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 December 3, 2016.
Saul Addison started out attending Latin from Manhattan. Afro-Cuban Jazz and Beyond! At Southampton Arts Center, the unique sounds of Afro-Cuban Jazz. Featuring Ada Rovatti on saxophone, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Nestor Milanes on piano, Steve Shaughnessy on bass, Claes Brondal on drums, and Geraldo Flores on congas. Closed out October with Brooklyn Circle the talents of Stacy Dillard on sax, Diallo House on bass and Ismail Lawal on drums at The Tap & Barrel.
Nancy Barell is still doing her Saturday program at 3pm and Mondays at 9am on WFDUhd2 and on Purrjazzradio on Tuesdays at 7pm and Thursdays at 11 am. “Jazz artists contact me at nbarell@nyc.rr.com if you would like to receive air play.”
Marcela Breton is participating as a judge in the “1st international online competition for jazz musicians,” sponsored by 7 Virtual Jazz Club.
Stephanie J. Castillo, EMMY-winning filmmaker and former journalist, continues to screen her acclaimed documentary film THOMAS CHAPIN, NIGHT BIRD SONG. Castillo is headed in November for Hawaii for her home island premiere on Kauai. She is also screening a 90-min. version in November in the Yukon Territory, Canada. The 50-min. version will premiere at the New York Jazz Festival in Harlem on Nov. 13. She expects to also screen in Arizona and New Mexico in December.
Tim Coakley been helping to present A Place for Jazz 2016 concert series in Schenectady from early September till Nov. 4 with Scott Hamilton, Christian Jacob, Denise Donatelli and others. It is the series’ 30th year of concerts.
Ken Franckling reviewed the college and university CDs for the Jazz Education Guide in JazzTimes’ November issue. He photographed The Charlotte County (FL) Jazz Society’s season-opening concert on October 10, which featured trombonist Herb Bruce’s Herbicide Jazz Band and the St. Petersburg-based Brazilian band O Som Do Jazz. Ken also found New Orleans-style jazz with unusual instrumentation during a 10-day Bordeaux river cruise, detailed on his Jazz Notes blog.
James Hale wrote an essay for DownBeat celebrating the legacy of Thelonious Monk—part of a package that will kick off the centennial year of Monk, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie. For SoundStageXperience.com he wrote about Macy Gray’s high-definition jazz recording for Chesky Records.
Patrick Hinely attended the 4-day Suwannee Roots Revival festival near Live Oak, Florida, continuing his ongoing documentation of Bruce Hampton and Jeff Mosier for an eventual book. Fotogalerie Friedrichshain in Berlin is featuring an exhibition of photographs by Hinely and Detlev Schilke until the middle of December.
Kiyoshi Koyama’s NHK-FM weekly two hours JAZZ TONIGHT show (http://www4.nhk.or.jp/jazz/)
will celebrate Chick Corea’s 75th birthday on Saturday November 19th. Mr.Koyama will talk about why and
how Mr.Corea organized his enormously popular Return to Forever band based on his interviews with Mr.Corea.
Ralph Lampkin/Lampkin Music Group will celebrate a year of producing jazz/cabaret shows at Cafe Noctambulo @ Pangea, with two different events: The Cafe Noctambulo debut of singer Diane Arnstein in “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore,” on Tuesday, December 13th and singer Martha Lorin marks her one-year residency at the Cafe Noctambulo at Pangea with “Body and Soul, ” November 15th and December 20th, 2016. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Robin Lloyd MC’d shows for the Earshot Jazz Festival, and interviewed Maceo Parker for KNKX.org.
Rudy Lu was interviewed by Kim Laureen of freshindependence.com regarding jazz photography.
Steve Monroe‘s October Jazz Avenues for East of the River print and capitalcommunitynews.com online editions included a preview of jazz offerings for the month at the Kennedy Center and a review of Carl Grubbs Ensemble’s “Coltrane at 90 Celebration” concert at the Eubie Blake Center in Baltimore. Monroe also blogged on the Baltimore Jazz Fest, Herman Leonard’s jazz photo exhibit and new CDs from Whaling City Sound by Steve Kirby, Tim Ray and Kristen Lee Sergeant.
Fernando Rodriguez publishes about Jazz in the Dominican Republic in his blog. He wrote the liner notes, as well as co-produced, two CD´s: Proyecto Piña Duluc Live and Alex Diaz & Santo Domingo Afrojazz Live in Miami. Has been invited as a special guest to this year´s Dominican Republic Jazz Festival (November 8-12).
Lew Shaw’s story on the passing of the King of Thailand in the November issue of The Syncopated Times included recollections from two musicians – Ed Polcer and Richard Simon – who had the honor of performing with the jazz-loving monarch. Richard was able to provide a photograph in which he is shown being greeted by the King.
Carol Sudhalter will serve on a panel on November 28th, 2016, 5-6:30 pm, at local 802 Musicians’ Union, 322 W. 48th St., on the topic “What Does It (Really) Mean to Be a Woman in Jazz?” together with Grace Kelly, Kim Clarke, Nicki Parrot and Diane Moser. Part of the Jazz Mentors VI, series, free and open to the public.
Jeff Tamarkin has recently interviewed Pat Martino, Jimmy Heath, Duduka da Fonseca, Andra Day, Peter White and Robert Randolph for various projects; reviewed the Ella 100 show at the Apollo; and wrote a piece on hit jazz singles of the ’60s.
Jim Wilke recorded seven performances at Jazz Port Townsend in July for broadcast on Jazz Northwest, Sunday afternoons on knkx (formerly KPLU). Among the artists were JD Allen, Sean Jones, Jeff Hamilton, Clayton Brothers, Dena DeRose, Dee Daniels, René Marie and all star big band Tribute to Woody Herman. This Fall, Jim is recording seven concerts during the Earshot Festival in Seattle, including Fred Hersch, Brian Lynch & Thomas Marriott, Dave Douglas & The Westerlies and others including the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra playing Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaborations. After broadcast on knks, programs may be streamed at jazznw.org
Scott Yanow recently put together CHOPS, the ultimate jazz trivia quiz. The 50 quizzes (20 questions each) consist of 1,000 multiple choice and true/false questions covering all eras of jazz. It is available as a PDF file from Scott for $25. Not lacking in humor or “Believe It Or Not” type questions, the more one knows about jazz, the more they will enjoy CHOPS.
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.)
