Poet/playwright/critic  Allan Graubard has been a close friend and collaborator with Buch Morris, writing highly descriptive and evocative notes for Testament: A Conduction Collection  as well as their theater work, "Modette," and the liner notes below, intended for the 25th anniversary re-issue of Conduction #1, Current Trends in Racism in Modern America, A Work in Progress. I posted my own notes to that edition yesterday.  Allan also was working in the months preceding Butch's death January 29 to complete his long-in-progress book about … [Read more...]

WNYC/WQXR program host David Garland makes a good point, in reference to the announcement by WGBH (Boston) that it's cutting back its nightly "Eric in the Evening" jazz show, Steve Schwartz's Friday night jazz show and  Bob Parlocha's overnight jazz show. Writes Garland:  "I wish good radio was considered a good 'story' while it's ongoing, not only when it's cancelled." Journalists love conflict -- it's hard to make something that's positive and ongoing dramatic. So it's probably in the scheme of things that radio programs that … [Read more...]

Of the many postings about Boston radio station WGBH's misguided downgrading of its signature jazz coverage -- managing director Phil Redo has announced the removal of long- beloved prime time show host Eric Jackson to weekends only, the end of producer Steve Schwartz's Friday night show, and the cut back Bob Parlocha's overnight program from seven nights a week to two -- the best I've read is by Edward Bride in Berkshire Fine Arts. It includes interviews with public radio sources in Chicago, Pittsburgh, San Jose, Cleveland and … [Read more...]

I'm a Chicago-born (and after 30 years in NYC, recently repatriated) writer, editor, author, arts reporter for National Public Radio, consultant and nascent videographer -- a veteran freelance journalist working on newspapers, magazines and websites, appearing on tv and radio, teaching at New York University and elsewhere, consulting on media, publishing and jazz-related issues. I'm president of the Jazz Journalists Association, a non-profit membership organization devoted to using all media to disseminate news and views about all kinds of … [Read more...]