July 2009 Archives

But Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra leader Arturo O'Farrill has been commissioned to write a Latin jazz orchestra piece in honor of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Are grants and government support bad for jazz?

A Chicago mainstay, whose efforts supported local and touring musicians starting in the early '40s but who didn't record under her own name until 2004, Earma Thompson deserves to be celebrated as an outstanding example of how women have participated in jazz often more than is acknowledged, from behind the scenes. As the Chicago Tribune's Howard Reich wrote in his July 16 obituary of this significant pianist and salon -- not saloon -- keeper, "Earma Thompson never really had a chance to become famous."

www,JazzChicago.net/jazzfest.html

But as I noted in my last posting, the circulation figure is not verified by the non-profit Audit Bureau of Circulation or anyone else. It comes from Jazz Times advertising department, which of course sells ads on the basis of how many eyeballs can be said to be perusing them. The whole question of jazz mag circulation is murky -- surprising, at a time when I can chart by the hour the exact number of hits of readers on this blog, and even figure out where they come from. Here is correspondence on jazz mag circulation claims I received from Frank Alkyer, the publisher of 75-year-old Down Beat magazine, Jazz Times' rival (which has a $26.99 annual sub rate for 12 issues; JT puts out 10 and an education supplement). Alkyer says Down Beat's circulation is currently 70,000.

 "As part of Madavor, I'm excited to have Jazz Times to work on -- we think it's just a great brand," said Ms. Lynch by phone from Madavor offices in Quincy, Massachusetts (retained Jazz Times editorial staffers Lee Mergener and Evan Haga will still operate from Silver Spring, MD). Asked if she had concerns about entering the beleaguered music magazine field, she replied, "We're a strong business, we have resources and we understand we're sort of bucking the trend. But we believe in print, in the web, and in delivering the best product we can, hoping to keep Jazz Times the publication aficionados want."

As Mitch Myers reports from the 13-day 30th annual Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, diversity, provided by living legends and genuinely engaging younger talents, is the key. As James Hale reported from the just ended 11-day-long Ottawa Jazz Festival (as which he worked as a media consultant), "the personalities behind the music are as strong and creative as ever."