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 June 3, 2013.
David R. Adler conducted a duo Q&A with guitarists Nels Cline and Julian Lage for an article soon to appear in JazzTimes.
Gregg Akkerman‘s book, The Last Balladeer: The Johnny Hartman Story (Scarecrow Press) was nominated for “Book of the Year About Jazz” by the Jazz Journalists Association. Akkerman is the series editor for The Listener’s Companion books from Scarecrow Press and is currently accepting proposals from authors interested in writing about highly iconic jazz figures.
Brian Arsenault recently reviewed CDs by Annalisa Ewald, Gregg Robbins, Quattro, Charles Davis, Spin Doctors and a digital release by Bracher Brown for the International Review of Music. He also launched his column “Brian Arsenault Takes On” for Irom. Other recent reviews include vinyl reissues by the Rolling Stones and the Animals.
Nancy Barrell is now broadcasting her 204th edition” Jazz Spotlight On Sinatra”. She is always searching for new jazz artists to feature on her program. Her programming concept is mostly straight ahead jazz, post bebop and the best new standards she can find. She welcomes any new jazz singers and instrumentalists who would fit her concept.
Larry Blumenfeld posts regularly at Blu Notes in addition to his ongoing coverage for The Wall Street Journal.
Stephanie J. Castillo starts shooting her documentary film Night Bird Song: The Thomas Chapin Story in early July in Hartford, CT with Mario Pavone, Peter Madsen, Steve Johns and others in concert, rehearsals and recording sessions. Castillo will be using a NYC cameraman and a NYC editor to tell the story of this NYC legend who played the downtown and uptown scene in the 80’s and 90’s. Shooting will continue July-Aug.-Sept. in NYC and other places in the area.
Noal Cohen had an article published: Jazz Discography In the 21st Century: One Perspective, Names & Numbers, 65 (April 2013), pp. 15-19.
Renetta DeBlase continues to send out information about the jazz clubs in Washington, D. C. and she has been successful in promoting the music of guitarist Tisziji Munoz and pianist John Medeski to leading clubs and larger venues in the DC area.
Lois Gilbert is the Online International Jazz Day Coordinator. Her organization JazzCorner.com built the website of JazzDay.com for Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and Lois took the lead on social media, registration of events and overseeing and interfacing with YouTube on this year’s live webcast.
Steve Griggs wrote a preview of the 2013 Bellevue Jazz Festival for Earshot Jazz.
James Hale has contributed articles on International Jazz Day and distinctive women singers to CBCMusic.ca. In his home city of Ottawa, Canada, he organized an event to celebrate 2013 Jazz Hero Roddy Ellias.
Norman Harris continues his effort as a photojournalist and writer to document the ongoing jazz education, developing jazz history and active professional music scene within the New York metro area and surrounding communities. He’s recently covered Randy Sandke, the annual Prez Fest at Sant Peter’s Jazz Church, and Emilio Solla for the Queens Times Ledger News.
Joe Harrison had a great concert for Jazz Appreciation month at a Germantown, Pennsylvania church.
Elaine Hayes recently launched Lady Be Bop, a blog on women in music and popular culture. During April her posts included interviews with four musicians performing in the first Seattle Women in Jazz Festival.
Patrick Hinely wrote a remembrance of George Gruntz for Cadence, including several photographs from Gruntz’s Concert Jazz Band Canadian tour of 1998, some of which had previously been published in Leica Fotografie International magazine. Since the inception of Cadence‘s quarterly online edition in January 2012, five of its six covers have featured Hinely’s work.
Elzy Kolb’s JazzWomen column in Hot House magazine features interviews with singer Stephanie Nakasian and pianist Geri Allen.
David Kunian just finished up a cover story for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival issue on Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. And he wrote a tribute to JJA jazz hero Edward “Kidd” Jordan. He is also celebrating 20 years on the air on WWOZ in mid May. There have been suggestions that, to celebrate, he play nothing but versions of John Coltrane’s Ascension or a show of nothing but Sun Ra. However, he already does annual shows like that.
Robin Lloyd celebrated JazzApril by 1) posting about a notable jazz musician’s birthday every day of the month on Robin’s Nest Jazz, some re-posted on kplu.org; 2) hosting a visit to KPLU by LaVenture Middle School Jazz Band; 3) interviewing Jessica Davis, producer of the first-ever Seattle Women in Jazz Festival; 4) introducing friends to the joys of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra at their April 13th concert; and 5) attending an award ceremony for Seattle Jazz Hero Julian Priester April 30.
Rudy Lu photographed Arturo Sandoval, Outer Burrough Brass Horns and the annual JAM ( Jazz Appreciation Month) concert in Schenectady for albanyjazz.com and nippertown.com. He received an award from the Albany Musicians Union (AFM- Local 13) for his “positive contribution to jazz in the Capital Region.”
Carolyn McClair is publicist for the third annual Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, produced by Jazzmobile, the Apollo Theater and Harlem Stage, at various uptown venues May 6-11. She is working with ArtistShare to promote Newport Jazz Festival Gala Recording 2012, the first CD produced by the Newport Jazz Festival and continues to pitch numerous events for WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM, the world’s leading jazz radio station.
Bill Milkowski has recently done liner notes for the archival music site Wolfgang’s Vault on concerts by Joe Henderson (1975), Clifton Chenier (1970), Jim Hall (1986), Sonny Rollins (1976), Dizzy Gillespie (1975), Pete Escovedo (1989), Scott Hamilont/Buddy Tate/Al Cohn (1981) and the Art Ensemble of Chicago (1976).
Ralph A. Miriello recently reviewed albums by bassist Michael Blanco and a recently released, from-the-vault recording by Scott Healey and Glenn Alexander. He reviewed live performances by Joe Lovano and Kenny Werner at the Nyack Library’s Carnegie Room; and Steve Slagle’s quartet at Pound Ridge Community Church. He published a two-part interview with jazz singer Giacomo Gates including a review of his latest release MilesTones on his blog Notes on Jazz and the Huffington Post.
Steve Monroe’s April Jazz Avenues for the Mid-City DC edition of capitalcommunitynews.com previewed Jazz Appreciation Month events, reviewed Geri Allen’s performance at the Washington Women in Jazz Festival Monroe and the Nasar and Kush Abadey Generations Legacy Bands show at the Atlas. Monroe also blogged on the Calvin Jones Big Band Festival, including Willard Jenkins’ JJA Jazz Hero award; Stan Killian’s new “Evoke” CD; and reviewed Karen Lovejoy at The Studio and the Donald Byrd/Blackbyrds tribute at THEARC Theater.
Daniel Smith, with ‘Bassoon and Beyond,’ will perform at the Brooklyn VA hospital as part of their ‘Cancer Survivor’s Day’ on Wednesday, May 29th. Following shortly after the death of his wife Judith on April 9th to lung cancer, this event has a personal significance for Daniel. In the next weeks, two new YouTube shows featuring Daniel with ‘Bassoon and Beyond’ performing at the Kitano on April 24th will be posted.
Karl Stober will be working on interviews taken with jazz vocalists Jane Monheit and Molly Ringwald, which will also include reviews of their current new projects. His new column “Wax Underground” will debut in Ejazznews.com for now. His first piece will be a discussion with jazz pianist and composer Lisa Hilton on the direction of jazz in the 21st century and how that compares to the goals in the 20th century.
Carol Sudhalter was profiled in Wikipedia.
Jeff Tamarkin headed to Istanbul for International Jazz Day; recently interviewed Terri Lyne Carrington for M: Music & Musicians magazine and Darcy James Argue for JazzTimes; and spoke with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi for a new record company bio to tie in with their upcoming album.
Jim Wilke recorded concerts by Stanley Jordan and Kevin Eubanks; the Chuck Deardorf-Dave Peterson Group; and the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra playing music of the Harlem Renaissance for broadcast on his “Jazz Northwest” program on KPLU. He also plans to record Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma in May, and complete recording sessions for a CD of Brazilian choro music played by Geisa Dutra. He is honored to have “Jazz After Hours” nominated again for the Willis Conover/Marian McPartland Award.
Joyce Wilson is getting geared up and out once again into the world for the sound of JAZZ music in the Los Angeles area. As well as working on her blog It is a Jazz Thang!!! all the while as she continues her studies and transitions from the corporate world to self-employment as a future Jazz writer of reviews and blogs.
Deanna Witkowski played in NYC at the 55 Bar on May 11 with Roz Corral and will play at Fat Cat on May 15 with Vanderlei Pereira and Blindfold Test; and on May 16 at the Kitano with the Jennifer Leitham Trio. In June, she performs in Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC with a final solo piano performance at Isis Music Hall in Asheville on June 9.
Member Updates are edited by Michael J. West with assistance from Tanya Ellerbee.
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