By Laura Murton
The jury is out on how Ottawa’s jazz scene is faring. Ottawa International Jazz Festival organizers say jazz is becoming more and more popular in Ottawa. While bar owners agree, the artists themselves aren’t so sure.
Brian Browne has been a jazz pianist for over 40 years. He has recently returned to live in Ottawa after performing in New York City for 10 years. In his view, the city’s jazz scene is, was and always will be “bleak.”
“Jazz has to be part of the culture. It’s just not here in Ottawa. Here, musicians study jazz and there are hardly any gigs,” says Browne.
But Vicki Cummings, Ottawa International Jazz Festival’s sponsorship and education program developer, says she’s noticed an increased awareness and appreciation of jazz music. She says Ottawa’s high-tech employees have played a role in this increase due to their willingness to spend more on tickets and drinks.
“We’ve certainly seen a change of audience, especially with tech audiences both with monetary support and audience participation,” says Cummings.
Browne holds that while there may be interested musicians and passionate consumers, Ottawa does not have enough venues to support an interest in jazz music.
“There is no lack of enthusiasm on the part of the musicians, but there are no venues here in Ottawa… you don’t have anyone busting to play in here,” says Browne.
Christoph Driehuis, general manager of Bourbons, located at 33 Clarence St., hires jazz bands to perform at the restaurant three nights per week during winter and six nights a week during the summer. Bourbons is named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans and has attracted jazz musicians and patrons with its Cajun theme. Driehuis says that when Bourbons first opened, he was flooded with inquiries from musicians interested in performing.
“The business demand is definitely there … but musicians have said they don’t have the opportunities to play where they want to,” says Driehuis.
Driehuis and Browne agree on that score. The biggest setback seems to be the inadequate number of venues in Ottawa to support all the musicians who want to play. The problem not only affects musicians, but it also seems there are not enough venues offering live jazz to please clientele.
“There is good interest out there by both audiences and musicians for more jazz venues,” says Driehuis.
Although Browne supports himself teaching piano at Lauzon Music Centre, he welcomes the opportunity to play live jazz whenever he can. For Browne, it’s all about the performance, the music, and the energy jazz generates.
When he plays now, it’s because he enjoys sharing his music with the crowds, and says there is still nothing like the rush you get from performing.
“I still play gigs. I’m playing one up in Wakefield soon. We go up there and play and take our money and run, and I’m happy to do it,” Browne says.
Browne isn’t discouraged by the state of Ottawa’s jazz scene. He recognizes that there could be more bars and restaurants for musicians to play in, but accepts that in Ottawa, there just isn’t. In Browne’s view, jazz was never meant to be mainstream music anyway.