Jazz Notes, Vol. 20 Issue 2
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Jazz Notes TM The Journal of the Jazz Journalists AssociationSM Vol. 20, No. 2 • Summer 2009 Celebrating the 13th Annual From the Editor 2 sm President’s Report 3 JJA Jazz Awards June 16, 2009 @ 3:00 p.m. — Jazz Standard, New York Jazz Awards Nominees 4 more details at www.jazzjournalists.org — PHOTO OF THE YEAR NOMINEES — The Fate of “Strings of Freedom” 5 By Anna Immanuel News of Members 7 Book Reviews 8 Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes by Dan Ouellette Review by Stephanie Crease Will You Take Me As I Am: Joni Mitchell’s Blue Period by Michelle Mercer Review by Shaun Brady Hotter Than That: The Trumpet, Jazz, and American Culture by Krin Gabbard Review by David Franklin IN THIS ISSUE IN Photo of the Year Nominees CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Joe McPhee, photo by Frank Schindelbeck Eric Revis, photo by Emra Islek Maria Schneider, photo by Bill King Hank Jones, photo by Kris King Odetta, photo by Norm Harris Terell Stafford, photo by John Whiting Political repression and the struggle for artistic liberty. Let Freedom String Jazz Notes the quarterly journal of the Jazz Journalists Association ometimes the international association for Cuban musicians. This, headlines hit close to home, one could argue, is precisely what is at S closer than we realize. stake with Wafaa Younis and Strings of E Freedom. Wafaa Younis, conductor of the Pales- tinian youth orchestra Strings of Free- The anti-embargo campaign is bearing Editor dom, recently brought her group from fruit. President Obama recently soft- Jenin in the West Bank, in part to play ened the clampdown; Raul Castro has David R. Adler for Holocaust survivors in Israel. Soon offered to hold talks with everything on the table, including press freedom, after, she was detained by Fatah police; Associate Editor the Strings of Freedom program was political prisoners and so forth. Even ordered shut down. In this issue of Jazz Miami’s hardline anti-Castro groups James Hale Notes, Anna Immanuel, a JJA “A Team” are changing their tone. The ailing Fi- del Castro, however, has disavowed his Award recipient living in Jerusalem, not Art Director only reports on the Strings of Freedom brother’s outreach, making plain that incident but also uncovers a jazz angle: Forrest Dylan Bryant Over the years as a peace activist, You- nis formed warm working relationships Editorial Consultants with the late Max Roach and Arnie Noah Kalina Lawrence. Arnie, in addition to being Howard Mandel an A Teamer himself, was founder of W. Royal Stokes the New School jazz program, which has facilitated or co-sponsored many David Franklin a public event for the JJA. The harass- ment of Younis took place far away, but her work in forging cultural contact From the across a violent divide brings her prac- tically to the JJA’s door. Editor Editorial Correspondence This isn’t the place to offer any com- David R. Adler David R. Adler plete analysis of the Israeli-Palestinian 260 Riverside Dr. #2G conflict. The return of Benjamin Netan- intransigence is not limited to one side New York, NY 10025 yahu shows that things are headed very in this dispute. And this is the problem (646) 539-8622 much in the wrong direction on the Is- with some efforts again the embargo, raeli side. But there are diehards on the which tend to put the moral onus en- [email protected] left who agree, essentially, with Fatah’s tirely on the U.S., remaining largely action, who believe that anti-Israel silent on the fact that the Castros are boycotts and isolation are the path to every bit as guilty of restricting the justice. In this regard the anti-Zionists lives of ordinary Cubans. Cuba remains resemble those on the American right a dictatorship, one still viewed in rosy, who cling to the bankrupt policy of iso- romantic terms by too many on the left. lating Cuba. The revolution died long ago. Our JJA colleague Larry Blumenfeld In sum, repression is a mortal threat to © 2009 Jazz Journalists Association, Inc. has played a highly visible role advocat- All rights reserved. Reproduction of this music and the arts. Because oppressive publication, as a whole or in any part, ing a long-overdue end to U.S.-imposed forces span the ideological spectrum, without prior written permission of the Jazz travel restrictions and embargo of the Journalists Association, Inc. is prohibited. the fight against them should do the jazz journalists association, who asked island regime. Larry puts his appeals same. you, anyway? and jazz awards are service in cultural and artistic terms, framing marks or registered service marks of the the issue as freedom of movement and < < < Jazz Journalists Association, Inc. jazz notes is a trademark and service mark of the Jazz Journalists Association, Inc. All other marks are the property of their respective owners. JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 20, No. 2 — Summer 2009 2 New paradigms in jazz and journalism. Jazz Journalists Association Contingencies promoting the interests of Dear JJA members, our contents, our stories. This is no lon- journalists covering jazz ger true — but there are a zillion stories won’t lie about it: Producing the in jazz that remain untold. And it’s up Jazz Awardssm is a lot of fun, and c/o Village Postal to jazz journalists to find them and get also very educational. 151 1st Avenue I them out. New York, NY 10003 In the course of getting in touch with The future for print publications is also [email protected] people across the broad spectrum of the questionable — and online platforms jazz industries — musicians, presenters, featuring jazz journalists’ work don’t journalists, publicists, record company Board of Directors yet pay even the pittance that we’ve execs, not-for-profit organizations and Howard Mandel come to expect from most newspapers jazz-loving philanthropists — I learn President & Executive Director who’s thinking what about the state of David Adler our music now. Forrest Dylan Bryant Yvonne Ervin The reports from the front aren’t all Susan Fox pretty. Musicians are, as usual, for- Lourdes Delgado Gary Giddins bearing and/or resourceful. Presenters Fred Jung are hanging in, finding some bright moments in club attendance and fes- tival ticket sales. The philanthropists Membership Secretary are coming through — particularly the Brett Delmage devotees Agnes Varis, Richard Parsons President’s 389 Holland Avenue and Jarrett Lilien who support the Jazz Ottawa, Ontario k1y 0y9 Foundation of America, focused on mu- Report Canada sicians in need. But record companies Howard Mandel (613) 729-0323 are really troubled. They’re watching every penny, cutting back rather than [email protected] signing and promoting artists, and sev- and magazines. With jazz education en- eral of the wiliest of survivors in the rollments on the rise, there is no doubt Treasurer traditionally treacherous jazz recording a market for writing on jazz, photos of Eugene Marlow, Ph.D. trade believe their time is up. All agree jazz, jazz on radio (terrestrial or oth- erwise), but how to reach that market 235 Adams St. that jazz will endure, but few old-school and charge it what we need to continue Brooklyn, NY 11201 record men (all men) think they know remains a basic challenge for everyone (212) 802-6653 how that will happen. A cloud hangs over especially what used to be called in our business. At least jazz journal- [email protected] “the majors.” There’s a sense that these ists — few of whom have had the luxury companies are giving up. and security of long-term staff posi- The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) tions, but most of whom have had some is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, Who can blame them, when even New experience with freelancing — are used promoting the interests of writers, pho- York no longer supports full-catalog re- tographers, broadcasters and new media to scraping by. Like the smaller record professionals covering jazz. The JJA sup- tail record outlets? But there is precious companies, the jazz specialty stores ports the creation and dissemination of little discussion of any way ahead — no and scrappier periodicals, we have accurate, balanced, ethical and informa- plans to swamp iTunes with jazz, no lived on the margins, and the recession tive journalism on all of jazz’s genres; hopes pinned on digital distribution, no economy strikes us pretty much as typi- the growth, development and education vision of how to get listeners the music cal. But we, too, must have plans for of the jazz audience and the dissemina- they want. Without such vision, record the future if we’re going to keep doing tion of information pertaining to jazz to companies are sure to die. the general public, by providing forums what we’ve been doing in the formats favored by new audiences. for the discussion of jazz-related issues Jazz journalists have relied on record and events, fostering the development companies for ages. We got their al- of journalistic and presentation skills The Jazz Awards have served us well among new journalists and the continu- bums to write about and broadcast for by establishing that jazz journalists ing development of such skills in jour- free, we often received nice Christmas nalists already engaged in the field. gifts and other perks from them and in turn we figured they were the source of continued on next page | » JAZZ NOTES • Vol. 20, No. 2 — Summer 2009 3 » | PRESIDENT’S REPORT: from previous page celebrate excellence at least as much as Center possible. We won’t know for demonstrated they’ve got just what it they carp and criticize.