Ortlieb's Jazzhaus closes

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Ortlieb's Jazzhaus closes

POSTED: Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 3:39 PM

Filed Under: Music jazz

ortliebsjazzhaus.com

R.I.P. Ortlieb's

It's never cheerful when musicians booked to play a gig are forced to scramble because the venue has a licensing problem/water main break/some other mellow-harsher. But early last night when the word came down that Ortlieb's — the nearly 24-year-old jazzhaus in Northern Liberties — had closed over the weekend it truly stung, leaving the likes of Bobby Zankel and Nick Millevoi to find new digs for their end-of-April gigs. Too few jazz spaces exist in this city to begin with. The loss of a room, which changed hands between original owner Pete Souder and Kevin Mayberry nearly four years ago, that seemingly tried its best to mix old jazz vets with new jack jazzbos leaves all music fans with a bad aftertaste. Thankfully, good and solid lingering memories.

Bernard

Posted 2010-04-27 13:05:34

I am very sad to hear about the closing of Ortlieb's. just another case of taking the best away from us. The city of Philadelphia is indeed without a form of entertainment that will be sorely missed. WHY CAN'T WE HAVE A PLACE FOR GREAT JAZZ??

Posted 2010-04-27 13:52:28

Fuck all you haters who use to come in spend no money then complain. Your one of the reasons this place met this fate

Northeast Joe

Posted 2010-04-27 14:20:34

Why can't one of these [we've all seen 'em] Rich Guys take a tiny bit of their Huge Disposable Income and re-open this place? What Exactly is the problem that the owners couldn't overcome? Re-do what they Have to, like plumbing or electricity, but WE Philadelphians Need a place like this to keep us uniquely Philadelphia. Please don't gut it, level it and then rebuild it. Keep the singular charm and the Open Mic-Mike/Open Stage nights, turn it into some sort of laid-back Supper Club.
 
This place has it all over Chris's Jazz joint for character, and if you took girls there for dates, they just Knew you were a Man About Town.

Let US know if anyone sees Anything happening at Ortleib's. Thanks.

Mark

Posted 2010-04-28 08:01:45

WHY was it closed??

Tony Flagiello

Posted 2010-04-28 08:32:45

Hey folks ,I was booking music for Ortlieb's before it closed and it was going very well.I would like to continue booking live Jazz,world music,and fusion in philly.I have found another venue to keep things going and it's called the American Pub located on 1500 market st.the Building right in front of the clothespin.I will need some support with people coming out and spending some money on food and drinks to stimulate the situation over there.This thurs at 5:30 Bobby Zankel will be performing with his band and kicking things off right!!!.So close up your laptops and log-out and get your asses down the THE AMERICAN PUB and support your local Jazz Scene!!!!
It all starts with the individual.Thank you Philly!!!

Dan

Posted 2010-05-02 02:40:09

Thanks Kevin, you spoiled brat.

muoy c.

Posted 2010-05-08 19:32:42

so sad. terrible. ortliebs brings great memories, with the music, the musicians & former co-workers when I used to work there & when I came in as a guest. I blame this closing on the owners, esp. kevin who was, from what I heard was a selfish, self-absorbed brat. Former musicians quit booking gigs there after they were treated badly by these owners. FOH employees changed constantly with no consistently (as a musician-friend said, "everytime I come in there's a new person working whom I don't know". Regular guests had stopped coming, they tell me. This event of ortliebs is utterly sad. Ortliebs had that energy--intense, fun, wacky energy that came from guests, musicians & even employees but these owners were not part of this energy. These owners were out of their league w/ owning a renowned club like Ortliebs.

Roberta Piket

Posted 2010-05-17 10:50:20

I've been emailing the owner, Kevin, for a while to try to book a gig. He never responded until today, when I received an incredibly hostile, ugly message from him. I didn't know the club had closed until I found this blog post, but given what a nasty person he seems to be, I'm not surprised that the club went downhill. Too bad. I remember playing there in the 90's. It was a nice place back then with a good vibe. Just my opinion.

RDB

Posted 2010-07-05 15:44:22

I really grew up in that place. It is the place where i fell in love with jazz, but Kevin is a total looser. He bought a jazz club and ran off every musician from here to Boston. I'm sad to see that place go but i hope he takes a terrible loss and something as important to him is destroyed because thats what he has done to us.

Posted 2010-06-26 11:05:03

It's no Ortlieb's, but...
My man and I wandered by the Black Angus on South between Front and 2nd last night.  Nothing was going on in front, but the owner came out and told us they had jazz in the back and an open bar because they have no liquor license yet.  It was a pleasant surprise because the guys playing were really jammin'.  It was advertised as "smooth" jazz, which I don't dig, but these guys were no smoothies.  They were bebopping and ended with some Hendrix.  So don't be fooled by the steakhouse situation in the front -- the jazz in the back is where its at.  I suspect that Ortlieb's demise could help this place out with booking good groups.  

RIP Ortlieb's.

Bird

Posted 2010-08-09 23:00:11

Very interesting ! I came in to Ortlieb's one night and has the rudest experience with the 'doorman'. I love jazz---but I don't care to be treated like dirt. Goes to show---like any other business, if you want to run a successful jazz club you have to treat the customers and the musicians well. Rather than acting like you are doing them a favor.
Duhhh

Helena

Posted 2010-09-03 00:04:02

I can't believe Ortlieb's closed! I haven't been there since the beginning of April. I go every once in a while. I overheard people talking about the closure. I actually argued- they did NOT. I just can't believe it. So sorry that the new owners couldn't get their act together!

Posted 2010-09-07 12:30:27

weird, their website is still up and running

Zoot

Posted 2010-10-17 18:32:59

Mickey Roker told me about Ortliebs closing about a month ago. After what I heard in there the last time I set foot inside I'm not surprized. Actually the place started to decline a while before Pete sold. The musicians were always the same and they got boring and the quality of music wasn't that great anymore. Not what jazz is all about. I loved the place though. The staff was just the greatest, especially Peggy who was run out by the new owners. I was in the place six nights a Week when Pete was there. the few guys who actually worked there should be extremely grateful to him for what he did for them but they didn't treat him that way at all at the time. In closing, I think that if there were music police, whoever booked music in there towards the end should be put in jail and made to listen to his acts 24/7 for the rest of his life. There really has been no place to hear jazz in town for some time now. Chris' is jive and a waste of time so RIP Ortliebs.

agree

Posted 2010-12-31 15:30:24

I agree.  The one time I went in there the owner was trying to play crappy sax along with the other musicians and I requested 12 bar blues during a break and he just turned away from me.

spoiled brat.

Michele

Posted 2011-01-23 15:30:09

So sad.  I loved Ortlieb's so much.  Some really great memories there.

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