In the week that Mary Greig won a Parliamentary Jazz Award for Services to Jazz, Sarah Chaplin tells us about a new initiative which is in the process of being set up by both Sarah and Mick Sexton – namely, JAZZLONDONLIVE, which aims to be the online successor to Mary’s much-loved listings Jazz in London.

As mentioned briefly in this week’s LondonJazz News newsletter, the project is set to launch on 1st June 2016. In order to establish a fully functioning database behind the website, the team have just launched a Kickstarter campaign – to raise £10,000 in the next 60 days – hoping to garner support and attract financial backing.  Sarah Chaplin writes:

The new venture will stay true to the straightforward approach of the printed Jazz in London, but JAZZLONDONLIVE will introduce a few new features which a digital format affords, making it easier to browse and access the information as required, as well as putting the whole of the current month’s jazz offerings in everyone’s pockets.

We hope that a quick look at the draft site – for now, a work in progress, accessible at www.jazzinlondon.live – confirms to everyone that there is plenty to look forward to, including links to artists’ web pages and a way of searching for gigs by location, genre, band name, etc., as well as by venue and artist name. It has a warm, intimate vibe about it, capturing the authenticity and immediacy of the London jazz scene.

Mick and I feel we make an ideal team to succeed Mary’s mammoth effort; we’re both musicians in own own right, are relatively well known to other jazz Londoners and are active on the west London scene. Mick co-runs Way Out West and I am busy establishing Surbiton Jazz, having previously run a jam session at OSO in Barnes for the last two years.

You can find out more and make donations to support the JAZZLONDONLIVE Kickstarter campaign here.

LINK: Winners at the 2016 APPJAG (Parliamentary) Jazz Awards