Sydney Jazz Institution The Basement Will Not Be Lost Forever

A few weeks ago, The Basement's future was looking seriously shaky. In a Facebook post on April 3, the venue's management explained the current site was no longer suiting their needs and that they were looking at finding a new home. But yesterday it was announced that musical entrepreneur Albert Dadon will ensure The Basement won't be lost forever.

Dadon — who runs Melbourne's Bird's Basement — snapped up both the name and assets of the long-running Sydney jazz club, and is now on the hunt for a new CBD location to house it. He's even taking suggestions from the public.

''I was saddened to see The Basement close its doors," Dadon said. "It was a loss to the cultural health of the city and Australia. I hope that with the help of those who are committed to retain and reinvigorate Sydney's music scene we will find an ideal new location of The Basement."

It's not the first time this guy's flown to the rescue of Australia's jazz scene — back in 2000, he played a major role in the resurrection of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, wrangling government funding and then growing audience numbers by 195,000 in just nine years.

Dadon, who also happens to be a leading jazz guitarist himself, opened Bird's Basement in Melbourne's CBD in 2016. He's aiming to create a similar venue with this latest project, saying he "would love to provide Sydneysiders with a wonderful 21st century experience" similar to his Melbourne venue.

The Basement is now closed. We'll let you know when a new location has been confirmed.