The Buzz: The JJA Podcast

Dutch scholar Walter van de Leur is the author of Jazz and Death: Reception, Rituals, and Representations , a fascinating study that enlightens  the music from a unique angle. Fiona Ross, member of the Jazz Journalists Association's Book Committee, interviews Walter, touching on New Orleans funerals, Chet Baker, and the rumor that jazz itself is dead.  Support for The JJA comes in part from t...

Aaron Cohen is co-author of Gentleman of Jazz, the autobiography of pianist Ramsey Lewis, nominated for a Book of the Year award in the 29th annual JJA Jazz Awards. He speaks with Brad Stone.  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundat...

Philip Arneill is a Belfast-born photographer, long resident of Japan now living in Ireland. He discusses Tokyo Jazz Joints, his revealing photobook of a now-fading subculture, with Brad Stone, who himself visited some of these listening cafes. Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to perform...

Brad Stone speaks with Carmen Fields, Emmy Award-winning Boston television news anchor and author of a book about her father's long-touring jazz show, Going Back to T'Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others...

Con Chapman is author of "Kansas City Jazz: A Little Evil Will Do You Good," a nominee for Book of the Year in the 2024 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards. He speaks with Bob Blumenthal, chair of the Book Awards committee and board member of the JJA.  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance o...

Easily Slip Into Another World is Pulitzer Prize-winning composer/reeds and winds instrumentalist/bandleader Henry Threadgill's vivid autobiography, co-authored by Brent Hayes Edwards, a literary scholar teaching at Columbia University. Edwards is interviewed by JJA board member Bob Blumenthal, chair of the nominating committee for JJA Jazz Books of the Year.  Support for The JJA comes in par...

Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat That Changed America is an in-depth look at  highly influential and popular, 'til now under-celebrated bandleader, by Ms. Crease, whose prior books are lively portraits of Duke Ellington and Gil Evans. Bob Blumenthal, critic, author ( Saxophone Colossus: A Portrait of Sonny Rollins)   chairs the Jazz Journalists Association's Book Awards committee. Sup...

In an episode of The Buzz interviews with authors of 2024 nominees for Book of the Year Awards,  Los Angeles-based Steve Isoardi, author of The Dark Tree about pianist Horace Tapscotts unique musicians/community organition UGMAA, speaks with Bob Blumenthal, JJA board member and chair of the Book Awards committee. Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emer...

The overlapping interests and gulf of approaches between jazz journalism and jazz education is the topic of this episode of The Buzz: The Jazz Journalists Association podcast, featuring Seattle-based writer Paul de Barros, educator-pianist-writer Monika Herzig (formerly of Indiana University, now an academia in Vienna) and professor emeritus/biographer John Szwed. Howard Mandel, JJA president, is...

Host Michael Ambrosino speaks with music journalists Jordannah Elizabeth, Gene Seymour and educator-pianist-blogger Mark Lomanno about how they conceive and compile end-of-the-year Best lists.  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfounda...

Ed Trefizger of JazzWeek, radio maven Scott Handley formerly with NPR, and Kayonne Riley of WUCF in Orlando discuss the mission and current state of jazz radio with Rick Mitchell, JJA board member and host of the syndicated KBOO broadcast Jazz In the New Millennium  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance op...

Alyn Shipton, Ken Poston and Steve Cerra -- authors, editors and publishers with recent books concerning the late, great baritone saxophonist/composer/arranger Gerry Mulligan -- speak with Rick Mitchell, JJA board member and radio program host, about their works on the complicated, compelling musician. Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assis...

Veteran jazz journalists Bill Milkowski, Rick Mitchell and Howard Mandel talk about the first records they bought with their own $ -- decades back -- and how rock played a part in their early listening. Memories! The Buzz editor the Wiz said, unsolicited, "This one was very fun to listen to." Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assis...

Bill Milkowski, author of books on Jaco Pastorius, Michael Brecker Keith Richards and jive as well as hundreds of articles for leading music magazines, discusses his career and how conditions facing freelancers have changed from the 1970s to today. Howard Mandel, president of the JJA, joins the episode towards its end. Rick Mitchell is host. Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundati...

How does an interviewer approach their task? Ted Panken, author and journalist with extensive experience from his decades at WKCR (NYC) and Robin Lloyd,  radio host doing interviews more recently on KNKX (Seattle), share tips and stories of their encounters with musicians -- those eager to talk, and those who were reluctant. Host Rick Mitchell, too, adds insights gleaned from years of print and br...

How is the main stream media in Jazz keeping up with the innovations Latin Jazz brings to this unique musical art form? Master percussionist, educator and activist John Santos , along with trombonist Chris Washburne , author of the book Latin Jazz - The Other Jazz , join The Buzz to explore whether Latin Jazz is "tokenized" by the mainstream media covering Jazz. Hosted by Michael Ambrosi...

Latin Jazz has always had a curious relationship with the mainstream Jazz media. Master percussionist, educator and activist John Santos , along with trombonist Chris Washburne , author of the book Latin Jazz - The Other Jazz , join The Buzz to explore whether Latin Jazz is "tokenized" by the mainstream media covering Jazz. Hosted by Michael Ambrosino, Jazz journalist and producer of the...

After decades as one of the world's leading jazz magazines, JazzTimes was purchased last May by The BeBop Channel , which unceremoniously cancelled all assignments. Staff and writers owed for past work are still waiting to get paid, and the publication has devolved into something unrecognizable.  Host Andrew Gilbert discussed the distressing situation and the larger landscape for covering jaz...

After decades as one of the world's leading jazz magazines, JazzTimes was purchased last May by The BeBop Channel , which unceremoniously cancelled all assignments. Staff and writers owed for past work are still waiting to get paid, and the publication has devolved into something unrecognizable. I discussed the distressing situation and the larger landscape for covering jazz in-depth with two...

From the JJA's March 26, 2023 online Book Bash, London-based media maven, impetus behind Women in Jazz Media and singer Fiona Ross, a member of the JJA's Book Committee, speaks with authors of two books nominated for 2023 Jazz Awards -- which later were announced winners in their categories! Willard Jenkins, editor of Ain't But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story Aidan...

From the JJA's March 26, 2023 online Book Bash, Bay Area-based radio show host and educator Brad Stone, member of the JJA's Book Committee, speaks with authors of two books nominated for 2023 Jazz Awards --  Philip Watson of Bill Frisell, Beautiful Dreamer: The Guitarist who Changed the Sound of American Music Kenny Werner, pianist and author of Becoming the Instrument: Lessons on Self-M...

From the JJA's March 26 2023 online Book Bash, Bob Blumenthal, a dean of the field, board member and chair of the JJA's Book Committee, moderates a panel of authors of books nominated for 2023 JJA Jazz Awards: Richard Koloda, author of Holy Ghost: The Life and Death of Free Jazz Pioneer Albert Ayler ; https://www.freejazzblog.org/2023/04/richard-koloda-holy-ghost-life-death-of.html Monik...

Host Rick Mitchell discusses Jazz Polls with journalists Geoffrey Himes and Tom Hull. Geoffrey Himes:   https://codacollection.co/authors/geoffrey-himes Tom Hull:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Hull_(critic) Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need...

In the first of a series of conversations with journalists covering jazz, host Andrew Gilbert talks with Chicago writer Hannah Edgar, who contributes to the Chicago Tribune as part of a program funded by the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. Edgar also writes for the Chicago Reader. Hannah Edgar: https://hannah-edgar.com/ Andrew Gilbert: https://www.facebook.com/andrew.gilbert.319 Support for T...

Host Rick Mitchell talks with jazz journalists Eugene Holley Jr. and Aaron Cohen on the subject of white critics writing about black music, an issue that dates back to birth of jazz. Eugene Holley Jr.: https://muckrack.com/eugene-holley-jr/articles Aaron Cohen: https://muckrack.com/aaron-cohen-5 Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance,...