The end of Chicago Jazz Scene?

Dennis Polkow just wrote a really interesting article about the sad state of jazz venues in Chicago. The Jazz Showcase, the areas biggest jazz venue closed its doors at the end of last year after they were not able to renew their lease. Now the HotHouse, Chicago second largest venue that was beginging to pick up the slack with out the Showcase around is closed. Northwestern just canceled their jazz program at the end of the last school year. Jazz is no longer on the radio in chicago with WPEZ 91.5 cutting all of their jazz programing. What is going on? Won’t somebody step up to help this art form from dissolving in a city that arguably is the birth place on modern jazz: a company, a philanthropist, and government, a school, anyone? These are truly dark days for the first truly American art form. I hope for better days ahead.