Times Square Entertainment, the parent company of the BB King Blues Club in New York and the Blue Note Jazz Clubs (New York, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka) has joined forces with three new clubs: the historic Stony Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, the relatively new The World (1,200 capacity with three-tiered seating) in New York's Times Square and 101, a 100-person capacity club in New York's Greenwich Village.
Times Square Entertainment will book national artists into the Stone Pony; local and regional acts will be booked by the Stone Pony. Times Square Entertainment will book exclusively the World, which is part of the WWF New York complex.
"We're proud to announce an alliance with these venues and provide the music industry with alternatives," said Steven Bensusan, the president of Blue Note Entertainment.
Dennis Wygmans has come on board to book The World and assist in marketing and promotion for the B.B. King Blues Club. Wygmans was previously a booking agent for the Lavin Agency in Cambridge, Mass. and a former talent buyer/owner of the Club Toast in Burlington, Vt.
Ari Elberg, the talent buyer for the B.B. King Blues Club New York, will oversee the Stone Pony. Christian Ver Halen will continue as the talent buyer for the Blue Note Jazz Clubs worldwide.
