Last Call for the Jazz Factory

Well, this sucks. Granted, we hadn’t been there in the six months since I’ve been back in Louisville (maybe that tells something about the quality of booking), but the Jazz Factory — Louisville’s only night club dedicated to jazz — is closing:

Ken Shapero, who owns the nightclub/restaurant with his wife, Dianne Aprile, said in a release that “during the five years we have been open, we have not found a way to make the business support itself. As a result, Dianne and I, together with our partners, made the difficult decision to close the doors at the end of this month.”

The club, located in the basement of the Glassworks building at 815 W. Market St., has not canceled any of its currently scheduled shows. A grand finale is planned for March 29 featuring Harry Pickens and his trio leading a jam session with dozens of musicians who have performed at the club in the past.

“All of us at the Jazz Factory want to thank you, our faithful patrons, for your support, encouragement and attendance over thse past five years,” Shapero said in the statement.

Doesn’t seem to be much more to say, other than this is a huge loss for Louisville. Somehow, not to be pessimistic, but we doubt that most people in town will even notice. This “World Class City” could use a bit more cultural appreciation.