Matty Bannond reviewed new albums from Anne Efternøler, Soweto Kinch and Nadje Noordhuis for Jazz Journal last month. He also interviewed alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins for the February issue of The New York City Jazz Record.
Philip Booth wrote a feature on Chuck Owen and the Jazz Surge for JazzTimes, covered the Montreal Jazz Fest for Jazziz and contributed reviews of new releases to both magazines. His extended essay on the three film adaptations of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea was published as a chapter in the “Critical Insights” book series (Salem Press).
Steve Braunginn (formerly with WORT89.9-FM) kicked off his new podcast, Strictly Jazz Sounds-SJS in early January with pianist and jazz streaming visionary Emmet Cohen. The next episode will air shortly. “Go to www.strictlyjazzsounds.com to enjoy Strictly Jazz Sounds with Steve Braunginn in Columbus OH. Subscribe!”
Rob Evanoff kickstarts February publicizing a pair of richly diverse projects releasing Feb. 3. One is Don’t Look Down, the freewheeling sophomore album from The Burnt Pines, a cross-cultural collective based in Boston and Lisbon. The other is the new EP from genre-defying neo-beatnik Afton Wolfe, who gets an assist from Regina McCrary on the powerful ballad “Cry.” Also excited to present 21 artists for Interstate 88 during Folk Alliance International in Kansas City.
Enid Farber has recently rejoined the JJA after a few years of absence due to some life changes and challenges. Recently she was interviewed by Fiona Ross for a 15-page feature in the December issue of Women in Jazz Media. She photographed Wadada Leo Smith and various other musicians for Tum Records in January. She just captured images of Samara Joy, Endea Owens, Brandee Younger and many others at Winter Jazz Fest for Women in Jazz Media.
Ken Franckling annual look back at The Year in Jazz for All About Jazz, published December 29, was a whopping 14,000-word review of trends, venue ups and downs, honors and awards, and losses. On his Jazz Notes blog, Ken also weighed in with thoughts and photos from the 2023 edition of The Jazz Cruise, as well as guitarist Mark Whitfield’s January 25 guest appearance with the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra as part of the sextet’s concert series in Naples, FL. Ken also compiled his annual Final Bars column for JJANews, an encyclopedic list of last year’s jazz community deaths.
Sid Gribetz produced a five-hour radio tribute to Milt Jackson on WKCR’s “Jazz Profiles.”
Doug Hall is returning from three months in Taiwan. His article about the legendary Blue Note Tokyo jazz club was posted on Allaboutjazz.com on Thursday, Feb. 2. Also look for a long-form profile on Duke Ellington posted Feb. 1 on WICN.org, an all-jazz public radio station in Worcester, Massachusetts.
C. Andrew Hovan just finished working on liner notes for a recently unearthed concert recording by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet to be released this spring on Steeplechase. He is also working on notes for an upcoming John Hart album, as well as archiving his liner notes for a new project over at allaboutjazz.com.
Ellen Johnson and Glòria Vila will be presening the webinar Charles Mingus Contributions to Vocal Music on April 22 through the California Jazz Conservatory. The webinar is from research of the music from 1945 until the present day with lyrics contributed by Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joni Mitchell, Ellen Johnson, Elvis Costello and Sue Mingus.
Howard Mandel produced two episodes of The Buzz podcast regarding “Free Jazz” movies, edited and posted Ken Franckling’s Seeing Jazz session, blogged about Roscoe Mitchell’s painting exhibition at Chicago’s Corbett vs. Dempsey gallery, adjudicated first round entries in the 7 Virtual Jazz Club international competition, and took on chairing the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Archives Committee. He also advanced projects involving the late Lona Foote’s photo archives, including her images in the exhibit Milford Graves: Fundamental Frequency at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
Eugene Marlow‘s feature-length documentary Jazz in China (based on his JJA nominated 2018 book) is the recipient of the 2022 American Insight “Free Speech Film Festival Award.” It also received an Award of Excellence from the 2022 Depth of Field International Film Festival. So far, the documentary is an “official selection” of 11 domestic and international film festivals. It will be shown, gratis, on April 30, 2023 through UNESCO’s International Jazz Day website.
Carolyn McClair is publicizing new CDs by vibraphonist Jay Hoggard, vocalist Tammy McCann and pianist Bobby West as well as concerts at Pittsburgh’s August Wilson African American Cultural Center featuring Vanisha Gould, Peabo Bryson and Meshell NDegeocello. Reach out if you’d like a review copy of the new releases.
Danica Pantovic had a very important year in 2022, as she became a JJA student member. She was able to photograph some of the European festivals—she loves Saalfelden and Leibnitz in Austria and Belgrade, Novosadski, and Pancevacki in Serbia. She photographed some club and a bit of Umbria Jazz Winter in Italy events. She attended JJA Photography masterclasses and has learned a lot.
Wilbert Sostre published the English edition of the book Boricua Jazz Puerto Rico Jazz History: From Rafael Hernández to Miguel Zenón. The book is available at Amazon. Wilbert Sostre also published an article on 90grados.com about the 10 best Puerto Rico Jazz recordings.
Carol Sudhalter celebrated her 80th birthday (January 5) by a 3-week tour of Lombardy and Puglia, Italy. In continued celebration, she leads a quintet at Flushing Town Hall March 24—octogenarian jazzwomen Bertha Hope, Paula Hampton, and Keisha St Joan, and revered Nonogenarian Bill Crow—in a concert of standards and originals.
Michael J. West had a busy January. He inaugurated a column on DC jazz for Washington City Paper; attended Winter Jazz Fest in New York; copyedited Jeremy Pelt’s forthcoming Griot Vol. 3; and, oh yes, became interim editor-in-chief of JazzTimes.
Linda Yohn responded to Gretchen Valade’s December 30 passing by interviewing Chris Collins, artistic director and CEO of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. On January 16 she narrated (from her original script) a beautiful concert, “Remembering MLK” with Joan Belgrave and Friends at the Traverse City Opera House presented by the organization Building Bridges with Music. On the 17, the Martin Luther King concert was video recorded for statewide distribution through the Michigan Department of Education.
