Matty Bannond interviewed pianist Marta Sanchez for a profile in the August issue of the New York City Jazz Record. This followed his feature about saxophonist Zoh Amba in the July issue of the same publication. Four of Matty’s reviews were published on Free Jazz Collective during the last month, including coverage of new music from Rachel Eckroth and Astroturf Noise.
Con Chapman’s article “Which Came First—Jazz or Baseball?” appeared on the All About Jazz website on August 17. The headline is shorthand for which came first — the use of the term “jazz” in baseball or to refer to the musical genre. As you might imagine, Con come down on the side of the latter.
Noal Cohen has written a series of recent tributes to notable jazz musicians Frank Wess, Wes Montgomery, Lucky Thompson and Johnny Hartman on the occasions of their centennials. All of them are available online at https://njjs.org.
Sid Gribetz produced a five-hour radio show profiling Elmo Hope on WKCR FM New York on July 23. Sid also participated in WKCR’s 24 tribute to the Philly Joe Jones Centennial.
Doug Hall recently published a long-form profile of Ahmad Jamal for WICN PR radio. He also has started a weekly podcast program, “Talk about Jazz with Doug Hall” for the Belmont Community Channel. Attending the Newport Jazz Festival, he has reviewed in performance snippets shortly to be posted on WICN.org.
Sanford Josephson presented “A Look at Black History Through Jazz” on September 21 at the Bernards Twp Library in Basking Ridge, NJ. The presentation focused on the music scene during the Harlem Renaissance; the cruel treatment African American jazz musicians faced on the road; the jazz expatriates who chose to live in Europe to escape the racism that existed in the United States, and the jazz heroes who defied racism and integrated their bands before it was fashionable or acceptable.
Gloria Krolak, previously host of Good Vibes on JazzOn2, is now broadcasting her vibraphone indulgences on WETF FM radio, the jazz station in Great Bend, Indiana and streaming online. It airs every Tuesday morning at 8 ET. If you’re just waking up to the mallet instrument, “Mornin’ Gloria” is the place to be.
Howard Mandel served as chair of the judges for the 9th annual 7 Virtual Jazz Club international competition, reviewed Allison Miller’s Rivers in Our Veins for DownBeat, posted his 1994 interview with Charles Gayle, who died in early September, on his new Substack, Mandel’s Media Diet.
Dan Ouellette has written a DownBeat feature on Dan Auberbach’s juke-joint blues collection, a DB upbeat on the 3rd annual Hamptons Jazz Festival and a profile of JD Allen’s festival show for the local East End Express publications. He continues into his fifth year with his Jazz & Beyond Intel column with new features on Greek pianist Tania Giannouli, Belgium saxophonist Robin Verheyan and Korean-American gutbucket blues guitarist Nat Myers.
Scott Thompson PR’s new clients include Martin Wind’s latest with Jim McNeely and Ed Neumeister, Counterpoint; also, Charles Pillow Large Ensemble’s Electric Miles 2, and Funkwrench Blues by bassist Frank Swart featuring Gary Bartz, Dave Liebman, Mike Clark, George Garzone and more. Additionally, he’s working Emmett Goods’ Another Level and five-octave vocalist Vanessa Thomas’s Life Is Like A Song.
Michael J. West previewed Robert Glasper’s concert at Wolf Trap for the Washington Post; spoke to Bill Charlap on the occasion of Tony Bennett’s passing and to Ohad Talmor on his collection of unreleased Ornette Coleman tunes for Tidal; and covered the DC Jazz Festival for DownBeat and Washington City Paper (in press).
