"Writing Jazz Biographies" is the third free, interactive webinar, scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 8 pm. edt, presented by the Jazz Journalists Association. Paul de Barros (Shall We Play That One Together? The Life and Art of Piano Legend Marian McPartland), Robin D.G. Kelley (Thelonious Monk: The LIfe and Times of an American Original), and Peter Pullman (Wail: The Life of Bud Powell) will speak of research, subject-dedication and dealing with living people as sources of information in a 90-minute panel moderated by me. The webinar … [Read more...]

The venerability, relevance and novelty of the "jazz standard" is being questioned in the jazzosphere, but I wonder about the dearth of new songs that are sticking in my latest column in CityArts-New York. In my just- previous column I reviewed recent albums by a few musicians gigging in NYC, and warned there's no reason to expect them to do live what they committed to record. Abiding by space limits on both these columns, I didn't expand as I would have, to say that while there aren't necessarily new songs that are sticking with us … [Read more...]

City Arts did post my column of record reviews so please read what I wrote about Henry Cole and the Afrobeat Collective, Steve Lehman Trio, Less Magnetic (on Facebook, or view their show below), Esperanza Spalding, Michael Bates (plays Shostakovich), and Wayne Escoffrey. Then, I urge you, check out samples of those artists online, and judge for yourselves ('cause you won't know if I'm right otherwise). howardmandel.com Subscribe by Email or RSS All JBJ posts   … [Read more...]

Etta James, who died today Jan. 20 at age 73, and Johnny Otis, who died Jan. 17 at 90, are rightly recognized as innovators and icons of American rhythm 'n' blues and soul. But the jazz world -- listeners, broadcasters and journalists, musicians and institutions up to and including the NEA -- would be well-served to proclaim that Etta James and Johnny Otis are "jazz masters." Their sub-genre identities remain within the greater mainstream of Afro-American music born about a hundred years ago, with blues becoming ever less a so-called … [Read more...]

MC JazzMandel: At the Jazz Foundation of America's Benefit Loft Party tonight (Oct. 29), 7 pm to midnight, Manhattan, my room has -- Tom Harrell's Quintet, pianist Marc  Marc Cary, preeminent bassist Ron Carter with fine guitarist Gene Bertoncini, turbanated organist Dr. Lonnie Smith with alto sax/Mardi Gras Indian Donald Harrison and N.O. drummer Herlin Riley (yeah!), magisterial Randy Weston's African Rhythm Quintet, and DC-based blues/r&b updater Memphis Gold. It's a great lineup to raise funds for the nationwide … [Read more...]