region’s working jazz musicians to be dispensed through an emergency fund. | Some help has come from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, whose current president is Wynton Marsalis. The organization has allocated a million dollars for grants of $1,000 to the region’s working jazz musicians to be dispensed through an emergency fund. |
| Other clubs have booked players for Zoom gigs, like the Jazz Gallery’s Lockdown Sessions, in which musicians like Joel Ross or Camila Meza chat over Zoom with Rio Sakairi, the Gallery’s artistic director, and then present new, homemade videos of themselves playing solo or with a live-in partner. Some festivals, too, have moved online, such as the annual celebration for artists on the pianist Fabian Almazan’s Biophilia Records. | Other clubs have booked players for Zoom gigs, like the Jazz Gallery’s Lockdown Sessions, in which musicians like Joel Ross or Camila Meza chat over Zoom with Rio Sakairi, the Gallery’s artistic director, and then present new, homemade videos of themselves playing solo or with a live-in partner. Some festivals, too, have moved online, such as the annual celebration for artists on the pianist Fabian Almazan’s Biophilia Records. |
| But jazz players insist that a Zoom connection doesn’t cut it when it comes to collaborative improvisation. “That connection can’t happen over a computer,” the pianist and singer Johnny O’Neal said. | But jazz players insist that a Zoom connection doesn’t cut it when it comes to collaborative improvisation. “That connection can’t happen over a computer,” the pianist and singer Johnny O’Neal said. |
| Ms. Tsuruga agreed: “Musicians need eye contact and the same vibe.” | Ms. Tsuruga agreed: “Musicians need eye contact and the same vibe.” |
| Mr. Pelt titled his most recent album “The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1,” which refers not just to the romantic yearning of the set’s luminous ballads. “It’s not necessarily about the love aspect. It’s the fact that listening to this music is like listening in on a private conversation between the musicians.” | Mr. Pelt titled his most recent album “The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1,” which refers not just to the romantic yearning of the set’s luminous ballads. “It’s not necessarily about the love aspect. It’s the fact that listening to this music is like listening in on a private conversation between the musicians.” |
| Conversations like that, Mr. Pelt believes, demand physical presence. “We’re almost able to play and interact digitally, with no blips and not being a nanosecond off. But what will never be replaced is the human interaction with your fellow musicians.” | Conversations like that, Mr. Pelt believes, demand physical presence. “We’re almost able to play and interact digitally, with no blips and not being a nanosecond off. But what will never be replaced is the human interaction with your fellow musicians.” |
| Updated June 30, 2020 | |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | |
| Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. | Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles. |
| A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. | A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico. |
| The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. | The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth. |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| Mr. Joel agrees. “There’s something about the atmosphere or the acoustics of playing together live in a small place that you can’t replicate any other way,” he said. “It’s an immediate sensation, feeling the vibrations of the drum and the resonance of a standup bass.” | Mr. Joel agrees. “There’s something about the atmosphere or the acoustics of playing together live in a small place that you can’t replicate any other way,” he said. “It’s an immediate sensation, feeling the vibrations of the drum and the resonance of a standup bass.” |
| Like the jazz players, Mr. Joel has also tired of canceled gigs, including a summer tour and his Madison Square Garden residency. The singer and pianist said that he’s fortunate enough to be able to pay his band and crew full salary during the shutdown, but he misses “the community aspect” of playing live — connecting with other musicians. | Like the jazz players, Mr. Joel has also tired of canceled gigs, including a summer tour and his Madison Square Garden residency. The singer and pianist said that he’s fortunate enough to be able to pay his band and crew full salary during the shutdown, but he misses “the community aspect” of playing live — connecting with other musicians. |
| Mr. Wilner, meanwhile, is doing what jazz players do best. He’s improvising. Besides reaching out to other potential big-ticket supporters, he’s upgraded Smalls’ livestream technology and redesigned the club’s website to allow for financial contributions, large and small. | Mr. Wilner, meanwhile, is doing what jazz players do best. He’s improvising. Besides reaching out to other potential big-ticket supporters, he’s upgraded Smalls’ livestream technology and redesigned the club’s website to allow for financial contributions, large and small. |
| The cost of a donation allows patrons access to the Smalls archive of 18,000 recorded performances from about 4,000 musicians. Wilner’s royalty system cuts checks to musicians whose archived sets get streamed, though the issue of performance rights royalties for original compositions remains murky. “We look at it as a sponsorship rather than a subscription,” Mr. Wilner said. “We don’t want to sell this music. We want people to support it.” | The cost of a donation allows patrons access to the Smalls archive of 18,000 recorded performances from about 4,000 musicians. Wilner’s royalty system cuts checks to musicians whose archived sets get streamed, though the issue of performance rights royalties for original compositions remains murky. “We look at it as a sponsorship rather than a subscription,” Mr. Wilner said. “We don’t want to sell this music. We want people to support it.” |
| He’s trying to get the cats playing again — and to get the cats paid. “We need to collect about $25,000 a month,” he said. “That would pay for 28 bands and one month’s rent.” | He’s trying to get the cats playing again — and to get the cats paid. “We need to collect about $25,000 a month,” he said. “That would pay for 28 bands and one month’s rent.” |
| The Smalls that returns on Monday won’t be the Smalls of old, exactly. But it will still be Smalls. That means something to Mr. O’Neal, whose exuberant trio performs there on June 2. “Everybody comes to Smalls. Everybody. It will go down in history as one of the premiere jazz clubs in history.” | The Smalls that returns on Monday won’t be the Smalls of old, exactly. But it will still be Smalls. That means something to Mr. O’Neal, whose exuberant trio performs there on June 2. “Everybody comes to Smalls. Everybody. It will go down in history as one of the premiere jazz clubs in history.” |