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, 2016.
David R. Adler interviewed tenor great George Coleman for a career retrospective that will appear in the September issue of JazzTimes. He also wrote liner notes for Revelation by the Afro Bop Alliance and Echoes of Europe by the Dino Massa Kansas City Quintet.
Adam Baruch continues to write record reviews and publish them on his site, which by now includes 5,130 reviews of mostly jazz albums recorded all over the world, with a readership reaching 5.5 million.
Jane Ira Bloom performed with long-time bandmates Mark Helias (bass) & Bobby Previte (drums) at the Cornelia Street Café in NYC on June 5 to celebrate the release of her latest trio Cd “Early Americans” (OTL142) on the Outline label.
Susan Brink‘s articles on the Skidmore Jazz Institute and Freihofer’s Jazz Festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center are in the summer edition of Saratoga Living magazine.
Stephanie J. Castillo, Emmy Award-winning filmmaker, picked up her first award for her new 2016 documentary film Thomas Chapin, Night Bird Song at the Nice International Film Festival in France. With ten films in competition in the Best Story category, her music-bio film, won out. The film plays on Sept. 18 at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival and on Sept. 21-22 at the University of Kentucky at Lexington in a two-day film and music program featuring Thomas Chapin’s music.
Paul Simeon Fingerote, when asked to do an on-air interview for the local CBS TV affiliate on what it’s been like living in Monterey for 40 years, made certain to bring along his new book, Jazz on My Mind –– even though it had nothing to do with the topic –– for his “interviewee walk” with his book held high in his arms (1:08 in). “Product Placement Lesson One: Always have your book with you and don’t be shy to show it!”
James Hale profiled trumpeter Marquis Hill for DownBeat and wrote a preview of this year’s TD Ottawa Jazz Festival for the magazine’s website.
Reuben Jackson, host of Friday Night Jazz on Vermont Public Radio, hosted a Duke Ellington Birthday program on April 29th. He has also been appointed to the faculty (Creative Writing) on the Interplay Jazz Camp, a week long camp in Southern Vermont. Other faculty members include vocalist Sheila Jordan.
Wolfram Knauer is the editor of the 14th volume of the Darmstadt Studies in Jazz Research (published by Wolke Verlag), a book series documenting the Darmstadt Jazzforum conferences organized by Jazzinstitut Darmstadt. The new volume, entitled “Gender and Identity in Jazz” is mostly in English and focuses on different aspects of identity in jazz. Knauer’s own chapter in the collection of 17 essays is titled “Clash of Identites.”
Gloria Krolak writes the new poetry column for Jersey Jazz, monthly journal of the New Jersey Jazz Society, “Rhythm & Rhyme.” It features a jazz poem, a brief poet bio, a sidebar including historical information about the poem and a pertinent photograph. June’s issue will reprint American poet Paul Zimmer’s “One O’clock Jump,” a delicious piece of revenge towards a former landlady who permitted no jazz in her house.
Howard Mandel co-directed a 30-minute video, “Chicago’s Record Man: A Conversation with Bob Koester” with Matt Mehan for the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, wrote liner notes “Sun Ra at Intermedia Arts 1991,” and reviewed “Stan Levey Jazz Heavyweight” by Frank R. Hayde for DownBeat. He is also producing the 20th annual JJA Awards party.
Ralph A. Miriello wrote cd reviews of new offerings by Marc Copeland, Morgan Guerin, Moken Nunga, Jeremy Pelt, Larry Young in Paris and Arthur Vint; reviewed live shows of the Future Rhythm Quartet, Sal Gentile, Joe Gransden and the Atlanta Jazz Festival and helped present the JJA Atlanta Jazz Heroes Award to Joe Gransden.
Mitchell Seidel awarded New Jersey Jazz Society (NJJS) plaques to Harold Mabern and Chuck Stewart (in absentia, to his family). In March, he presented pianist Hod O’Brien and vocalist Stephanie Nakasian at the NJJS monthly members’ social and in April pianist Richard Wyands and bassist Calvin Hill. Seidel’s story on the Sarah Vaughan postage stamp first day of issue ceremonies appears on the May cover of Jersey Jazz Journal.
Andy Senior published the June issue of The Syncopated Times on May 26. June’s paper includes his front-page profile of artist, musician, and chanteuse of “obscure, lovely, and naughty songs,” Janet Klein. Pieces by reedman Adrian Cunningham, LA jazz vocalist and bandleader Randi Cee, Van Young (on Indiana’s place in jazz history), and travel writer Bill Hoffman (on the NY Hot Jazz Camp) also appear in the issue.
Carol Sudhalter will begin in early July recording a new CD of original tunes dedicated to her 5 and 6-year-old music students.
Jeff Tamarkin just returned from Bergen, Norway, where he went to cover the first few nights of the NattJazz Festival and Nutshell, a series of showcase performances by mostly Norwegian artists, for JazzTimes. He also recently interviewed Kamasi Washington for Relix Magazine.
Russ Tarby remains busy compiling jazz festivals, cruises and camps listings for The Syncopated Times, but he managed to arrange a few bookings for jazz bands in his hometown of Liverpool, N.Y., including Second Line Syracuse on June 27 and the Djug Django Quintet on July 18, both at Johnson Park in L’pool. He’s also brainstorming a 2017 winter concert series from jump blues to bebop at Liverpool Public Library.
Joyce Wilson spent the Memorial Day Weekend at the 39th Atlanta Jazz Festival. “It was my first time attending and making plans for next year. It was truly an honor to witness the legendary Benny Golson and Donald Harrison playing together, and a great way to start off the summer jazz festival season. Back home for now, continuing the transcription work for Dr. W. Royal Stokes as well as attending school for the summer.”
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.)
