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 August 3, 2014.
David R. Adler wrote about the Death of Klinghoffer controversy for The Village Voice. He’s writing liner notes for guitarist Eric Hofbauer’s Prehistoric Jazz, Vols. 1 & 2 (Creative Nation), exploring works by Stravinsky and Messiaen; and Matt Brewer’s Mythology (Criss Cross), the noted bassist’s debut as a leader. For Stereophile, David also reviewed CDs by Matt Bauder, Amy Cervini, Ulf Wakenius and Oran Etkin.
Stephanie J. Castillo, EMMY-winning filmmaker working on a music documentary about the late Thomas Chapin, captured an important interview with musician and professor Rob Kaplan for her film. Shot at the Museum of Musical Instruments in Phoenix, AZ, Kaplan’s interview focused on Chapin’s musical formation and the two playing in ZASIS, a four-member ensemble, that they started in the late ’70s.
Dawn DeBlaze is retiring from jazz public relations after 20 years at the end of June, although will likely keep her jazz newsletter going. Recently she publicized, promoted and photographed a “Tribute to St. Louis Trumpeters” featuring Keyon Harrold and Russell Gunn with The Jazz Edge Big Band. She also publicized and produced two shows of “Red, White and Blue: The Music of American Composers” featuring Boston area vocalist Wendee Glick.
Jane Goldberg is touring her Traveling Tap Museum, created in Russian Futuristic Constructivist Style by Sammy Ashford. (In the late 19th century, these kiosks were used in Russia as propaganda before the Revolution so people could stay anonymous as they put in their magazines, newspapers, etc.) Her propaganda is strictly tap: rare footage, of past shows, posters, proscenium stage backdrop, bamboo tap floor, rare photos of hoofers, in a kiosk! Have to get gigs-will travel. Funded and free to groups.
Steve Griggs wrote the narration for Robin Holcomb’s “Come! Behold! Rejoice!” for the Washington Middle School music program based on the history of Seattle’s Washington Hall. The Steve Griggs Ensemble was awarded a 10-event residency to perform “Songs of Unsung Seattle” at branches of the Seattle Public Library through Chamber Music America’s Residency Partnership Program. The Ensemble is planning performances of “Panama Hotel Jazz” 33 times over the next 2 years through a National Park Service Japanese Confinement Site Grant.
Thomas Jacobsen will be attending the annual “ClarinetFest” of the International Clarinet Association in Baton Rouge, LA at the end of July/beginning of August. He is now working on a pictorial history of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival: “A Quarter Century of Jazz at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.” And looking for a publisher….
Sheila Jordan just had a 3-day teaching gig at The Interplay Jazz camp in Woodstock, Vt. She will be working with Cam Brown on July 3rd (bass and voice) at Cornelia Street and then on July 4th with Cam’s Hear and Now band. She will then take off to do her two-week workshop at the University of Mass. in Amherst, Mass.
Elzy Kolb interviewed pianist Renee Rosnes on what she learned while gigging with the giants; multi-instrumentalist Karen Mantler on her new CD, Business is Bad her parents’ career dreams for her, and her early impressions of adventurous jazz; bassist Lauren Falls on her experiences with IAJE’s Sisters in Jazz program and more for the JazzWomen! column in July Hot House.
Robin Lloyd was an honored guest MC for part of the Bellevue (WA) Jazz Festival, interviewed Juan de Marcos of the Afro Cuban All Stars, and introduced a showing of the film Lady Be Good: Instrumental Women in Jazz for SEEDArts of Seattle and Seattle’s Jazz Night School. Robin also moderated the Q&A session with filmmaker Kay D. Ray after the film.
Howard Mandel profiled Dinah Washington for DownBeat, reviewed Celebrate Brooklyn’s concert Celebrate Ornette! for The Wire, blogged about the 2015 NEA Jazz Masters, taught Arts: The Blues (a five-week intensive) at NYU, produced the JJA’s 18th annual Jazz Awards, and bought a house in Chicago, to which he moved in mid July.
Greg Masters has collected a number of his music and literary reviews into For the Artists, Volume 2, forthcoming in August from Crony Books. Gathered are a number of extended essays on Miles Davis’ so-called electric era.
Ralph A. Miriello interviewed the bassist Martin WInd and guitarist Jack Wilkins for Hot House magazine and for his blog Notes on Jazz, He reviewed Joe Beck’s last album”Get Me” and a performance of the Christian McBride Trio at Alvin & Friends and posted his fifth annual “Living Legends of Jazz” Celebration for the Huffington Post and Notes on Jazz.
Rick Mitchell completed work on his latest book, Jazz In the New Millennium
Bob Protzman donated his CD collection to Theerie, PA Public County Library. The collection, estimated at 5,000-6,000 discs, includes numerous boxed sets and a wide variety of compilations. Library executive director Mary Rennie unveiled the collection on June 22 at an event featuring lvie music. Rennie said she was thrilled to have the collection and would use it for educational purposes aimed at audience expansion and awareness, as well as lending the CDs in the same manner as books.
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.)
