Dear Friends:

This week marks a special anniversary for me.  It was eight years ago that my college friend Lee Kostrinsky and I made the decision to buy the lease and liquor license for Smalls Jazz Club and become partners with the club's creator Mitch Borden.  It's been a life-transforming decision and one that I will never regret or forget.  Over the last eight years so much has happened with the club and the fabric of the musicians that have made it a home.  I've seen musicians come and go.  I've seen some pass away.  I've seen the club go from relative obscurity to relative prominence and importance.  We live streamed and archived everything.  We renovated the space to make it more efficient.  We opened our new club, Mezzrow - and SMALLS LIVES!  Each evening as I stand at the foot of the stairs and look out at the tumult of bodies packing into the tight space, I can't help but blink in wide-eyed wonder at it all.  SMALLS LIVES!  Cats hanging late.  Jam sessions.  Romances.  Fights.  Weirdos and Genius' all packed into this little basement - night after night.  I want to say God Bless all of the musicians and friends that have helped us and supported this club over the years.  My deepest love and respect to my guru and mentor Mitch Borden for his never-ending patience and hard work.  My love and props to my incredible staff of bartenders, managers and waitresses.  Most of all - my love and deepest gratitude to all of the jazz fans world-wide that keep coming to this club and experiencing the true American art-form called Jazz!  It's real, it's alive and it's vital.  Bring on the next 8 years!!!

With Gratitude and best wishes to everyone and their loved ones!

Spike