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 February 1, 2013.
Nancy Barell‘s 199th Edition of “Jazz Spotlight On Sinatra” is airing on the internet now. She also participated in a workshop at The JazzConnect Conference at APAP NYC 2013, “The Truth About Jazz Radio.” The workshop discussed the value of promoting a release on the radio (internet and land) among other related issues.
Jane Ira Bloom performs an evening of ballads from the American songbook and her original ballad repertoire at the Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St in NYC on Sunday, Jan 27 at 8:30pm. Her quartet features bassist Cameron Brown, drummer Matt Wilson and pianist Dominic Fallacaro.
Stephanie J. Castillo continues her research for NIGHT BIRD SONG: THE THOMAS CHAPIN STORY, her jazz documentary on the downtown NYC jazz scene of the ’80’s and ’90’s where Thomas Chapin made his name. This month her research interviews include Michael Dorf of the old Knitting Factory; Larry Blumenfeld, jazz writer; and Paul Jeffrey, jazz educator, jazz master, and Chapin’s mentor. A 90 sec. trailer is on YouTube.
Nate Chinen closed out 2012 with a critics’ roundtable at his blog, The Gig. He was honored to exchange thoughts on the year in jazz with four fellow jazz journalists: Peter Hum, Jim Macnie, Giovanni Russonello and Greg Thomas.
Brett Delmage’s jazz news site OttawaJazzScene.ca published an eight-story comprehensive review of jazz in Canada’s national capital region and several nearby jazz festivals in 2012.
Alex Dutilh just did a 10 hours portrait of Jim Hall on France Musique, including interview with Jim’s comments about his work. One hour every day from december 17th to 28th, available on streaming or podcast: click “archives” on this link to the last episode.
Ken Franckling’s annual look at the Year in Jazz was published by allaboutjazz.com on January 5. The overview: the world of jazz officially went global in 2012, kicked the Grammy Awards in the shins, dealt with economic issues and Mother Nature, and found new ways to innovate in this social media and Internet-savvy age.
Mark Gridley published a 7th edition of Concise Guide to Jazz, with 3 CDs of historic recordings. Review copies are available from roth.wilkofsky@pearson.com. Gridley conducted a study at four colleges, showing that accounts of tragedies in musicians’ lives can affect listener perceptions of the musicians’ music: “Can Artist Biographies Bias Music Perceptions?” was published in Psychology Journal (2012), 9(3), pp. 113-117 (ISSN 1931-5694). A pdf is available upon request from the author: mgridley@heidelberg.edu.
Steve Griggs wrote Grant Seeking Tips for Seattle Jazz Artists for Earshot Jazz. 4Culture funded a grant to create his August performances at the Panama Hotel based on Seattle jazz history.
Joe Harrison videotaped the Kenny Gates Organ Trio in Brooklyn NY on Monday Dec. 17, 2012. It was a home coming for Kenny. On Wednesday, Jan. 2, he covered Jazz Bridges‘ monthly neighborhood concert series in Cheltenham, Pa. The group was Ed Wise and his New Orleans Jazz Band. This was the biggest turnout Joe has seen for Jazz Bridge at the Cheltenham location.
Patrick Hinely photographed and wrote about JazzFest Berlin 2012 for Cadence magazine.
Lyn Horton will be traveling to Serbia this winter to install a commission from the U.S. State Department for a wall work in the Embassy in Belgrade.
Matthew Kassel wrote stories for the Village Voice — on the closing of the Lenox Lounge and the death of Dave Brubeck, among other things — and BlueNote.com. He is particularly proud of an essay he wrote for the Paris Review Daily, on the album John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, ahead of its 50th anniversary.
Kiyoshi Koyama just finished taping his NHK-FM Jazz Tonight show (airing every Saturday from 11:00pm~1:00am), featuring Jose James and his regular trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. Jose brought his brand new No Beginning No End and a very touching live recording of his concert “Yesterday I Had The Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday” (Brussels, July 4th, 2012) for the show.
Eugene Marlow is enjoying a productive January 2013. In addition to posting weekly on The Marlowsphere Blog, Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble (with six-time Grammy-nominated drummer Bobby Sanabria) will perform at Caffe Vivaldi on January 10, 9 p.m. (as a trio), and at the Nuyorican Poets Café on January 25, 7:30 (with the full quintet). He’s also closing in on a first draft of his book on jazz in China, Jazz in the Land of the Dragon.
RJ Marx will be leading the Katonah Studio Jazz Band at Lieb Cellars in Mattituck, LI on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 4 p.m. The event is part of the “Jazz on the Vine” series of Long Island Winterfest, www.liwinterfest.com.
Steve Monroe‘s December “Jazz Avenues” for the Mid-City DC edition of capitalcommunitynews.com included preview information on Christmas and New Year’s Eve performances, and Todd Marcus’ new CD, “inheritance,” a review of the Jerry Gordon tribute concert featuring guitarists Rick Whitehead and Paul Wingo, and Rodney Kelley, and a review of the Howard University Jazz Ensemble fall concert. Monroe also reviewed and blogged on top jazz performances of 2012.
John Pietaro: mixing debut album by THE RED MICROPHONE; gigs with Karl Berger (1/10, El Taller), Erika Dagnino (1/12, Nomad’s Choir; 1/16, Shrine), Ras Moshe (1/13, Brecht Forum), THE RED MICROPHONE (1/20, Brecht Forum; 1/27, ABC No Rio). 1/20: DRUMS FOR WARREN! benefit concert for Warren Smith featuring many great performers (Brecht Forum)- www.DissidentArts.com
Peter Pullman‘s authoritative biography Wail: The Life of Bud Powell is now available in paperback. The book goes way beyond Powell’s classic studio and live recordings to examine the social and political currents that impacted all of the modernists’ lives, as they struggled to gain acceptance for their art in the wider world. Wail includes a scholarly appendix, which explains what the so-called cabaret card was and how it derailed so many performers’ careers.
Mitchell Seidel has been elected vice president for music programming of the New Jersey Jazz Society. He is responsible for booking talent for the organization’s monthly jazz socials and all future live music events. As a contributing editor for the society’s award-winning monthly Jersey Jazz Journal, he recently covered the James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival in Newark, Zootfest at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and the Exit0 International Jazz Festival in Cape May.
Arnold Jay Smith‘s blog, www.jazzinsights.net, continues into 2013 celebrating Dizzy Gillespie’s 95th birthday. In coming months look for pieces on Mike Longo’s Jazz Tuesdays at the New York Baha’i Center, and a very special feature on Louis Armstrong’s Love Child, who happens to be the wife of a friend of 55 years. Also look for personal appreciations of Pete LaRoca Sims and Dave Brubeck.
Mark Stryker is working diligently on his upcoming book, Made in Detroit: Jazz from the Motor City (University of Michigan Press), a collection of profiles and essays about modern and contemporary jazz musicians from Detroit. Recent jazz pieces for the Detroit Free Press, where he is an arts reporter and critic, include a profile of trumpeter Marcus Belgrave and a soon-to-be-published profile of drummer Karriem Riggins.
Lynn Orman Weiss‘ concert production, Chicago Blues Mamas: A Salute to Women in the Blues & Jazz, was featured on election night in Chicago as the ‘unofficial official’ salute to President Barack Obama. The Chicago Blues Mamas will showcase at APAP/NYC, Saturday, Jan. 12th at 55 Bar, Sunday, Jan. 13th at the NY Hilton, Morgan Suite and Monday, Jan. 14th at PARIS BLUES. The show will feature the songs of Koko Taylor and Billie Holiday.
Joyce M. Wilson: is easing herself back into the music scene after being in school, as well as working on writing material to share with all. She will be attending many jazz concerts sponsored by the Jazz Bakery, starting with Freddie Cole then working her way over to the Monterey Jazz Festival 55th year tour, and many others with the likes of Kenny Garrett and Chris Potter later this month.
Deanna Witkowski is back to playing piano after recent surgery for a broken collarbone. On Feb 2, she performs with the Westchester Jazz Orchestra at the Irvington Theater; on Feb 20, she plays and co-music directs a concert featuring the sacred music of Mary Lou Williams at Park Avenue Christian Church in Manhattan.
JJA Member Updates are compiled and edited by Mike West with assistance from Tanya Ellerbee.
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