Looking for proof that jazz is alive and well? You’ll find the most recent publications and other work reported by the extremely active members of the Jazz Journalists Association after the jump. We never sleep! If you are a JJA member and would like your recent activities included in the next installment of Member Updates, send a brief paragraph beginning with your name to membernews@jazzjournalists.org by April 3, 2017.
Saulmon Addison started February going to Birdland for Melanie Marod’s CD release party which was a show stopper of a performance. Then stopped is Grasso’s to hear the talented Alexis Cole Trio. Followed by The Eric Berg Quartet and the Spike Wilner Trio at Treme in Islip. The month closed out by a SRO performance by Dave Douglas, Joe Lovano and Soundprints at The Jazz Loft.
Ralph Lampkin, Jr. is providing promotions support for the USA tour of Canadian-based Blujazz Artist Galen Weston. The tour opens in South Bend, Indiana on March 6 and closes in Philadelphia on March 16. He is also co-producing critically acclaimed Bistro Award winner and jazz singer Spider Saloff on March 8th at Cafe Noctambulo. He is also proud to announce his involvement with Blujazz Records as assistant to Greg Paskenko in the promotions and administration areas.
Howard Mandel wrote record reviews and an article about his experience at the Mupa Budapest Jazz Showcase/Talent Exchange for DownBeat (expanded upon at his blog), consulted with a JJA member writing a book about music in Memphis, and launched the JJA’s spring Jazz Heroes and Jazz Awards initiatives.
Steve Monroe‘s February Jazz Avenues for East of the River print and capitalcommunitynews.com online editions included a Black History Month note on the Felix E. Grant Jazz Archives at the University of the District of Columbia and other jazz history in D.C. locations, a preview of the Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival and reviews on a show by saxophonist Tedd Baker, and the MLK Jr. Day jam with DeAndrey Howard and friends at Jazz and Cultural Society.
Michael J. West wrote a feature for the March issue of JazzTimes exploring the impact of Donald Trump’s election on the jazz community. He also wrote a piece for Slate (his first) about the complicated legacy of Nick LaRocca and the Original Dixieland Jazz Band. A short article on the 30 years of Washington D.C.’s Twins Jazz club will appear in a forthcoming edition of the Washington Post.
Linda Yohn created four profiles of jazz enthusiasts and musicians for African American History Month. Her talks with Joan Belgrave, Dr. Willis C. Patterson, Webster Kirksey and Benjamin Pruitt can be heard at www.wemu.org. She also hosted a “meet the artist” talk with vibraphonist Gary Burton for the UM Jazz Festival and was the MC for their evening concert which included a world premiere of Dennis Wilson’s composition “M-Go Blue From the Heart” for the UM Bi-Centennial.
Member Updates are edited by Michael J. West. Use our JJA Member Directories to find JJA members qualified to contribute to your publication or production or to assist you with your jazz-related project. The directories can be searched by name, area of expertise and geographic location.
If you aren’t a JJA Member yet, consider joining us. Membership is open to both Professional Journalists (writers, bloggers, photographers, videographers, web producers and others who cover jazz) and Industry Associates (musicians, educators, presenters, promoters and others who work in the industry and support our work.)
