Jazz journalism is alive and well, as JJA members are getting their news and views about the music out in every media platform — locally, nationally and internationally. We never sleep, we only listen! See the most recent publications and other work reported by the extremely active members of the Jazz Journalists Association after the jump.
If you’re a JJA member and want your recent activities included in the next installment of Member Updates, send a brief paragraph beginning with your name to membernews@jazzjournalists.org by November 5, 2019.
New JJA members include Hank Hehmsoth, writer, web producer, film makeaker/videographer and audio producer on faculty at School of Music TxState University, San Marcos, Tx, and Pengwen Chen, writer and editor of a Chinese Jazz media called 即兴Improv, enrolled as an undergraduate at Fordham University, NYC.
David R. Adler wrote liner notes for Kris Davis’ Diatom Ribbons, the Dylan Jack Quartet’s The Tale of the Twelve-Foot Man and Michael Jefry Stevens’ The Poet Is in the House. He also wrote about Caroline Shaw and Mark de Clive-Lowe for Bandcamp Daily. For JazzTimes he conducted a “Before & After” listening session with trombonist Michael Dease and wrote a feature story on the long-awaited publication of the sound i saw by the late photographer Roy DeCarava.
Jane Ira Bloom performs with her quintet at The New School Centennial Celebration as part of the Women’s Legacy Project on Sat, Oct 5 @ 1:00pm at Tishman Auditorium, 63 5th Ave @ the University Center, NYC. She’ll perform her composition “Frontiers in Science” in honor of pioneering women in science with her ensemble featuring Dawn Clement, (piano), Mark Helias (bass), Bobby Previte (drums) and Emily Sgouros (vibes).
Susan Brink is the Jazz Music Director for The Hudson Mohawk Radio Network – WOOC 105.3 FM Troy & WOOS 98.9 FM Schenectady, which was nominated for the Station of the Year with under 40 hours of play Award by Jazzweek. She presented two JJA Awards – Mallets of the Year to Joe Locke, and Baritone Sax of the Year to Gary Smulyan. A long time friend and advocate, Susan has accepted a position on the JJA Board.
Stephanie J. Castillo is embarking on another documentary film project while she shepherds the translating of her award-winning film Night Bird Song on the late jazz great Thomas Chapin. The film is being translated with the assistance of jazz musicians from Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, and France. The Dutch translation is complete and the German version is nearly finished. Her new documentary project about a Hawaii labor strike will shed light and display relevance to labor and immigration issues today.
Noal Cohen added a discography of bassist Addison Farmer to the website dedicated to his twin brother, trumpeter/flugelhornist/flumpeter Art Farmer.
Ken Franckling photographed the 65th anniversary edition of the Newport Jazz Festival for JazzTimes and Offbeat, Louisiana’s music magazine, the latter focusing on New Orleans musicians who were at the festival. This was Ken’s 39th annual festival trip to Newport. The Washington Post used Ken’s photo of Bob Wilber at Newport in 2013 with its August 10 obit on the clarinetist-saxophonist. Ken also featured pianist Roy Gerson’s new Florida-based Swingtet in his Jazz Notes blog.
Sid Gribetz had a whole lot of fun (and musical appreciation, too) in presenting a five-hour radio program on WKCR celebrating Slim Gaillard this summer. O-Roonie-O Vout-ee-mo.
James Hale wrote about albums by Bill Frisell and Bruce Cockburn for SoundstageXperience.com.
Doug Hall always looks forward to a summer’s end of incredibly diverse musicianship, new voices and the return of legends at the Newport Jazz Festival and this year was no exception. Over 60 artists performed, headlined by Herbie Hancock – no introduction necessary. Prior to the festival, he had an opportunity to interview stellar legendary upright jazz bassist Ron Carter.
Patrick Hinely has 72 pages of writings and photographs compiled from his contributions, since 2012, to Cadence magazine, in the forthcoming Jazz Stories Project, First Edition from Cadence Media. His weekly radio program, Open Ear, is now heard Mondays from 3 to 5 p.m. on WLUR-FM, streaming via www.wlu.edu/wlur.
Sheila Jordan recorded with Dena DeRose on October 1. She is currently touring Germany until October 18, and will perform in Toronto on October 26.
Sanford Josephson will have a book signing for Jeru’s Journey: The Life and Music of Gerry Mulligan (Hal Leonard Books: 2015) at 2 p.m. October 16 at Barnes & Noble in Brick, NJ. On October 27 he will host a concert by the Gerry Mulligan Tribute Quintet (Ron Vincent, drums; Dean Johnson, bass; Bill Mays, piano; Marvin Stamm, flugelhorn; Jay Brandford, baritone saxophone) at 3 p.m. at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River, NJ.
Howard Mandel reviewed the 41st annual Chicago Jazz Festival for DownBeat and produced segments on the Art Ensemble at 50 for NPR’s Here and Now, and a Jazz Chicago Revisited radio show. The New and Expanded Edition of the Jazz & Blues Encyclopedia (Flame Tree Publishers, UK), for which he was consultant editor, and The City Was Yellow, to which he contributed essays, are both now available for purchase.
Greg Masters just published a book of stories, You Among the Coordinates, his seventh book from his imprint Crony Books.
Steve Monroe‘s September Jazz Avenues for East of the River print and capitalcommunitynews.com editions included honoring Baltimore’s Gary Bartz as a September birthday hero, remembering his appearance at Howard University a few years ago; previewed East River Jazz’s “In the Spirit of Bird” shows; and reviewed Lafayette Gilchrist’s Dark Matter CD.
Bob Rosenbaum presented One for Sonny, a photographic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins, who just turned 89. The exhibit featured Bob’s images of Sonny and some of Sonny’s most notable musical protégés over the years, essays and brief biographies. It premiered at the opening of the 5th International Jaffa Jazz Festival at the Nissan Nativ theater complex in Jaffa and was on display through the end of September.
Mike Shanley wrote a profile on Joe Fiedler, trombonist and musical director of Sesame Street, in the October issue of JazzTimes. He previewed Ravi Coltrane’s Pittsburgh performance in Pittsburgh Current and blogged about regional appearances by the OGJB Quartet and the Steve Lehman Trio.
Sammy Stein‘s book Women In Jazz is out as of 27 September and has already received fantastic reviews. She will guest on JazzFM and BBC radio and interviews are lined up. The book is from 8th HousePublishing.
Bert Vuijsje has co-produced, and written the booklet, for the latest CD release of the Dutch Jazz Archive in their historical series “Jazz at the Concertgebouw.” The album is titled Young Blood and presents Gerry Mulligan and the Concert Jazz Band performing live in Amsterdam on November 5, 1960.
Jim Wilke recorded concerts at the Ballard Jazz Festival and Jazz Port Townsend for his Jazz Northwest radio show on KNKX. Included were Ernie Watts, Anat Cohen, Akiko Tsuruga, Terell Stafford, Marquis Hill, Michael Mayo and others. Jim is lamenting the closure of Tula’s Jazz Club, home of the resident jazz community in Seattle where he recorded many shows including the last performance there by the Thomas Marriott Quintet.
Member Updates are edited by Michael J. West. Use our JJA Member Directories to find JJA members qualified to contribute to your publication or production or to assist you with your jazz-related project. The directories can be searched by name, area of expertise and geographic location.
If you aren’t a JJA Member yet, consider joining us. Membership is open to both Professional Journalists (writers, bloggers, photographers, videographers, web producers and others who cover jazz) and Industry Associates (musicians, educators, presenters, promoters and others who work in the industry and support our work.)
