A couple of posts ago, I was writing favourably about the new J-Word initiative. Now, however, I’m having to post about some distressing news on the jazz funding front.

Bridge Music, who have put on regular weekly gigs at Glasgow Art Club for the past few years, have had their application for funding from Creative Scotland turned down. Bridge Music were “asking for just under £50k, which would support some 75 gigs, run twice weekly (both Glasgow and Edinburgh), over a full 12 month period running November 12 through to October 13. This would have created around 350 musician-engagements, a substantial amount of employment for jazz musicians, as well as creating a valuable component of the Scottish arts scene”.

It now looks likely that there will be no regular programme of small-to-medium scale gigs in Glasgow next year, unless there’s someone waiting in the wings I don’t know about.