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 September 3, 2015.
David R. Adler wrote about alto saxophonist Steve Wilson for the June 2015 issue of JazzTimes. His essay on jazz history pedagogy will appear in the magazine’s annual Education Guide, and his profile of drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts will run in the November issue. David also recently reviewed CDs by Al Cohn and Jimmy Rowles (Heavy Love), Kamasi Washington, Maria Schneider, Ghost Train Orchestra, Andrew Bishop and Charles Evans.
Mirian Arbalejo reviewed Duke, the new album by Italian trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso celebrating Duke Ellington. She also reviewed The Heart Of Jazz, by Spanish saxophonist Toni Solà. She continues with her monographic series about jazz standards, this time with You Go To My Head and My Favorite Things.
Nancy Barell‘s 245th edition of “Jazz Spotlight On Sinatra” is airing now. As always, she has a number of new releases from some established jazz artists and some new faces. Frank Sinatra is paired with some great jazz musicians performing the great standards. If you would like your music considered for air play please contact her.
Jane Ira Bloom has just finished recording tracks at Avatar Studio B in NYC for an upcoming CD on her Outline label. Bloom is also one of nine recipients of Chamber Music America’s 2015 New Jazz Works grant funded through the generosity of the Doris Duke Foundation. The quartet featuring pianist Dawn Clement, bassist Mark Helias, and drummer Bobby Previte looks forward to premiering Bloom’s new work inspired by American poet master Emily Dickinson.
Grace-Mary Burega was a 2015 Newport Jazz Festival Student Ambassador as well as a journalist, covering the festival on her jazz education website for teenagers, Kind of Pink and Purple, and her jazz poetry blog, Without a Poem.
Andrea Canter recently began a weekly “Lead Sheet” broadcast on Minneapolis jazz radio KBEM (88.5 FM) –highlighting upcoming live jazz in the Twin Cities. The complete “Lead Sheet” is still published weekly on her blog.
David Hajdu, longtime music critic for The New Republic, currently at The Nation, has jumped sides and co-written an album of songs, working with jazz composers Renee Rosnes and Fred Hersch, as well as the alt-pop songwriter Jill Sobule. Titled Waiting for the Angel, the album features Rosnes and Hersch on piano, along with saxophonist Steve Wilson, trumpeter Steven Bernstein, guitarist Peter Bernstein, oboist Charles Pillow, bassist Sean Smith and drummer Carl Allen.
James Hale contributed two features to DownBeat’s annual Student Music Guide – a profile of the Frost School of Music’s Jazz & Studio Music program at the University of Miami, and a look at how some young people are designing cost-effective, two-step jazz degrees by starting at community colleges or state universities and then transferring to larger, more prestigious institutions. He also wrote reviews of CDs by Ryan Adams and Jason Isbell for SoundStage.com.
Marcia Hillman was interviewed on her writing career by Cashbox Magazine and appears on the magazine’s online site. The interviewer has become the interviewee!
Howard Mandel wrote about Ornette Coleman’s funeral for The Wire, Dave Koz’s tour of China for his blog
Steve Monroe’s July Jazz Avenues for the East of the River print and capitalcommunitynews.com editions included a remembrance of July birthday hero Dr. Billy Taylor, pianist, educator and promoter of jazz, and DC Jazz Festival highlights. Monroe also blogged on the July Nomadic Jazz show with Elijah Jamal Balbed and the new CD Graffiti by J.D. Allen, and reviewed Carl Grubbs’ Inner Harbor Suite Revisited show for the July Baltimore Jazz Alliance newsletter.
Joyce Wilson is working day and night to finish a concept that was once a dream. My goal is to have a launch date by mid August with enough time to work out any technical issues that may arise, yet prior to attending the 36th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival. In addition to that, finding time to support the local jazz musicians & those who have tour dates in Southern California.
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.)
