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 We encourage controversy, but we draw the line at personal attacks -- they will not be published.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
I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face[book]
"As a jazz lover in Los Angeles, it is important to me to be able to be able to find out about good shows quickly and easily. I love LAJazz.com because it's a "one-stop shop" for events (and because it publishes such wonderful, modest blog writers). I also troll local jazz club websites for their calendars, and pick up copies of the local jazz papers and the LA Weekly whenever I can. And now I've found a new source for jazz information: Facebook."
Tom Meek
What's Hot The Week of June 19, 2009
"SoCal jazz highlights this week include Steve Smith & Vital Information, The Hornets, Katisse Buckingham, Susan Krebs and Shogun Warrior."
Chris Mello
Guitar Hero
"Few players have managed to achieve such balanced success as both a player and educator as Los Angeles-based jazz guitarist Frank Potenza. With a resume that includes international touring experience with jazz icons such as Dizzy Gillespie, Gene Harris, Joe Pass, Jack McDuff, and Mose Allison, just to name a few, one would think that to be enough. In truth, not only has Frank made an enviable career as a sideman, but he has also a string of heralded albums as a leader to his credit. All of this, coupled with his position as chair of the renowned University of Southern California Studio/Jazz Guitar Department, would probably give other quite capable jazz musicians enough to do in three lifetimes. Anyone who knows Frank can attest to his ability to balance the many weighty aspects of his musical career while making it all seem easy."
Janie Gust
Nica, Nellie and Monk
"I would like to tell you about two women with whom you may not be familiar. Each woman, while coming from extremely different worlds, had common elements. Each set her own course in life and defied conventional wisdom. They also shared one common denominator who would define their lives for the ages: Jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk."
Dee Dee McNeil
Dini Clarke Has Died
Extraordinary musician, arranger, vocal coach, pianist, dancer, actor, singer of songs, beloved Dini Clarke passed away the early morning of June 14th, 2009 from heart failure. A mainstay in the Los Angeles community for over four decades, he was a dear friend and will be greatly missed.
Read Dee Dee's blog and add your comments.
Louis Durra
The Jazz Audience
"I notice that a good part of the jazz audience consists of jazz musicians. I usually run into players I know when I'm at concerts or clubs. I also see musicians from other disciplines - classical players, film composers, what have you."
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
Stretching the Envelope
"Those of us in the jazz circle - fans, musicians, writers, et al - frequently see the terms 'outside the box' and 'stretching the envelope' as descriptors of jazz artists. Although I've been an avid fan for fifty years I must admit that I'm not even sure what it means or why 'outside' and 'stretching' are necessarily considered favorable qualities."
Paul Kreibich
The Missing Recordings
"I just found a bag of CD's that I once brought to play for intermission music at a gig. They are some of my favorites and I had been missing them. I thought I'd share the list with LAjazz.com readers. Three of these I had the pleasure of playing drums on. I'm not ashamed to say that I still like them a lot."
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
Finding Your Way Up
"To be truthful, I'm going through a change in my perspective... I'm getting tired of crappy gigs! Gigs that are in a cold room, with no people listening, a bad piano, and no musical magic. I really want magic more than anything now."
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."
Reach thousands of southern California jazz fans and LA's best jazz musicians.
CLICK HERE for more information.
There's more bad music in jazz than any other form. Maybe that's because the audience doesn't really know what's happening.
– Pat Metheny