The Undead Jazzfest, now in its second year, will employ dozens of jazz musicians next week, in more than 50 sets, from Thursday through Sunday, in New York. But the terms of that employment have drawn criticism, according to a petition posted online.
Available at winterundeadmusicians.wordpress.com, the petition—which addresses both the Undead Jazzfest and a longer-running partner event, the Winter Jazzfest—takes issue with the festivals' fee structure, calling on their promoters to meet with a Winter/Undead Festival Musicians Organizing Committee and representatives from Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. Among its goals is a minimum rate of pay; there's also a reference to “other conditions."
“We seek neither controversy nor conflict, and hope these issues can be resolved through a reasonable good faith negotiation with the promoters," read an email message that circulated with a link to the petition. “But we know that unless we ourselves organize to draw the line somewhere, no negotiations will occur, and the decline in our rates of pay will continue." The petition is anonymous, but the message was signed by a handful of prominent musicians, including the saxophonist Steve Coleman, the pianists Jason Moran and Orrin Evans, and the guitarists Mary Halvorson and Marc Ribot.
Available at winterundeadmusicians.wordpress.com, the petition—which addresses both the Undead Jazzfest and a longer-running partner event, the Winter Jazzfest—takes issue with the festivals' fee structure, calling on their promoters to meet with a Winter/Undead Festival Musicians Organizing Committee and representatives from Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians. Among its goals is a minimum rate of pay; there's also a reference to “other conditions."
“We seek neither controversy nor conflict, and hope these issues can be resolved through a reasonable good faith negotiation with the promoters," read an email message that circulated with a link to the petition. “But we know that unless we ourselves organize to draw the line somewhere, no negotiations will occur, and the decline in our rates of pay will continue." The petition is anonymous, but the message was signed by a handful of prominent musicians, including the saxophonist Steve Coleman, the pianists Jason Moran and Orrin Evans, and the guitarists Mary Halvorson and Marc Ribot.
