Paul Acquaro and Stef Gijssels of the Free Jazz Blog took part in a Sept. 30 roundtable discussion on Cheryl K.’s radio show Situation Fluxus on Albany New York’s 90.7 WGXC-FM. The discussion covers blogging, authoring a book, and trying to wrestle the essence of free jazz into words. Paul also conducted a Q&A session with Chicago-based saxophonist and organizer of the Catalyic Sounds Festival Ken Vandermark about the second edition of the festival.
Jason Berry‘s film on jazz funerals, City of a Million Dreams, was chosen as the launch event for the New Orleans Film Festival on October 20, the first time a documentary has had that distinction. The film has had festival screenings at the Sarasota Film Festival, Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival, Heartland International Film Festival, and Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (virtual selection). For reviews or to book a screening, please see the website.
Jane Ira Bloom announced the fall release of her new duo album with drummer Allison Miller, Tues Days (OTL144), on her Outline label. The project appears on Allison Miller’s Bandcamp site and represents five improvisational sessions the duo recorded remotely in March & April of 2021.
Debbie Burke is in the editing phase of her book Tasty Jazz Jams for Our Times Vol. 2, which is slated for release by year-end. Interviews include Ron Carter, Harvie S, Roxy Coss, Mimi Fox, Claire Daly and many others, with a foreword by Jeff Lorber and Grace Garland. In 2022, she will publish a book on jazz in Russia and a murder mystery about a sax icon.
Noal Cohen wrote a piece on trumpeter Art Farmer for Jersey Jazz Magazine (October issue) in conjunction with a tribute to Farmer to be held at William Paterson University in Wayne, NJ on October 24, 2021. Materials from Farmer’s estate have been donated to the Living Jazz Archives located at WPU.
Steve Dunfey has been writing for the Seacoast Jazz Society, in New Hampshire’s Seacoast, for the past few months. The big news right now is the opening of a jazz and blues club called Jimmy’s. They are aiming for a national reputation and spent $20 million refurbishing a former YMCA building.
Ken Franckling reviewed this year’s crop of CDs for the 2021-22 Jazz Education Guide in the November issue of JazzTimes. He wrote the liner notes for Los Angeles-based drummer Matt Gordy’s forthcoming CD, Be With Me, previewed harp player Edmar Castaneda’s October 14 Dizzy’s Club performance for the October issue of Hot House, and reviewed several Southwest Florida concerts for his Jazz Notes blog.
Steve Griggs was credited as associate producer on John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Live in Seattle. Griggs found the source tape while researching the late Joe Brazil and cataloging Brazil’s tape collection. Griggs was interviewed by Paul de Barros for The Seattle Times, David Graham for the Atlantic, and Michael Griffith for KIRO 7 TV.
Doug Hall has recently researched and written a long-form profile of Nina Simone for the “Artist of the Month” feature at WICN Public Radio in Worcester, Mass. Big news for New England jazz listeners: Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club just opened in Portsmouth, N.H. Hall recently interviewed the programming director and the details are in his posting at Allaboutjazz.com. He is visiting club in October and will interview jazz trumpet legend Randy Brecker.
Patrick Hinely wrote about Oregon’s new album Oregon 1974, the band, and all their other albums recorded prior to Collin Walcott’s death for Cadence magazine. To mark the 30th anniversary of Miles Davis’ death, he penned a celebration of the 1969 album In a Silent Way.
C. Andrew Hovan‘s capture of Joey DeFrancesco is seen in the November issue of Down Beat magazine. His Generations Quartet is set to return to Pittsburgh’s premier jazz club, Con Alma, at the end of the year.
Howard Mandel interviewed Greg Tate for DownBeat (publication date tbd) on the release of the 20th album from Burnt Sugar, the improvising ensemble he’s spearheaded since the late 1990s while writing music, arts and culture criticism and lecturing widely. Mandel reviewed Russell Gunn’s The Sirius Mystery, and Kevin Sun’s <3 Bird for DB, too.
Dom Minasi wrote a short history of his time with Dr. Lonnie Smith, and enclosed a recording from 1985, on his Facebook page. His best friend of 78 years died last week and he published a separate eulogy on his blog. He is still teaching a lot online, and waiting for more reviews for Eight Hands One Mind.
Steve Monroe’s “Jazz Avenues” editions for Twitter and Facebook for September into October included promos with photos for events and artists including the 2021 DC JazzFest, Benito Gonzalez shows and latest album Sing to the World, Ebban and Ephraim Dorsey shows at Keystone Korner in Baltimore, and shows in D.C. and Baltimore by Sharon Clark, Paul Bollenback, Lafayette Gilchrist, Michael Thomas, Peter Edelman, Elijah Jamal Balbed, Nasar Abadey, Tim Whalen, Shannon Gunn, and others.
Luciano Rossetti has been taking photos in Italy as the COVID situation is getting better and many festivals have taken place. He took photos in Siena at the end of July, for Siena Jazz Seminars, and at the end of August in the South of Sardinia island, in Sant’Anna Arresi, for “Ai Confini tra Sardegna e Jazz” Festival.
Mike Shanley reviewed two albums by the late bassist Mario Pavone in the October issue of JazzTimes. His ShanleyOnMusic blog recently included dispatches on the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival and a two-night stand in Pittsburgh by saxophonist James Brandon Lewis, the latter for which he is still swooning. He also reviewed the massive Anthony Braxton set 12 COMP (ZIM) 2017 for the blog.
Scott Thompson has been busy working with Music for Love – Vol. 1, a release of 29 artists from eight countries. One hundred percent of proceeds go towards humanitarian efforts for children and young adults worldwide. Thompson is also working with Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Nanny Assis including a new release by Japanese American Karuna Shinsho with a samba project. He works with Aggeliki Psoni on Samba Griega.
Michael J. West interviewed Henry Threadgill for Bandcamp about his new recording Poof. He also reviewed a concert by French hornist Abe Mamet and his quartet for The Washington Post.
Deanna Witkowski appears in The Washington Post in an interview related to her new biography, Mary Lou Williams: Music for the Soul (Liturgical Press). Among her Williams-centric performances is an October 24 concert of Mary Lou’s Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Pittsburgh. Her all-Williams recording, Force of Nature (MCG Jazz) releases on January 28.
