contributions

Jazz writers are invited to contribute to this section of the website. All interested in contributing are welcome to contact the editor by filling out the form in the CONTACT tab. Photographs are welcome and should be attached. Readers can click on the INDEX button for a list of articles in this folder.

FIXING FOR NOW, THE IMAGE OF JAZZ

 by Ben Ratliff

New York Times, January 7, 2001

There is an essay from 1956 titled ''The Bibulous Aunt,'' found in the jazz critic Whitney Balliett's new Collected Works, and its theme statement is this: ''Until the past five or so years, jazz has been widely regarded in this country as a kind of queer Victorian aunt who laces her tea, belches in public and uses improper amounts of rouge.'' Whether you agree with him or not, consider the fact that jazz, at one time, could be defined by a single notion. For the last 45 years, jazz has fishtailed all over the place…

BURNS’ JAZZ DOESN’T SWING

by William Berlind

The New York Observer, January 15, 2001

As almost everyone in New York knows by now, Jazz, a 10-part, 19-hour documentary that began airing on PBS station WNET-TV on Jan 8, is the latest opus by nonfiction filmmaker Ken Burns. As almost everyone here also knows, titles can be deceiving. And though Mr Burns may have been the man behind the camera of this ambitious yet ultimately frustrating series, it’s clear from the tight-assed perspective of Jazz that trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, the “senior creative consultant” on the project, is the real intellectual force behind the film. Mr Burns, to use the lingo, was just a sideman…

STREAMING AND WHAT MUSICIANS REALLY EARN

by Loretta Barnard

The Big Smoke, October 8, 2019

How do you listen to your music? Playing music through your iPod or CD player (do they still make those?) is going the way of the dodo and more’s the pity, although – somewhat fascinatingly – vinyl has been edging its way back into the market over recent years. Nowadays, streaming is the preferred medium for listening to music, even among older music lovers. Music streaming services are available around the world and accessible on most of our electronic devices. Subscribing to them is very affordable for most people, and some even allow streaming at no cost, although you’re subjected to advertisements at regular intervals….