Pearl District jazz club

will host its final show on New Year's Eve of this year, owner Jimmy Makarounis wrote in an email Monday.

"As many of you know, I have been battling larynx cancer for these past four years," wrote Makarounis, "and I simply need to step away from the business to focus on healing and beating this disease, once and for all."

The club originally opened across the street from its current location in 1996. It has hosted groups led by Mel Brown, Dan Balmer and many others.

Makarounis had planned to move the location of the 20-year-old venue in 2017, after the building where it is currently located was sold for development in February.

Now Makarounis's health has forced him to step away from that project.

"This is the very last thing I wanted to see happen with the business," he wrote, "and we have explored many options for trying to keep the business open and to try to find another operator or group of investors that could keep the business going."

"Unfortunately," he added, "we have not been able to do so."

However, a press release that accompanied the email noted, "At present, there is still an opportunity for another owner/operator to step in to fund and finish the buildout of the new location and carry on the Jimmy Mak's brand."

According to the release. Makarounis is "currently undergoing immunotherapy treatments for cancer of the larynx, which has intensified in the past five weeks." The release added that Makarounis' doctors have asked him to step away from the club "to focus solely on healing."

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker