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 January 2, 2013.
David R. Adler’s profile of Meshell Ndegeocello appears in the December 2012 issue of JazzTimes. His feature on pianist Steve Kuhn will run in the magazine in early 2013. David is also writing liner notes for saxophonist Tim Warfield’s forthcoming release Eye of the Beholder.
Jane Ira Bloom looks forward to two performances this December at The Stone in New York City. On Thursday, Dec 20 she performs Singing the Triangle with longtime bandmates drummer Bobby Previte and bassist Mark Helias and on Saturday, Dec 22nd she joins conductor/ composer Sarah Weaver for Cycles of Awakening with Robert Dick flutes, Oliver Lake alto saxophone, Dave Taylor bass trombone, Min Xiao-Fen pipa, Miya Masaoka koto, and Ursel Schlict piano.
Andrea Brachfeld’s new CD Lady of the Island, released by ZOHO Music , has reached # 34 on the Jazz charts this week, November 28. This is her first straight-ahead jazz release and is in the planning stages of her next release. She will be finishing the year out by performing with Wycliffe Gordon at the Miller Theater at Columbia University on December 15.
J. R. Carroll has published an extensive review of the first serious history of jazz in Boston, Richard Vacca’s The Boston Jazz Chronicles: Faces, Places, and Nightlife 1937-1962, on the online journal The Arts Fuse.
Stephanie J. Castillo launches her public and media outreach on Dec. 11 for her new jazz film in Hartford, CT with an NPR interview, a fundraising reception for her film trailer at Real Art Ways, and with newspaper articles about her film on jazz avant master Thomas Chapin, who passed in 1998. Her film’s website and blog at www.thomaschapinfilm.com will break 4,000 visitors this month.
Fradley Garner, coauthor of Harlem Jazz Adventures – A European Baron’s Memoir, 1934-1969, was dismayed when Scarecrow Press in January set the price at $75 for the 297-page hardcover. “Who could afford that?” asks Frad. “The publisher reported a total of 117 copies sold in the U.S., Canada, and several small countries (excluding UK).” The reviews, all highly positive, are posted on News page of the book’s website: www.jazzbaron.com.
Steve Griggs reviewed Paul de Barros’ biography of Marian McPartland and wrote a profile of Town Hall artist-in-residence Ahamefule Oluo for Earshot Jazz.He also started a new blog about Elvin Jones that will include a complete discography and descriptions of recordings.
Marcia Hillman interviewed Joe Bataan – “Salsoul” singer/performer/writer – for a feature article she has written that will appear in the December issue of The New York City Jazz Record.
Lyn Horton is focusing on her art these days, with entries on her blog as much as possible. She will be traveling to Eastern Europe to execute a wall installation of her work before the end of the year.
Sanford Josephson‘s second in a six-concert jazz series he is curating for the Luna Stage in West Orange, NJ, will take place Sunday, December 9. The concert, “Jazz Turns Samba,” features trumpeter Claudio Roditi, accompanied by two guitarists, Roni Ben-Hur and Paul Meyers. This is the second season for the Luna series, Music in the Moonlight. Last year there were three concerts.
David Kunian just got an article published in the Oxford American Southern Music Issue about the best band and best funk band ever, the Meters.
Howard Mandel spoke on “Motivations in US Jazz” at the conference “Lost in Diversity: A Transatlantic Dialogue on the Social Relevance of Jazz,” curated by Dr. Christian Broecking for the Heidelberg Center for American Studies at Germany’s oldest university (established 1386) in early November, also posting about the conference and the associated Enjoy Jazz festival on his blog, artsjournal.com/jazzbeyondjazz.
Eugene Marlow is enjoyng a productive December 2012. In addition to writing and posting his weekly Marlowsphere Blog, Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble (with five-time Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria) will perform at Baruch Performing Arts Center (Manhattan, December 13), and The Bronx Music Heritage Center (December 20). Marlow has also nearly completed a first draft of his book on jazz in China, Jazz in the Land of the Dragon.
Mark Miller continues to devote most of his writing time to book projects, but in recent months has been honored to contribute insert notes to CDs by two important Toronto musicians, saxophonist Kyle Brenders’ Offset and drummer Nick Fraser’s Towns and Villages, the latter featuring Tony Malaby.
Bill Minor has a new book out, The Inherited Heart: An American Memoir, with lots of jazz in it. A spinoff CD, The Love Letters of Lynchburg (original music and voice script), was commissioned by the Historic Sandusky Foundation in Virginia. Bill hosted a Monterey Jazz Festival panel, “Reflections on The Real Ambassadors,” and contributed copy for twenty-eight shelters, as part of the JAZZ bus line partnership between the MJF and Monterey-Salinas Transit.
Steve Monroe‘s November Jazz Avenues for the Mid-City DC edition of capitalcommunitynews.com included a preview of a Jerry Gordon tribute concert, and a review of the Ben Williams Quartet performance at the Atlas Performing Arts Center in D.C. Monroe also blogged on the Gordon tribute, amd the Howard University Jazz Ensemble fall concert, and previewed December holiday jazz events in D.C.
John Pietaro’s new quartet The Red Microphone (Pietaro: vibes/percussion, Ras Moshe and Rocco John Iacovone: reeds, Laurie Towers: electric bass) will be recording their debut disc, The Red Microphone Speaks, mastered by Kramer. Pietaro also gigs with Karl Berger’s Improvisers Orchestra (12/3, Shapeshifter Lab, and 12/13, El Taller) and the Cheryl Pyle Trio (12/12, ZirZamin). For more see www.DissidentArts.com.
Frederic Sater took the following photos: Johnny Holiday at the Beacon Theater, 10/7; Obama Jazz at Symphony Space, 10/9; Sydney Bechet Society, Vince Giordano, and George Wein at Hunter College, 10/10; Virgil Jones memorial at Saint Peters Church, 10/22; Jazz Foundation of America Loft Party, 10/27; Sydney Bechet Society, JonEric Kelso, and Evan Christopher at Hunter College, 11/5; Butch Thompson in Exeter, New Hampshire, 11/12; Vlado Kreslin from Slovenia in Woodside , NY, 11/23.
Sebastian Scotney was invited by WDR to Cologne be on the panel for their new award, celebrating an exceptional contribution to jazz broadcasting in German. The winner was Karsten Mützelfeldt’s report for DLF on the Austrian Inntoene Festival. The runner-up was a programme by young reporter Nabil Atassi for NDR on the scene in London, focused on the 2011 London Jazz Festival. The prize will be awarded at the WDR Jazz Festival in February 2013.
Carol Sudhalter placed 9th in the category of Best International Jazz Flutist in the Down Beat Magazine Jazz Readers’ Poll 2012. In line with one of her goals, she is co-producing a House Concert in a beautiful Harlem apartment Dec. 30. She is also playing 3 nights at Metropolitan Room at month’s end. Details at http://sudhalter.com.
Nga Tdragan photographed the 14th JazzNoJazz Festival 2012 Zürich, Switzerland, 28th Belgrad Jazz Festival 2012 Belgrad, Serbien and 18th Lucerne Blues Festival 2012 Luzern, Switzerland for Jazz’N’More Switzerland.
Deanna Witkowski’s new choral work, “Glistening Lily,” based on writings of Hildegard of Bingen, will be premiered in a free concert on Wednesday, December 19 at Park Avenue Christian Church. On December 22, she performs with Roz Corral at the 55 Bar.
JJA Member Updates are compiled and edited by Mike West with assistance from Tanya Ellerbee.
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