Scott Menhinick, a 15-year music industry veteran as both freelance journalist and publicist who has established his firm Improvised Communications, now turns his attentions and those of a small, devoted staff to an online “trade journal for jazz” — JazzDIY.com.
“Our editorial focus,” he writes on the site, “is the grey area where the artistic and spontaneous nature of jazz meets the nuts-and-bolts practicality and financial realities of commerce.”
A cleanly designed and so far free online publication, the “trade journal” kicks off with postings of special interest to jazz journalists: A five-part Jazz Media Survey concentrating on journalists’ working practices. Since launch on October 16, JazzDIY has posted original material including video interviews with guitarist Mary Halvorson (does she have a secret for earning critics and fellow-musicians’ ears?) vocalist Fay Victor and Jason Crane, now a contributing editor of JazzDIY.
Besides Crane and Menhinick, the masthead cites Victor (events coordinator) and Adam Lee Jacobi (web development). Jennifer Peabody is Associate Publisher of JazzDIY.
Menhinick foresees a live-appearance component of JazzDIY, is interested in collaborations with other jazz-related institutions and associations, and has a generally positive attitude about the future of jazz. “We think a big problem for the jazz world is that students coming out of the schools, and older musicians, too, don’t know what to do what they need to do, in business and presentation and other areas. Our plan is to share information, put it out there, give music people feedback about whether the ways they’re running their businesses are effective or not.”
JazzDIY pays writers and other content providers for original jazz/business-oriented features; Menhinick invites would-be contributors to pitch editor@jazzdiy.com.
