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 July 3, 2015.
David Basse has been writing extensively the past month. His piece on Bobby Watson was published in U News at UMKC. Jazz Alive Overnight, Basse’s syndicated radio show, is going through a makeover and morphing into Jazz with David Basse. Basse embarks on a short tour June 11-20 with a stop at KUVO studios on June 15, Dazzle in Denver June 16 and a benefit for Dance Theater in Colorado Springs, June 17.
Angelika Beener is hosting the JJA Awards on Tuesday, June 16 at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York.
Jane Ira Bloom performs Singing The Triangle with her trio featuring bassist Mark Helias and drummer Bobby Previte at the Cornelia Street Café, 29 Cornelia St, Greenwich Village NY on Sunday, June 21 at 8:30pm. The group is stretching out on material for an upcoming recording on Bloom’s Outline label.
Alex Dutilh broadcast 10 hours about Brad Mehldau on his Open Jazz, for France Musique, with an exclusive interview about all his life and career. Streaming and podcast available from June 1st to June 12. From June 29th to July 4th, Alex will be live from Montréal festival, presenting daily the best of the previous day concerts.
Ken Franckling’s provided the photography for Sarasota FL-based pianist-painter Bill Buchman’s new trio CD, Art of Jazz, which was recorded live in a South County Jazz Club concert at the Venice Art Center in January. Buchman’s trio included bassist Don Mopsick and drummer Chuck Parr.
David Franklin performs regularly on alto saxophone with The Charlotte Jazz Orchestra, an 18-piece big band comprising players from the greater Charlotte, North Carolina area.
James Hale has begun contributing reviews to the SoundStage! Network, a set of online publications aimed at audiophiles. He is covering the 30th edition of the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival for DownBeat.
Peter H. Larsen reviewed two new – and fabulous – orchestra cds for Orkester Journalen, Maria Schneider’s Thompson Fields and Pieranunzi/Joris/Brussels JO. He also did the cover notes for Pieranunzi’s new trio cd on Danish label Storyville, and joined the new academy that finds the recipients of the annual Danish Jazz Awards.
Robin Lloyd wrapped up JazzApril by presenting the 2015 JJA Jazz Hero award to Mack Waldron, proprietor of Tula’s Restaurant and Jazz Club in Seattle, which for two decades has featured local and regional jazz musicians seven nights a week. Robin was also the featured MC for the Bellevue Jazz and Blues Festival in May.
Howard Mandel reported on NPR’s Weekend Saturday Morning Edition about Jack DeJohnette’s AACM reunion recording “Made in Chicago,” had his profile of Roscoe Mitchell on the cover of The Wire, worked with Oliver Lake on the saxophonist’s memoir, and blogged about Bob Belden upon his sudden death, posting a 2001 DownBeat feature he’d written on Belden’s masterwork Black Dahlia.
Bill Milkowski has been named recipient of the 2015 Bruce Lundvall Award, presented by the Montreal Jazz Festival. Named for the late Blue Note Records executive, it is presented annually to a non-musician who has left a mark on the world of jazz or contributed to the development of the music, through the media, the concert or record industries. Milkowski is an independent writer based in New York and has been covering the jazz scene since 1980.
Steve Monroe’s May Jazz Avenues for the East of the River print and capitalcommunitynews.com editions included comments on Charlie Fishman of the DC Jazz Festival being named a 2015 Jazz Hero by the Jazz Journalists Association, and a preview of Carl Grubbs’ “Inner Harbor Revisted” concert in Baltimore. Monroe also wrote feature stories for The Washington Informer on Willard Jenkins becoming DC Jazz Festival artistic director, and the festival’s Jazz in the Hoods partnerships including CapitalBop and Transparent Productions.
Daniel Smith’s Jazz Suite for Bassoon, just released on the Summit label, is his 23rd solo album to date, and a departure from his earlier jazz and classical albums. He says, ” JJA members will soon have a chance to hear this unique release, along with extensive airplay and reviews in the media.” Decca’s recent release of his 37 Vivaldi bassoon concertos in a 5 CD box set became a ‘best-seller’ while more jazz albums are in the works.
Jim Wilke covered the 13th Ballard Jazz Festival, recording at the Jazz Walk and concerts by the Lucas Pino No Net Nonet, Eric Alexander and Peter Bernstein for Jazz Northwest on KPLU. He was emcee for Jane Bunnett at Jazz Alley and a Dave Peck Trio studio concert and other events. Jim produced concert broadcasts with Carmen Bradford and SRJO, Ballard Jazz Walk, and Ana Velinova for Jazz Northwest, archived at jazznw.org.
Deanna Witkowski will be performing with the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra on Thurs, June 25 at the 27th annual BMI Jazz Composers Workshop showcase concert. On May 26, it was announced that this concert might be the final performance for the 17-member BMI/NYJO. In response, Witkowski drafted an open letter to BMI management that has been signed by 985 people, and hopes to have positive news to share at the evening’s performance.
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.)
