It used to be a regular occurrence to read articles about the death of jazz.

2020 may have come closer to its utter capitulation than most. But then again jazz isn't alone in this as we survey the COVID hiatus, the closed venues, the decimated live performance landscape.

What will return will surely be a more hesitant scene, venues will be forced to reduce their capacities and think twice about putting on acts from further afield. Look what's happening in Chicago at the moment as clubs re-open for an inkling of what to expect.

The most worrying aspect of the current situation is that some clubs won't be able to re-open at all. Some have taken matters into their own hands and organised fundraisers. The Vortex for instance has raised nearly £20,000 so far. Without clubs and other venues the promotion of new albums also becomes that much more difficult, with sales at venues not possible and the physical presence of artists out and about promoting their latest music absent.

Online of course is one answer in the meantime. But it is more a sticking plaster. The thrill of experiencing jazz live is not replaced by online concerts however the staging of jazz online at least gives an approximation and keeps profile up. However, profile generally is a problem and there is no one overriding body to have energed to fight the jazz corner in the wider public arena certainly in the UK. Helpful support seems more a patchwork affair. Support organisations themselves are under threat in terms of their funding and keeping afloat is as difficult for them as for venues and festivals. When festivals themselves return they will take a while to recover. Will they be able to book American acts for instance? Will they be smaller? How will they deal with social distancing? The latter will still be an issue until a vaccine is found to work.

For now we all have to sit tight and make do as much as possible. When the full scene does return it won't be the same, we kind of already can guess that. For now it's online or nothing at all.