The Live at Zedel summer season brochure Clockwise from top left: Joe Stilgoe, Amy Gwilliam(Mummy) , Steve Furst (Lenny Beige), Kerry Ellis, Jay Rayner

Sebastian writes:

This was my first visit to the new offices of Fane Productions. This young, rapidly changing company is now an independent company having spun off from United Agents. Since things have a habit of changing extremely fast, it was interesting to get an update of new developments:

1) AUDIENCES AT CRAZY COQS

Fane Productions has been now programming at Brasserie Zedel and Crazy Coqs since September 2016. Their objectives when they took over the programming were to broaden the programme, to increase the audience numbers, and to reach a younger audience.

On all three counts they appear to headed in the right direction: They are “well on track for 800 shows in the Crazy Coqs room this year.” The best attendances were a period of 25 days in March this year when both shows sold out every day, and when attendance year on year 60 % up year on year the highest ever numbers for any time since the venue opened in 2012.

The attempt to change the demographic has also been working. Whereas the typical audience member a year ago was in the 50 and 65 ahe bracket, there has been a big influx of people in the 30 to 45 age range The challenges they face? “To find ways to lure bigger names to an 80 seat venue.”

2) A NEW RECORD LABEL

The Live at Zedel label will launch shortly. Label manager James O’Driscoll recently joined the company. There is a 32 digital channel desk installed at the venue. The first release will be an EP and then an album by the Jay Rayner trio – album likely in September. The company see all kinds of potential….. More detail to follow,

3) JAZZ PRODUCTIONS IN OTHER VENUES

Fane Productions and Michael Parkinson‘s son are producing a show at Ronnie Scott’s,  Parky the Man and His Music – June 11 which will have never previously seen video of musicians from the show. Parkinson was able to bring his own musical enthusiasms – notably jazz –  into the show and foster genuine live performance in a way that talk shows now mostly mimic with pre-recorded segments

4) JAZZ NAMES IN THE SUMMER SEASON AT ZEDEL

Judy Carmichael – April 25-29
Hailey Tuck – May 5, 12, 19, 26
Smittys Big Four – May 6, June 13, 20, July 20
Lucy Dixon – May 16, June 26, July 18, August 24
Joe Stilgoe and Friends – May 29 – June 04
(With Claire Martin, May 29, Natalie Williams, June 02)
Ian Shaw – June 14, July 15
Alice Zawadzki with Jamie Safir – June 24
Alison Jiear – July 9, 21 
(Alison Jiear – pronounced to rhyme with ‘fire’ is bringing an Ella Fitzgerald show. She has won an award for her role in Jerry Springer the Opera and is a regular with the touring Strictly band)
Beige Sings Diamond – August 03, 04
(Steve Furst is accompanied by the Malcolm Edmonstone Trio)

Link to the full program HERE

5) OTHER PROGRAMMING AT ZEDEL

We talked about their classical music strand . The biggest date so far was the orchestral concert which I reviewed for Tom Mcneill’s site The Prickle (LINK) . The next full orchestra date will be in July – details to follow.

LIVE AT ZEDEL WEBSITE