And welcome back to long-lapsed Gary Stager, now publisher of Phil Woods’ autobiography Life in EFlat (written with Ted Panken) and saxophonist Jon Gordon’s Jazz Dialogues.
Jane Ira Bloom announces the release of Wild Lines: Improvising Emily Dickinson—Audiophile Edition in Stereo & Multichannel DSD & DXD on NativeDSD. This new audiophile edition in surround-sound showcases Bloom’s quartet’s interpretation of Dickinson’s poetry and includes an additional version for jazz quartet and spoken word featuring readings by stage and film actor Deborah Rush. The audio production team of Jim Anderson and Ulrike Schwarz mixed the surround project, which was mastered by mastering engineer Robert C. Ludwig.
David Hajdu‘s first novel, Adrianne Geffel, was published by W.W. Norton. A fictional oral history, the book tells the story of an avant-garde pianist in the New York loft scene of the 1970s. Hajdu also wrote on the centennial of Mamie Smith’s “Crazy Blues” for The New York Times and reviewed the new Maria Schneider project, Data Lords, for The Nation.
James Hale has been contracted to write a new, ongoing, 1500-word column on the juncture of sound reproduction equipment and contemporary (or reissued/remixed) recordings for SoundStageNetwork.com.
Doug Hall just finished reading Ted Gioia’s Music: A Subversive History, which covers the unexplored musical influences of the “outsider” artist or movement that’s later embraced by mainstream culture. Doug is also developing a review for the upcoming release of What, And Give Up Show-Biz? by Fred Taylor, the late Boston musical impresario and jazz-club owner, covering six decades of jazz and rock promotion from Miles Davis to Bruce Springsteen. Doug’s review, posting in November, will include archival conversations with Taylor.
Patrick Hinely‘s photograph of Keith Jarrett will fill the front cover of Wolfgang Sandner’s biography, to be published by Equinox as part of the Popular Music Series, which is edited by Alyn Shipton.
C. Andrew Hovan‘s capture of Bob James is featured in a profile of the pianist for the October issue of Down Beat. In addition, Hovan penned liner notes for Adam Shulman’s new release West Meets East. Hovan’s review of Connie Han’s Iron Starlet is also posted at All About Jazz.
Ralph Lampkin has been working on social media campaign for Blujazz Artist Paulette McWilliams, whose CD A Woman’s Story is riding the Jazzweek charts. In addition, he is handling PR for the new Josie Falbo CD You Must Believe in Spring, from Southport Records, also being heard in stations on the Jazzweek chart and East Coast stations.
Howard Mandel memorialized multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan for Delmark.com, interviewed veteran reeds soloist James Spaulding for an upcoming feature in The Wire, instituted a JJA members’ survey (results tba) and was interviewed live online about newly emerging musicians and recent recordings by Jazz Video Guy Bret Primack. As a board member of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, he’s convened a new Program Committee. He posted Sammy Stein’s reports on jazz rebounding in the UK at JJANews, and appointed her JJANews International Editor.
Steve Monroe’s Jazz Avenues editions for Twitter and Facebook for September and October included live streaming news on performers including George Cables, Sharon Clark, Carl Grubbs, Craig Alston, Elijah Jamal Balbed, Benito Gonzalez, Luke Stewart, Warren Wolf, Marc Cary, Davis Whitfield, the DC JazzFest 2020 shows and others. Jazz Avenues also included a review of DC JazzFest 2020.
Dan Ouellette continues developing his monthly column “Jazz & Beyond Intel” with lead stories on (Sept.) Georgia Anne Muldrow and (Oct.) Dafnis Prieto. He wrote the essay on Blue Note pianist James Francies for the November issue of DownBeat, has been writing the press background for Verve’s Signature Sounds high-end vinyl series (including Nina Simone gems originally for Philip Records), continuing to write liner notes for videos at Qwest.tv, and writes non-jazz reviews for Stereophile.
Paul Rauch interviewed 2020 Earshot Jazz Festival resident artist Ahamefule J Oluo for Earshot Jazz. He also previewed performances by Ravi Coltrane, Jovino Santos Neto, John Hollenbeck, Thomas Marriottand others. He wrote liners for the new Origin Records release from Scenes, a quartet featuring John Stowell, Rick Mandyck, Jeff Johnson and John Bishop. For All About Jazz, he wrote profile pieces featuring John Bishop, Marina Albero and Thomas Marriott, and reviewed CDs from Immanuel Wilkins, Scenes, and Jay Thomas.
Wilbert Sostre is working on the second dition of the book Boricua Jazz: La Historia del Jazz Puertorriqueño. July was the second anniversary of his radio show Puerto Rico Jazz, originally aired on Radio Vieques, Puerto Rico and Brave New Radio, William Paterson University, New Jersey. Due to the pandemic it is now broadcasting only via podcast on TuneIn Radio, Apple Podcast and Sounder.FM. Puerto Rico Jazz will, it’s hoped, be back on the air soon on both radio stations.
Sammy Stein has two books out this fall. She had an essay commissioned by the Library of Congress and wrote several published pieces during lockdown, re-published at JJANews. She has been appointed JJANews International Editor.
W. Royal Stokes was interviewed by veteran jazz radio host and JJA member Rusty Hassan on Washington, D.C.’s WPFW-FM on September 17, 2020 about his recently published The Essential W. Royal Stokes Jazz, Blues and Beyond Reader and his journalistic, broadcasting, professorial and authorial career. Royal, who celebrated his 90th birthday in June, is now working on his tenth book, a memoir. All of his books are available at Amazon.
Carol Sudhalter continues to organize and lead Flushing Town Hall’s monthly Louis Armstrong Legacy Jazz Jam, which became a virtual event in April 2020. As such, it now includes performances by musicians around the globe, from Australia to Germany. Sudhalter performs tunes associated with Louis Armstrong, while other participants align their tune with the monthly theme. The theme for the October 14 event is “October: the heart of Autumn.” Sudhalter was featured in the September issue of Hot House.
F. Norman Vickers was featured in the August issue of The Syncopated Times by jazz writer and JJA member Lew Shaw. Vickers was founder of Jazz Society of Pensacola and a charter member of American Federation of Jazz Societies and as president of AFJS in 1991. Vickers writes for own blog www.jazzpensacola.com and his CD reviews are frequently published by The Syncopated Times.
Adam Weissler just completed new interviews with three-time Grammy nominee Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah about his new live project AXIOM — Adam has featured Adjuah numerous times in recent years — and vibraphonist Joel Ross about his new album Who Are You?, airing soon to coincide with the release. He has an interview with Nubya Garcia set for this month.
Linda Yohn joined another jazz support organization board: Vincent York’s Jazzistry. She is working on a teaching video project with Vincent to supplant in-school workshops that have been cancelled due to COVID-19. She remains on the SEMJA board and contributed to the September “Update” with a review of the virtual Detroit Jazz Festival. Linda is on the air at WRCJ (90.9 FM) in Detroit, hosting “The Swing Set” from 7 to 9 p.m. Sundays.
