Steve Braunginn, Strictly Jazz Sounds podcast producer/host. published his first contributions for All About Jazz. Braunginn also published Strictly Jazz Sounds Episode 26 – “Chien Chien Lu & Richie Goods: A Real Team.” Coming soon are episodes featuring multi-Grammy-winning bassist John Patitucci and the true jazz detective, Zev Feldman.
Noal Cohen, co-author of Rat Race Blues: The Musical Life of Gigi Gryce, has participated in several events marking saxophonist, composer, arranger, educator Gigi Gryce centennial this year, including a Black History Month concert by the Bruce Williams Quintet on February 2 at the Madison Community Arts Center (NJ) and February 6 with vocalist Alexis Cole and pianist Brandon McCune at the Wayne Public Library (NJ). More Gryce events are planned in New York in March and May.
Sascha Feinstein‘s latest book, Writing Jazz: Conversations with Critics and Biographers (SUNY Press), is now available for purchase. The collection presents interviews with 14 esteemed writers: Whitney Balliett, Bob Blumenthal, Stanley Crouch, Linda Dahl, Maxine Gordon, Farah Jasmine Griffin, John Edward Hasse, Willard Jenkins, Hettie Jones, Robin D. G. Kelley, Laurie Pepper, Tom Piazza, Ricky Riccardi, and A. B. Spellman.
Steve Griggs is interviewing trombonist Julian Priester for “Julian Speaks” at 1pm on the first Saturday of each month at the Seattle Jazz Fellowship (109 S. Main, Seattle). On February 7, Julian said he was a “rebellious musician” who “didn’t want to stand in line” and dreamt of “walking on air” when he stood up to solo.
Doug Hall has posted a jazz profile of jazz saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman on WICN public radio website. He has also posted his monthly podcast Talk About Jazz with Douglas Hall. His guest is Chase Morrin, jazz pianist, composer & Berklee College of Music instructor.
Ian Mackenzie interviewed Jonathon Grasse about his recent biography of Eric Dolphy, “Jazz Revolutionary” and also provided an overview of Dolphy’s music at CKCU-FM in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
Howard Mandel wrote liner notes for Amina Claudine Myers’ Solace of the Mind, organized a panel of Chicago JJA members (Hrayr Attarian, Jeff Cebulski, Lauren Deutsch, Corey Hall, Michael Jackson, Marc PoKempner, Jack Siegel, Neil Tesser and Deanna Witkowski) reading from The Jazz Omnibus at the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s Winter Jazz Fair, reviewed Benjie Porecki’s All That Matters for DownBeat, and inventoried archival recordings of Chicago’s annual Jazz Fair, preserved by the late Terry Martin.
Bill Milkowski wrote two sets of liner notes (Michael Waldrop’s Native Son, Dave Pietro’s Satori), did Downbeat features on New Orleans bass icon George Porter Jr. and on the 60th Anniversary of A Love Supreme (featuring interviews with John McLaughlin, Branford Marsalis, Ravi Coltrane and Jeff “Tain” Watts), and just completed three years of work with drummer Mike Clark on his memoirs, Actual Proof: Rhythm, Race & Seven Decades on The Road, coming out on Backbeat Books.
Lawrence Peryer’s podcast, Spotlight On, marked its fifth birthday with an episode featuring Jamie Baum. Other recent guests include pianist Marina Albero, clarinetist Anat Cohen, cellist Dorothy Lawson and impresario Michael Dorf.
Natalia Rikker published an article dedicated to the Uralskiy Dixieland ensemble on the JJA website. The oldest Russian traditional jazz ensemble, Uralskiy celebrated its 55th anniversary with a big concert in Chelyabinsk philharmonic hall. The Dixieland band by trombonists Maxim Piganov and jazz singer Karina Kozhevnikova, popular Russian jazz musicians from Moscow, came to congratulate their colleagues and play favorite New Orleans standards and evergreen pieces of Soviet jazz.
Scott Thompson PR continues to promote the release Stephen Bryant RED 123, which was featured at the 2025 Jazz Congress Radio Panel by moderator Dr. Brad Stone and is getting international airplay including JazzFM – London with Ruth Fisher. The Dallas-based quintet The Furgos, with vocalist Jennifer Furgo and drummer husband Jeff, is an exciting addition to the roster. Also, Thompson is working Andrea Brachfeld’s upcoming single “Walking The Bar” featuring Bill O’Connell. Andrea is interviewed on WKCR NYC.
Nasari Vega, a student photographer, is Osceola County School for the Arts Jazz A’s band photographer, which has given her the opportunity of photographing Regional Essentially Ellington. Jazz A will be heading off to New York for Essentially Ellington in May, which Vega will be attending and working closely with the JALC media team.
Michael J. West paid tribute to the late Roy Ayers in the Washington Post. He also wrote the liner notes for trombonist Michael Dease’s forthcoming album City Life: The Music of Gregg Hill.
