Kalamazoo’s Second Wave Media wrote a really nice article about our Jazz in the Crawlspace series in a recent article by Mark Wedel. Mark beautifully captured the vibe of our recent sold-out performance with Grammy-nominated saxophonist Jimmy Greene. One of my favorite lines was that the night felt like “a New York jazz club, but with that New York energy times ten.” That’s exactly the experience we are trying to create there — intimate, electric, and deeply connected.
Mark recognized the broader impact: “For WMU students, these concerts are like live masterclasses, offering the chance to witness artistry on the highest level without leaving town.” These opportunities for our students and community is exactly why we created this series. Well, that and the great music! :-)
And none of it would be possible without the John Stites Jazz Award, which, as the article noted, “provides the support that makes this monthly series sustainable, accessible, and ambitious.” Thanks to that support, we’ve been able to bring in artists like Jimmy Greene, and we’re looking forward to hosting much more this season…
Read the full article by Mark Wedel here: Kalamazoo’s got jazz, and Crawlspace has ‘that New York energy times ten’