Jazz at the Bistro to become Jazz St. Louis

As reported here ten days ago, the organization now known as Jazz at the Bistro soon will be renamed Jazz St. Louis. Colleen Carlton, publicist for JATB, says the change will likely take place at the end of January, once the new logo, letterhead and other printed materials are completed.

As for the "why" behind the change, Carlton cites two reasons. First, JATB wants to clear up what seems to be persistent confusion about the nature of their organization - specifically, to differentiate between the organization, which presents jazz concerts and educational programs, and its primary venue.

You see, the building that houses the Bistro is actually owned by Grand Center, the not-for-profit organization in charge of developing and promoting the midtown arts district. Grand Center leases the space to an independent operator who runs the Bistro food and beverage operations, while Jazz at the Bistro (the organization) presents its annual concert series in the space. With three different entities involved, it's understandable that people might get confused, and the new name Jazz St. Louis is intended to convey the idea that the group is a presenting organization, and not the operators of a restaurant/nightclub.

That said, after the name change, the Jazz at the Bistro concert series will continue in its familiar form (and with the same name) for the rest of the 05-06 season and on into the future. The organization's workshops and educational programs for student musicians also will continue and, if the new Jazz St. Louis mission statement is any indication, grow:

The mission of Jazz St. Louis is to present, promote and perpetuate the best of jazz to the greater St. Louis community and to enhance St. Louis’ reputation as a center of jazz activity. We support this mission with an expanded education and outreach program

Second, the new name also opens up the possibility that Jazz St. Louis also can present events at other venues, such as art galleries and concert halls, Carlton says. Though no specific collaborative efforts have been booked yet, Carlton says management and board are interested in pursuing that direction, and so the re-branding of the organization would seem to be, as we speculated earlier in this space, a necessary prelude.

The name change has been in the works for about a year with the bulk of that time occupied by negotiations to obtain rights to the Jazz St. Louis name and to a new Web site address, jazzstl.org. (The address currently redirects to a domain parking service.) No staff additions or changes are planned in the immediate future as a result of the name change, she says.

An official announcement should come later this month, and we're told that some of the acts for the 2006-2007 JATB series may be announced at the same time. Stay tuned, and we'll bring you all the details.