Ozmotic Media

Twitter campaign #jazzlives after one year

August 26, 2010 by Howard Mandel

#Jazzlives -- the Twitter campaign aimed at demonstrating that there is a big and enthusiastic audience for live jazz -- is one year old. What has it wrought? First: What is #jazzlives and how does it work? To participate in the campaign, audience members at live jazz performances "tweet" - write a post on their Twitter account-- about who they heard and where they heard them, including "#jazzlives" in the total 140 characters. You can view all #jazzlives posts as a "stream" on various websites and blogs, including this one. You can … [Read more...]

Jazz journalists confer with APAP, NEA

January 13, 2010 by Howard Mandel

The Jazz Journalists Association's five days of programming in coordination with the Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference and Nat'l Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters events was a raging success on several fronts. Activities included the educational, informational, musical, productive and social. Overall, the JJA conference counted approximately 100 participants. … [Read more...]

I'm a Chicago-born (and after 32 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 jazz.
My books are Future Jazz (Oxford U Press, 1999) and Miles Ornette Cecil - Jazz Beyond Jazz (Routledge, 2008). I was general editor of the Illustrated Encyclopedia of Jazz and Blues (Flame Tree 2005/Billboard Books 2006). Of course I'm working on something new. . . Read More…

Howard Mandel on RIP Annie Ross: Her last stand with Jon Hendricks: “Thanks Glenn, Thanks for the kudos, glad you enjoyed, all’s ok here. Hoping things get even better, of course? Stay…” Jul 22, 20:03
Glenn Wilson on RIP Annie Ross: Her last stand with Jon Hendricks: “Howard – thanks for posting this. Great writing, as usual. I learned a lot about Annie. Hopefully, wherever she is,…” Jul 22, 17:51
Howard Mandel on Four months of jazz adaptation, resilience, response to epidemic: “Harry, you’re right, what was I thinking? Corrected. thanks for noticing.” Jul 8, 10:16
Harry Waze on Four months of jazz adaptation, resilience, response to epidemic: “Not to pick nits with this well-researched and extensive discussion of life-affirming resources for these crazy days – but -…” Jul 6, 11:55
Howard Mandel on Four months of jazz adaptation, resilience, response to epidemic: “glad of that, Heidi.” Jul 3, 12:19

ESP Disks — origins of jazz beyond jazz

Reviewing a sleeping giant, ESP Disks before its early '00s revival Howard Mandel c 1997, published in issue 157, The Wire It was a time before psychedelics. Following the seismic cultural disruptions of the mid '50s, rock 'n' roll had hit a … [Read More...]

William Parker, my DownBeat feature from 1998

Howard Mandel c 1998/published by DownBeat, July 1998, under headline Beneath the Underdog (the editor's reference to Charles Mingus's autobiography): There's an anchor for New York's downtown free jazz and improv "wild bunch": his name is William … [Read More...]

Matthew Shipp, my feature for The Wire, 1998

[contextly_auto_sidebar id="IFeXJPobvykRyuU4dU68FilRPv0EE8oC"] This is a complete version of the feature on pianist Matthew Shipp I wrote for The Wire, published in February, 1998 Is this the face of New York's jazz avant now? Pianist Matt … [Read More...]

Rashied Ali (1935 – 2009), multi-directional drummer, speaks

A 1990 interview with drummer Rashied Ali, about his relationship with John Coltrane. … [Read More...]

On The Corner program notes, Merkin Hall concert 5/25/09

Miles Davis intended On The Corner to be a personal statement, an esthetic breakthrough and a social provocation upon its release in fall of 1972. He could hardly have been more successful: the album was all that, though it has taken decades for its … [Read More...]