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 (at) gmail.com by October 1, 2012.
Larry Blumenfeld has started a new blog, Blu Notes, at the artinfo.com site, as a complement to his ongoing work for The Wall Street Journal and other publications. He will resume leading “Talking Treme,” a month-long series of Tuesday night classes pegged to the New Orleans-based HBO series, in October at the National Jazz Museum in Harlem.
Renatta DeBlase‘s blog at renattadeblase.com continues to attract hundreds of visitors each week, with articles about Duke Ellington, Billy Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Rich Keith of purejazzradio.org is promoting her audiobook/e-book, With Stars in My Eyes, and she will be interviewed on Cres O’Neal’s radio show on WCJS on September 19 about these great artists.
E.J. Decker will produce the 8th year of the free September Concert: The Heart of Jazz for 9/11 on Sept. 11, 6 p.m.-11 p.m. at Ashford & Simpson’s Sugar Bar, W. 72nd St., NYC. Thirty-five top area players and singers will join together to play their take on that horrid day and bring the healing nature of jazz to our fellow NYers. More than 160 NY area musicians have participated since 2005. No cover.
David Evanier will be appearing at the Tribeca Y, 200 Hudson Street, Manhattan on November 8 to speak “On the Life of Tony Bennett” and read from David’s book, “All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett.” Will Friedwald will be the moderator.
Alex Dutilh produced a 20-episode broadcast on France Musique for the Gil Evans centennial, from August 20 to 31st. Interviews with Maria Schneider and Ryan Truesdell about Gil’s music were featured. Streaming available on francemusique.com. Alex Dutilh starts the new season of his daily “Open Jazz” on the french national public radio (12pm-1pm, NY hour, monday-friday on line or podcast at francemusique.com) on Monday Sept 3rd.
Ken Franckling covered the NewportJazz Festival (his 31st in 32 years) for JazzTimes and Offbeat magazines. He, festival producer George Wein, and music historian John Worsley were interviewed for a Providence Journal full-page feature on the “Best of the Newport Jazz Festival on disc” that was published on Sunday, August 5. Ken also penned a feature on bassist Ron Carter for the August issue of Hot House.
Mark Gridley‘s review of Keith Waters’ book The Studio Recordings of the Miles Davis Quintet: 1965-68 appears in the current issue of NOTES: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association (Vol. 68, No. 4, June 2012, pages 767-770). His review of Randall Sandke’s book Where the Dark and Light Folks Meet: Race and the Mythology, Politics and Business of Jazz appears in the latest issue of Current Musicology (No. 92, Fall, 2011, pages 125-136).
Steve Griggs wrote a profile of saxophonist Brian Kent for Earshot Jazz. He is reviewing Paul de Barros’ biography of Marian McPartland, Shall We Play That One Together?, for publication in November.
Marcia Hillman has reviewed Gregg Akkerman’s book The Last Balladeer – The Johnny Hartman Story for the September issue of The New York City Jazz Record.
Patrick Hinely‘s photo of Han Bennink’s drum kit is one of three of his images that provide the illustration for JazzFest Berlin 2012’s official poster. His quarterly feature of four photos with accompanying anecdotes continues in the online incarnation of CADENCE.
Lyn Horton will be having her debut solo exhibit at the Cross Mackenzie Gallery in Washington, DC; the opening is 6-8pm on Friday, September 7. The work on display will include a wall installation and 15 framed drawings. She is still writing for her music/art blog, “The Paradigm for Beauty,” and has started a new blog with her partner called “WaterJournal.” It is comprised of photographs taken on their weekends outings.
Thomas Jacobsen had the pleasure of attending the August initial release performance of Ubuntu, the exciting new CD by New Orleans pianist/composer/arranger Matt Lemmler . The recording is performed by Lemmler’s New Orleans Jazz Revival Band, which, for this appearance, included Brian Blade on drums; Steve Masakowski on guitars; Bill Summers, percussion; David Pulphus, bass; John Ellis, reeds; Evan Christopher, clarinet; and a half dozen other top New Orleans musicians.
Matthew Kassel wrote a review of a performance by Lou Donaldson at Jazz Standard for Capital New York. He also wrote three articles on apps — cooking, gardening, and reading apps — for The Wall Street Journal.
George Korval wrote the liner notes for the recently released Ace Records CD Herb Hardesty – The Domino Effect – Wing & Federal Recordings 1958-1961. This is the first-ever CD release by Fats Domino’s saxophonist soloist and includes four tracks with pianist Hank Jones.
David Kunian is currently working on his Masters in Musicology thesis on Modern Jazz in New Orleans focusing on Harold Battiste and AFO Records. He’s programming the Tuesday Kitchen Sink show on WWOZ. His latest reviews of ESP releases and the epic Sun Ra box set The Eternal Myth Revealed Vol. 1 are on Offbeat‘s website. Downbeat published his review of International Jazz Day from the place where it all began, Congo Square.
Rudy Lu photographed local jazz heroes the Brian Patneaude Quartet and Joe Barna’s Sketches of Influence with special guest Joe Magnarelli for albanyjazz.com. In addition, he photographed Armen Donelian and Marc Mommas’ Hudson Jazz Institute for albanyjazz.com as well as the Jazz in the Valley festival in Poughkeepsie, NY and Peggy Stern’s Wall Street Jazz Festival in Kingston, NY. Additional photos and a review of the Jazz in the Valley Festival were published in nippertown.com.
Jim Luce is in year 5 of a 10-year annual celebration running up to the occasion of the actual centennial of the birth of Thelonious Monk on October 10, 2017. This October 10, James Weidman, Manuel Valera, Elio Villafranca, Michael Cochrane Trio, and the Jean Michel Pilc Trio perform noon-3 p.m. at the World Financial Center.
Howard Mandel covered the Newport Jazz Festival for CityArts-New York (additional reporting on his blog Jazz Beyond Jazz), the Charlie Parker Jazz Festival in Harlem (blog only) and moderated the JJA’s webinar on “Covering Jazz Festivals.” He spoke at an organizing meeting of the Philadelphia Jazz Coalition, reviewed Peter Pullman’s book Wail: The Life of Bud Powell on JJANews.org and wrote liner notes for Klaus Kugel Quartet’s album Op Der Schlemz Live.
Eugene Marlow starts his 25th year as a journalism professor at Baruch College (CUNY). His big band version of “Broken Heart” appears on Bobby Sanabria’s newest album Multiverse (Jazzheads). Marlow’s Heritage Ensemble performed at Somethin’ Jazz Club on September 7 and will play at the Nuyorican Poets Café on September 28. His observations of the APA/CMA/JJA Conferences appear in the September 2012 issue of JAZZed Magazine. In September Marlow will post Blogs #26-29 on his weekly Marlowsphere Blog.
Steve Monroe‘s August “Jazz Avenues” for the Mid-City DC edition of capitalcommunitynews.com included preview information on the public screening of the D.C. jazz movie Oxygen for the Ears by Stefan Immler, notice of bassist Ben Williams’ 2012 JJA award, and a review of Paul Carr’s CD ‘Standard Domain.” Monroe also reviewed and blogged on Chad Carter’s new CD Let Me Love You, Amina Figarova’s CD Twelveand the Harold Summey Jr. Quartet at Twins Jazz.
Jennifer Odell covered “Uncle” Lionel Batiste’s send-off to the great beyond for Downbeat, catching two straight weeks of second lines,bass drum tributes, concerts and a funeral featuring performances by virtually every artist in the New Orleans brass band community. She also reviewed Lionel Loueke, Debbie Davis and Curtis Fuller’s latest discs, and caught up with Dr. John for DB’s Critics Poll issue. Hurricane Isaac later put a crimp in her productivity level.
Dailey Pike cordially invites any member of JJA to request a DVD for review of his “jazzumentary” Bob Barry – Jazzography In Black & White. John Pisano, Frank Potenza, Bruce Forman and many other jazz greats appear in the film along with dozens of Bob’s photos.
Peter Pullman‘s Wail: The Life of Bud Powell will be available in paperback in October at his website. Wail is reviewed in the September New York City Jazz Record. Peter will be appearing twice on WBGO’s Jazz from the Archives, presenting Powell’s music and in discussion with the host, Dan Morgenstern, in late September and in early October. He will also be one of three panelists on JJA’s September 18 webinar on writing jazz biography.
Lenore Raphael is now artistic director for two concert series. The first series debuts on Friday, September 28th with Lenore on piano; Howard Alden, guitar; Kelly Friesen, bass and guest Jerry Mandel, tenor sax. The location is the NYSEC, 2 West 64th Street, NYC. The second series is at the Halle Cultural Arts Center, Apex. North Carolina, September 29th. Lenore will also be featured in the next issue of Steinway Magazine.
Doug Ramsey is working on notes for a 4-CD box of Dizzy Gillespie at Ronnie Scott’s in London in 1973. Gillespie’s quintet had Mike Longo, piano; Al Gafa, guitar; Earl May, bass; and Mickey Roker, drums. The music has not been previously released.
JJA Member Updates are compiled and edited by Mike West with assistance from Tanya Ellerbee.
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