Popular local jazz event cancelled
SYDNEY — Yet another musical holiday tradition has fallen by the wayside this year thanks to concerns about COVID-19.
For more than 20 years, Joe Waye’s Night of Jazz Standards for the Holidays had become its own holiday standard, giving local jazz lovers a break from Christmas music as well as giving up-and-coming jazz performers a chance to play in public.
This year organizer Joe Waye Jr. is cancelling the event, which is usually held at the Sydney Curling Club, due to the pandemic. He’s not the first to cancel — many other holiday events have also been put off including John Gracie’s Christmas in Wentworth Park event.
“It’s been crazy,” said Waye Jr., a well-known Sydney guitarist.
“I’m cancelling it reluctantly but it has to be done. It’s such a small room and even with a smaller percentage of people allowed, there wouldn’t be enough to make it worthwhile.”
The concert raised money for palliative care and too small a paying audience would not cover expenses and a donation. But in addition to not being able to contribute to charity, he’s also regretful younger musicians will miss out on an opportunity to play in front of others.
“It’s too bad, it’s a great venue for some of the younger people around who like to sing and play, especially jazz,” he said. “There’s not a big opportunity to play, especially if you’re not known.”
For Waye Jr. and many other musicians, 2020 has been a year of cancellations with most gigs being falling to the pandemic restrictions. He’s still teaching but he’s hopeful things will return to normal in 2021. He expects the Boxing Day event to return next year and might even hold a similar jazz event earlier in the year. But until it’s safe to do, he’ll be playing it with caution.
“Not many people in the entertainment business are entertaining right now. You can’t fool around with this stuff.”