Matty Bannond reviewed saxophonist Peter Materna’s new album The Kissand a recent live performance by the Peter Materna Trio in December, published by the Free Jazz Collective website. Matty has accepted invitations to become a regular contributor to this site, and also to Jazz in Europe magazine.
Debby Burke released Volume Two of her Tasty Jazz Jams for Our Times book series in December. It includes personal interviews with the iconic Ron Carter, Joe Lovano, Mimi Fox, Dave Stryker and more than 40 more musicians. Debbie is currently at work on a new jazz murder mystery and a jazzy trip to Russia, both scheduled to be issued this year.
John Chacona previewed concerts in Cleveland by vocalist Samara Joy and the annual Togishi Christmas Spectacular on his blog, let’s call this. He was also honored to participate in Francis Davis’ annual poll and contributed his Best of 2021 list to the JJA’s critical compendium.
Jordannah Elizabeth recorded the Jazz United “year-in-jazz” podcast from the Jazz Museum in Harlem with Nate Chinen and Greg Bryant — and her book (with illustrator Briana Dengoue) She Raised Her Voice! 50 Black Women Who Sang Their Way Into American History, which was officially released on December 28th, premiered as the #1 and #2 (the ebook) release in the children’s musical biographies category on Amazon.
Ken Franckling was busy preparing his comprehensive The Year in Jazz compilation for All About Jazz, scheduled for posting around New Year’s Day, and the comprehensive list of 2021 Final Bars for JJANews. He also reviewed/photographed Southwest Florida concerts by singer Kenny Washington (Artis Naples), saxophonist Greg Abate (Charlotte County Jazz Society), conguero Sammy Figueroa (Jazz Club of Sarasota) and Acme Jazz Garage (Tampa Jazz Club) for his Jazz Notes blog.
Andrew Gilbert contributed liner notes to an upcoming Craft Recordings’ reissue of Vince Guaraldi’s breakthrough 1962 album Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus, and wrote about Bola Sete’s Samba In Seattle for San Francisco Classical Voice, about “my favorite 2021 CDs by Bay Area musicians” for the San Jose Mercury News; about the Windham Hill 35th Winter Solstice Tour for the San Francisco Chronicle, and Kazemde George’s Black Cat residency for the Bay Area News Group.
Steve Griggs wrote an article in Earshot Jazz about having found the recording of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme live in Seattle. He also wrote an obituary for trumpeter-composer=bandleader Jim Knapp (1939-2021). Griggs is arranging a celebration of Knapp on January 31 at Jazz Alley with a world premiere of a Knapp work, “Scrape,” for a 19-piece chamber ensemble and selections from Knapp’s latest CD It’s Not Business, It’s Personal by the Jim Knapp Orchestra.
Robin Lloyd wrote, co-wrote and produced audio for KNKX-FM‘s “2021 In Remembrance” series. She also wrote about the graphic novel Enter the Blue, a remembrance of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a review of Dotty Dodgion’s book The Lady Swings: Memoirs of a Jazz Drummer and selected her top five historical jazz recordings of the year.
Howard Mandel wrote an appreciation of writer and musician Greg Tate, dead at age 64, for DownBeat; he also reviewed The Cave of Winds by Tony Malaby’s Sabino quartet for the magazine. He blogged about Kurt Elling’s holiday show at Chicago’s City winery and trumpeter Jamie Breiwick with drummer Matt Wilson at the Hungry Brain, voted in the El Intruso poll and judged first round videos entered in the 7 Virtual Jazz Club competition.
Dee Dee McNeil‘s column continues to successfully review jazz albums. Her feature story on pianist Alex Brown appears in LA Jazz Scene magazine. She also landed the ‘cover story’ on Lizz Wright. The Ambassador Italian-American Magazine printed her short article on Joe Lovano in its winter issue and Michigan History Magazine will feature her article on “Dinah Washington, Queen of the Blues” in its winter edition.
Bill Milkowski did a two-hour Skype interview about the great saxophonist Michael Brecker in conjunction with his recently released book Ode to a Tenor Titan: The Life and Times and Music of Michael Brecker. Segments of that interview were interspersed with performance footage by Bret Primack (aka Jazz Video Guy) for his ongoing 12-part Michael Brecker Podcast on YouTube. The podcast continues with Chapter 11 on January 14 and concludes with Chapter 12 on January 21.
Rick Mitchell interviewed Pat Metheny (at 3000 words) and Etienne Charles (at 2000 words) for DaCamera of Houston; he’s written program notes for its jazz series for 20 years. He produced one-hour radio shows on Makaya McCraven, Tony Bennett, John Patitucci and Manuel Valera for Jazz In the New Millennium, his weekly program syndicated through the African American Public Radio Network, and on January 1, 2022 did a three-hour program looking back on top jazz albums of 2021 on KBOO-FM (Portland), his local station.
Rob Shepherd recently interviewed harpist Jacqueline Kerrod on her debut solo album as well as Wadada Leo Smith on his 80th birthday and music he’s made throughout his career thus far for PostGenre. For The Jazz Gallery’s blog Jazz Speaks, Rob interviewed NEA Jazz Master Henry Threadgill.
Neil Tesser recently completed liner notes for upcoming albums by John Hart, Ralph Lalama, Noah Preminger, and the band Tritone Asylum. His lengthy interview with octogenarian Wadada Leo Smith will appear in the next digital issue of JAZZIZ magazine.
Michael J. West profiled Henry Threadgill for JazzTimes. He also wrote the liner notes to trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s forthcoming album Soundtrack.
