THE NEW VORTEX OPENED IN DALSTON ON MAY 19th 2005

CLICK FOR DIRECTIONS TO THE NEW VORTEX JAZZ CLUB

ORIGINS

The original Vortex Jazz Club started life in Stoke Newington as an art gallery and café with occasional live music.

In 1984 David Mossman and his business partner Irving Kinnersley opened the Vortex Galleries on the first floor of the building. On the ground floor they ran a second-hand book shop and an art materials’ shop.

When it became evident that this off the beaten track gallery was neither attracting the customers nor the critics it needed for commercial success, the partners turned their attention to the music and decided that live jazz was the answer. This was either an extremely courageous or naively foolhardy decision. There are enough jokes around that make the point about the impecunious nature of jazz to warn anyone off such a venture. You have to be either a bit mad or completely passionate about the music or perhaps both.

Nevertheless, in 1987 a new jazz club was born.

LATE 1980’S TO EARLY 1990’S

From the start the music was progressive and, combined with classical music on Monday nights, the Vortex quickly began to gain a reputation for innovative programming. Within two years the club was established and, in comparison to other venues, began to be known as ‘London’s listening jazz club’ attracting the top international names in jazz as well as up and coming British talent.

THE RECESSION OF EARLY 1990’S

The club suffered badly during the recession but while many other small jazz venues had to close down, the Vortex, helped by the very positive support of musicians who were willing to forsake fee-based gigs for door money (and a beer), managed to survive through ingenuity and sheer will.

It was at this time that David Mossman, now operating as sole manager, decided to invite several small but thriving local clubs to make their home at the Vortex. By bringing these independently organised clubs together under one roof, the Vortex would be catering for different audiences with a diverse range of music. In this way, rewarding associations began with Jazz Rumours, Jazz Umbrella ,  Blow the Fuse  and Pirate Jenny's.

POST RECESSION/1990’s

During the 1990’s the Vortex went from strength to strength playing host to the best jazz musicians on the London scene as well as those visiting from overseas. Gigs were broadcast on radio 3 and reviewed regularly in the national press. But it never became exclusive and continued to welcome young musicians who needed a platform to develop their talent.

By the end of the decade David Mossman had been managing the Vortex single-handedly seven days a week for 7 years. This meant not only programming the music but also running the restaurant, the bar and the two shops on the ground floor of the building. It had been a constant struggle for him financially and physically to keep it all going and he felt that the time had come when he wanted to give up most of the daily grind. But the music was too important to lose and by now the Vortex had become the heart and soul of the local jazz loving community as well as having built up a national and international reputation.

It seemed fortuitous when Ocean, a new music trust, approached him with the idea of transferring the music to their (then) proposed Mare Street venture. David would be able to run the jazz programme there and be free from the burden of the day to day running of the rest of the Vortex.

With the lease on the building in Church Street due for renewal in March 2002, it seemed that the time had come to move the club to a new location.

For various reasons this arrangement did not come to fruition and the Vortex Jazz Club remained in Stoke Newington.

2001

After the Vortex/Ocean project fell through the future of the Vortex Jazz Club was uncertain. The building was rented and the lease would soon expire. It was becoming more and more difficult to meet the stringent requirements of the entertainment’s licence and a considerable amount of money was needed to upgrade the building to meet them. A plan of campaign was needed to

SAVE THE VORTEX.

2001-2002

In April 2001 a group of supporters got together and formed the Vortex Jazz Foundation.

Its purpose was to upgrade the building, to buy the building, to continue the work of the club and to expand the activities of the club to include educational services in the field of jazz and related music.

But David Mossman’s negotiations to renew the lease, which expired at the end of March 2002, were not completed as the building had been sold, without his knowledge, to a new landlord. It is understood that the new owner plans to demolish the building and develop the site.

David Mossman negotiated a short lease with the new landlord that expired at the end of May 2004.

2003

With ownership of the building no longer a viable option, the focus of the campaign was to find another venue for the club as close as possible to Stoke Newington Church Street and one that would also serve as a base for the Foundation’s activities.

THE PRESENT

The Vortex  moved to The Dalston Culture House in May 2005 where the new landlord is Hackney Co-operative Developments. The Vortex now has to raise the money to repay the loan for the fit out of the building as a live music venue.