‘Fairy Godmothers of Jazz’ hope for magic with weekly show

After two moves in as many months, the women who call themselves the Fairy Godmothers of Jazz are hoping that the Artifice, 1025 S. First St., Suite 100, will be the home for their weekly and monthly jazz events.

“We were at the Scullery since December,” said Carolyn Freeman, one of the organizers of Artifice Nomadic Nocturne. “We were building an audience, and then it was sold very suddenly. We were offered space at David Tupaz Couture salon, which was a little unusual, but it worked; it saved the day. There were problems there. It wasn’t near anything else, and from the outside, it looked closed.”

Freeman, whose nonprofit American Jazz Initiative focuses on jazz music performances, teamed with Ann Parenti and her nonprofit Forgotten Song, which deals with the history of jazz, and Marsha Klein, who just wants to get the word out.

“We’re hoping to get a younger audience interested in the music,” Freeman said. “There are a lot of young people around this new venue.”

Freeman was married to jazz musician Russ Freeman, and part of the reason she involved herself in this project was to preserve his legacy.

“We moved here, and my husband got ill,” Freeman said. “I lost him, and I really didn’t want his music to go.”

The weekly show features trios or small acts Tuesdays because many shows on the Strip are dark that day, so the group can call on musicians working on the Strip to showcase their work. The group wants to pay the musicians a full, living wage, and they do so even if it means dipping into their funds.

“The idea was to break even, but we haven’t done that much; mostly, we lose money, ” Klein said with a laugh. “That’s one of the reasons we’re trying to get word out about the show.”

The group’s first two shows at the Artifice were scheduled to feature Julian Tanaka performing on sax with Boris Shapiro on drums and Ken Seiffert on bass on May 19; and the monthly Django Reinhardt and gypsy jazz show, “The Hot Jazz Club,” on May 20. “The Hot Jazz Club” repeats with new acts every third Wednesday. Upcoming shows include a tribute to the music of Russ Freeman with Gary Anderson and friends from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. June 2 and Windy Karigianes and Apropos at the same time June 9.

“I feel this is very important,” Parenti said. “There are some wonderful musicians in town, and they can’t play because there aren’t enough venues for jazz anymore.”

The Artifice Nomadic Nocturne shows are scheduled from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Admission is a $15 donation.

To reach East Valley View reporter F. Andrew Taylor, email ataylor@viewnews.com or call 702-380-4532.