Surveying the chaos at 1540 West North Avenue, it is hard to believe this former sports bar will soon be a sleek new jazz club.
Up front sits a half-built stage. Piles of new and old wood, along with pipes and conduits tagged for disposal, litter the dust-scuffed floor. In back are strewn five big-screen plasma TVs and various kitchen devices.
You cant believe how much progress weve made in just two weeks, Greg Pasenko, the 60-year-old co-proprietor, said a few days into the new year.
The club, named Club Blujazz for the record label owned by Mr. Pasenko and his wife, Diane Delin, will expand the recent do-it-yourself trend characterizing Chicago's multifaceted jazz scene, which is second only to New York's.
Despite the recession, this trend has little to do with musicians seeking income to supplement their performance fees. It is more to establish control over their performance venues or at least to ensure they do not disappear.
In the case of Club Blujazz, the owners want a home for their music that is not subject to the whims of other presenters. Mr. Pasenko, a guitarist-vocalist, and Ms. Delin, a violinist, will each have a regular weekly showcase at the club, alongside local, national and European artists.
Up front sits a half-built stage. Piles of new and old wood, along with pipes and conduits tagged for disposal, litter the dust-scuffed floor. In back are strewn five big-screen plasma TVs and various kitchen devices.
You cant believe how much progress weve made in just two weeks, Greg Pasenko, the 60-year-old co-proprietor, said a few days into the new year.
The club, named Club Blujazz for the record label owned by Mr. Pasenko and his wife, Diane Delin, will expand the recent do-it-yourself trend characterizing Chicago's multifaceted jazz scene, which is second only to New York's.
Despite the recession, this trend has little to do with musicians seeking income to supplement their performance fees. It is more to establish control over their performance venues or at least to ensure they do not disappear.
In the case of Club Blujazz, the owners want a home for their music that is not subject to the whims of other presenters. Mr. Pasenko, a guitarist-vocalist, and Ms. Delin, a violinist, will each have a regular weekly showcase at the club, alongside local, national and European artists.
