We hope you enjoy this feature of LAjazz.com. We will present a variety of perspectives from within the southern California jazz community and we invite you to respond with your thoughtful comments. We encourage controversy, but we draw the line at personal attacks -- they will not be published.
Pamela Howell
Follow Your Bliss
"This tale is about an experience I had at the Hollywood Bowl recently. I was fortunate enough to be in attendance in great seats at a sold out show. A sold out show at the Bowl may not be a big deal to some, but a Tuesday night show at the Hollywood Bowl at capacity? 17,000+ Angelenos willing to neglect the Viper Room, the Dodgers and late-night plastic surgeon appointments to support the LA Phil? Inconceivable."
Tom Meek
What's Hot The Week of May 24, 2010
"The L.A. Jazz Institute's Weekend Jazz Festival highlights the week in area jazz, which includes performances from Johnny Mandel, Mose Allison, David Sanborn, Blue Lou Marini, Denise Donatelli and Katisse with Judith Hill."
Chris Mello
Guitar Hero
"Los Angeles jazz fans should consider themselves fortunate to play home to a 12-year guitar tradition that few other jazz communities in the U.S. can compare with: John Pisano's Guitar Night."
Janie Gust
The Funeral of Lena Horne
"Lena Horne. Actress, jazz singer, consummate entertainer. Civil rights crusader. Bridge across races and religions. Who she was to you may depend on who you are to yourself."
Dee Dee McNeil
CD Review: Arif Mardin's "All My Friends Are Here"
"Arif Mardin was a master of innovation and improvisational surprises that he stuffed into his music like an orchestral piñata."
Louis Durra
Improving Your Musical Skills to Make Better Recordings
"There's nothing to be gained by imagining that anyone knows what the record needs better than the artist-vocalist."
Maxwell Chandler
Hamiltonia: Chico Hamilton
"In music an artist can be timeless in one of two ways. The first is to create a work in which time and repeated listenings do not diminish its power. Miles Davis's Kind Of Blue and John Coltrane's A Love Supreme immediately come to mind. The other way is for the artist to be not ahead of the curve of trends, but completely outside of it all. NEA Jazz Master and Kennedy Center living legend Chico Hamilton is such an artist."
Read Maxwell's blog and add your comments.
Roger Crane
Roger's blog is on hiatus.
Paul Kreibich
Jazz: Why Do We Need It?
"Many musicians and fans have recently read and commented on the Wall Street Journal article by music critic Terry Teachout, "Can Jazz Be Saved?" Apparently, jazz is now considered a high art form, and, like classical music, the average person has trouble understanding it. You can't see it on TV, it doesn't sell, young people can't relate to it, and jazz musicians are snobs. Why do we even need jazz now? Shouldn't jazz just go away and die peacefully in the desert or the snow someplace, or be put in mothballs in some catacomb?"
Read Paul's blog and share your comments.
Dale Boatman
Some Useful Tips
"A few months back, my friend Evan Stone asked for responses regarding "how to get gigs and maintain them." As someone who has been on both sides of this issue, I thought I might share the things I look for...and take notice of."
George Kahn
2008: The Death of Digital Rights Management
"Welcome to 2008! I thought I would celebrate my birthday (Jan. 7th) with a BLOG for the new year, a couple of resolutions and predictions."
Cathy Segal-Garcia
The Joon Lee Quartet at the Blue Whale (7/16/10)
"Live music makes you feel better. It wakes you up. Gets you out of depression. Inspires you. Makes you want to do things."
Kim Richmond
Teachers and Subs
"Cover yourself. Bring in a qualified substitute to teach the class or student for you. Cheating should not be part of the normal educational practice."
Evan Stone
Jazz Advice
"So the moral of the story is... don't be the first...be the second jazz group to walk into the club asking for work!"
Jim Santella
What's Wrong with Jazz Today?
"An interpretation of 'How High the Moon,' for example, should introduce some quality that cannot be found elsewhere. The artists who participate must find their own voices. It's not about showing off, either ? It must come from the deep within."
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[Jazz] went from the classics to ragtime to Dixieland to swing to bebop to cool jazz.... But it's always jazz. You can put a new dress on her, a new hat, but no matter what kind of clothes you put on her, she's the same old broad.
– Lionel Hampton