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 June 3, 2017.
Saul Addison had a photo exhibit at Treme Islip Jazz & Blues club for Jazz appreciation month. He also photographed the month long line-up celebrating jazz appreciation month. Kevin Clark and Paul Bollenbeck, Chris Covais Blue Note Tribute band, Ryan Berg Quartet, Theo Hill Trio, Brooklyn Circle, Interplay Jazz Orchestra, Lawrence Clark Quartet, John Restrepo Quartet and Talisman Jazz with a Sunday night jazz jam session to close out the month.
Jane Ira Bloom performs compositions inspired by American poet Emily Dickinson with her quartet featuring bassist Mark Helias, drummer Matt Wilson and pianist Dominic Fallacaro at Jazz at Kitano, 66 Park Ave. on Sat, May 20, at 8 & 10pm. She also performs the following evening with her Early Americans Trio featuring Mark Helias & Bobby Previte at Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia Street in Greenwich Village on Sun, May 21 at 8:30pm.
Gloria Krolak, radio host, poetry editor, author, celebrates seven years of Good Vibes on the radio. Good Vibes is the first and only broadcast program to feature the vibraphone, a mallet instrument given its jazz voice by Lionel Hampton and Red Norvo in the 1930’s. It airs on WWFM HD2 and online at www.jazzon2.org.
Robin Lloyd wrote for knkx.org about JJA’s Seattle Jazz Hero, a film review, a book review, and the Jazz Caliente blog. She also hosted a live studio session with Juan de Marcos and the Afro Cuban All Stars at the Moore Theatre in Seattle, and hosted the JJA Seattle Jazz Hero award presentation..
Howard Mandel reviewed the Lyric Opera’s production of “Charlie Parker’s Yardbird” and “We Tear Down Our Stadiums,” a multi-media suite by big band composer John Dorhauer and his brother Adam for DownBeat; blogged at ArtsJournal.com/JazzBeyondJazz about Aretha Franklin, Butch Morris’s “The Art of Conduction” workbook, and Charles Lloyd with the Marvels; hosted the JJA party for Jazz Hero cellist-educator Tomeka Reid; and moderated a public Jazz Institute of Chicago Education Day panel on “What Musicians Listen to When Nobody’s Looking.”
Fran Morris Rosman and the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation are having fun celebrating ELLA AT 100! The beloved “First Lady of Song” was born on April 25, 1917. We were fortunate to be at the Rainbow Room on April 25, with Tony Bennett, Danny Bennett, the Entertainment Commissioner of NYC and the vocal students from the Frank Sinatra High School for the Arts as ELLA FITZGERALD DAY was declared in NYC. please visit www.ellafitzgeraldfoundation.org for the master Centennial Calendar.
Travis Rogers, Jr. covered the small, but growing, Eau Claire Jazz Fest in April which featured guest artist Doc Severinsen as well as many local and regional artists and groups. Travis also provided the liner notes for Takeshi Asai’s latest album, French Trio, Vol 3 and for Gene Ess’ Absurdist Theater.
Lew Shaw latest story for The Syncopated Times has him interviewing the Vinyl Record Dude (Nick Boor) who maintains an inventory of a half-million vinyl records in his Scottsdale, Arizona warehouse and ships out 70 orders a day to customers all over the world.
W. Royal Stokes has published his trilogy of novels Backwards Over. For a summary of the work and to order the books go to https://www.backwardsover.com/
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.)
