The good jazz news keeps comin’… since January, February, June and July!
See the recently gathered Fest Report from Romania on JJA News, and read all about the fresh ARNOLD JAY SMITH JAZZ JOURNALISM SEMINARS beginning in 2027, with support from the Jazz Foundation of America.
The JJA’s Zoom launch party and information session about the inaugural season of JJA’s Arnold Jay Smith Intergenerational Professional Development Fellowships on Oct. 24 drew some 40 veteran and emerging jazz journalists to learn about the spring 2027 series of discussions to be led by well-known media activists for a select coterie of emerging professionals. Highlight of the Zoom launch included opening of the AJS Jazz Journalism Seminars application.
We look forward to a bumper crop of jazz journalists and welcome newest seeds already planted:
Kyra Cioffi, the new administrative associate for the AJS Seminars Series, is wrapping up an exciting summer! After graduating from William Paterson University in May, she was named First Runner-Up in Blues Alley’s Ella Fitzgerald Vocal Competition and served as lead vocalist with the Jazz at Aspen Snowmass Big Band, led by Christian McBride. Kyra is thrilled to join the JJA and looks forward to working with everyone!
Gregory Golub recently published “Nicole Zuraitis: A Concept of Intrigue” in All About Jazz. His music has also been featured on Neon Jazz in the U.S., with two separate broadcasts in both the Netherlands and Croatia. The album African and Other Jazz Passions was highlighted by Japan’s The Walker’s and catalogued by the Library of Congress, Columbia University, and WorldCat. Golub was an Official Nominee at the 2026 Hollywood Independent Music Awards (HIMA) in the Jazz (Fusion/Bebop) category.
Claudie Mabry is a strategic arts administrator and urbanist with 10+ years of experience advancing community-based programming, socially engaged visual and performing art, and cultural equity. She currently serves as Associate Director at the Jazz Foundation of America, where she supports general operations, fundraising, event management, artist and board relations, programs and partnerships.
Fruitful collaborations continue in our international orchard of jazz journalist veterans:
Matty Bannond attended a performance by Christian McBride’s Ursa Major band at the Enjoy Jazz Festival in Heidelberg in October, with a full report published in JazzWise. He also reviewed ¡Brilla Suite!, an album by the Angelica Sanchez Quartet, for the November issue of the The New York City Jazz Record. More album reviews will appear via Jazz Journal and Free Jazz Collective in the coming month. Matty will also report from the Leverkusener Jazztage in November and will visit a concert by Brooklyn-based saxophonist Charlotte Greve in Cologne.
Jane Ira Bloom performs at the Soapbox Gallery, 636 Dean St, Brooklyn, NY with her trio featuring bassist Mark Helias and drummer Matt Wilson on Sun, Nov 29 @ 3:00pm. They’ll be performing new trio compositions that navigate the spaceways and beyond.
Steve Braunginn, producer/host of Strictly Jazz Sounds podcast, published the two-part Episode 36, “Thelonious Monk: Wrong is Right.” He had a two-part interview with Monk’s son T.S. (Thelonious Monk III) and his grandson, Thelonious IV. It is now available wherever you get your podcasts. Steve also spent time with pianist Yvonne Rogers at a solo concert presented by A Tribe for Jazz at the Columbus Museum of Art.
John Chacona reviewed the Sept. 9 concert by Adam O’Farrill’s Elephant at Cleveland’s Bop Stop for All About Jazz and previewed the Rubber City Jazz & Blues Festival and concerts in northeast Ohio by the Sam Blakeslee Large Ensemble, Nicole Zuraitis, Chris Coles’ Gleam and the trio of Kate McGarry, Keith Ganz and Gary Versace at his let’s call this blog and Substack newsletter.
Nate Chinen covered the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Vocals Competition in Paris for WRTI and NPR Music, and wrote an essay about music and sense of place for Chamber Music Magazine. The Late Set, a jazz podcast he co-hosts with Josh Jackson, won in two categories at the 2026 Signal Awards: Gold for Interview or Talk Show, and Bronze for Arts & Culture.
Paul de Barros is doing a series of presentations in Seattle and Vancouver, B.C., to promote the University of Washington Press’ updated edition of Jackson Street After Hours: The Roots of Jazz in Seattle. His review of the Monterey Jazz Festival appeared in DownBeat last month and his interview with Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock at the festival about their historic duo commemoration of Miles Davis at the festival runs as the December cover story for DownBeat.
Thierry De Clemensat is continuing to post reviews at Paris-Move.com, and program shows including The Buzz, podcast of the Jazz Journalists Association, on BayouBlueRadio.org
Doug Hall interviewed prominent tenor sax player and bandleader Eric Alexander for his upcoming release in Dec., “Fifth Quadrant” – a tribute or remembrance of his mentor hard bop legend pianist Harold Mabern.
David Haney, composer, pianist and publisher of Cadence Magazine, Interviewed Ike Levin about Alvin Fielder for the Cadence Media Podcast series on Bandcamp. He was Lynn Darroch’s guest on Bright moments on KMHD and played some music from his new album on Ravello Records, The Waters of Nonexistence. The show will be aired on November 8 from 8:30 to 9 PM Pacific time on KMHD 89.1 FM and kmhd.org.
Alice Hill has expanded from consistent live reviews to writing commissioned album reviews and features for Jazzwise magazine. She has also been confirmed to speak at two academic conferences in 2027: BFE RMA and Rhythm Changes.
Geoffrey Himes wrote a 2300-word feature story for Jazz Times on Miles Okazaki’s new studio album and new five-hour “Monkathon” movie. Himes writes about jazz and other music in his weekly blog Hard Rain & Pink Cadillacs. He continues to give readings from his recents books of poetry and music criticism.
Sanford Josephson interviewed trumpeters Jon Faddis and Michael Philip Mossman, bassist Jen Hodge, and vocalist/pianist Kandace Springs for the November issue of Jersey Jazz Magazine. His four Rutgers Osher Lifelong Learning Institute classes on Jazz Giants had special guests: tenor saxophonist Lance Bryant (in the class on Lionel Hampton), Dr. David Demsey (Clark Terry), pianist Jeb Patton (Jimmy Heath), and tenor saxophonist Don Braden (Betty Carter). He also gave a presentation on Tony Bennett at the Metuchen Library.
Howard Mandel reviewed Kind of Grunge by Ulysses Owens, Jr, and Generation Y for DownBeat, republished articles about Rashied Ali and a visit to Rudy Van Gelder’s Studio, also a column hailing new support for writing on the arts, in Mandel’s Media Diet.
Dee Dee McNeil captured the cover story of LAJazzScene.com in October featuring viola master Jimbo Ross. In her featured column at Musical Memoirs, she included a number of CD reviews by the group Jabfung, Donald Vega, Jun Iida, the Samuel Bonnet Trio featuring Joe Magnarelli, artist Theriot, Ally Fiola & the Next Quest, Russell Gunn + Blackhawk, Kevin Sun, Stephen Braude and The Ize Trio. This month alone, she has contributed over 30 CD reviews to www.MakingAScene.org.
Jason Miles is about to embark on a 10-city European tour to promote his latest project 100 Miles for Miles Davis. Starting on November 12 he’ll make stops in Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Hamburg, Sofia, Brussels as well as four concerts in Italy He brings with him Randy Brecker, Ada Rovatti, Gene Lake, and Federico Malaman. Jason will be documenting the tour and giving his unique perspective for a future article on life on the road in Europe.
Chuck Obuchowski, host of Out Here & Beyond on WWUH 91.3 FM in West Hartford, CT, will interview multi-reedist Marty Ehrlich on Nov. 3. Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley Shares is presenting a festival of Ehrlich’s wide-ranging compositions and ensembles Nov. 5-7. On Nov. 10, flutist Ali Ryerson will join Chuck in-studio to discuss her latest quartet release and the group’s November performances in Connecticut and New York. Both interviews will be available on demand for two weeks following the live broadcasts.
Luciano Rossetti’s personal photographic exhibition “Contaminazioni Contemporanee – 20 anni,” the only Italian ECM Festival, has just concluded in Bergamo, Ex Chiesa della Maddalena. He celebrated the 20 years of the Festival with an exhibition and a catalogue.
Hilary Seabrook continues to review some of the great album releases from around the world and gigs (currently only in the UK, but open to sensible offers!) as well as releasing regular episodes of Harmonious World. Jazz continues to bring joy and mental stimulation, including helping celebrate the 50th anniversary of London’s 606 club and great album launches from Shirantha Beddage, Nico Widdowson and Jo Harrop.
Emily Springer interviewed bassist Or Bareket for WBGO ahead of the release of his record I /AYIN/. She has also completed her MA dissertation, titled What Kind of Knowledge Does Jazz Criticism Require? History, Representation, and Critical Authority in the Works of Baraka and Griffin. She is now in the early stages of her second MA in journalism, also at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Steven Sussman is presenting JAZZ, SEEN, an exhibition of his jazz photography at The Jazz Gallery in New York City. The first installment is currently on view through December 2026. A second installment, featuring an entirely new selection of photographs, will be on view from January through April 2027, with an opening reception on Friday, January 8, from 5–7 PM. The exhibition celebrates jazz musicians through photographs captured over more than two decades.
Jesse “Chuy” Varela added lots of new releases to the KCSM JAZZ 91 rotation. Don’t sleep on the Russell Gunn and Nighthawk. It’s a great story. He attended the Monterey Jazz Festival, where he was blown away by Gregory Hutchinson’s group, Kris Davis, Joey Alexander, Aja Monet, Charles Lloyd, and Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter. He interviewed Paquito D’Rivera. He is emceeing at the Intermusic SF – San Francisco Music Day. Bright moments!
Michael J. West covered the Enjoy Jazz Festival, Germany’s largest, for DownBeat. He is currently scheduling a book launch and promotional events for Time Lines: The Life and Music of Andrew Hill, publishing in January on the Back Beat Books imprint.
