JAM Magazine: April/May 1998 Issue: First Take

by Mike Metheny
JAM Editor

IN THIS ISSUE...
Put a tombstone on the cover of JAM, risk bringing people down. Or so it would seem. But the musicians, educators and jazz fans who sent us their well-articulated thoughts about "The End of Jazz?" were so overwhelmingly optimistic about the music's future, maybe the cloud some are seeing these days has a silver lining after all.

What prompted the idea for our cover story was a new (and controversial) book by Eric Nisenson called Blue: The Murder of Jazz, a mostly pessimistic look at jazz today and (according to the author) the lack of innovation that threatens to rob the music of its customary forward-looking vision. There is also a review of Blue in "Storyville," and as you will see, Nisenson's is a book that pulls no punches.

Three albums by KC jazz artists (and/or those with KC ties) are reviewed in "For The Record" this time. Trumpeters Al Pearson (a veteran of the local scene) and Clay Jenkins (an occasional visitor from L.A.) have new CDs out, and pianist Paul Hofmann (now a Rochester, NY resident) has released a solo album that represents quite a departure from his previous jazz-oriented recordings.

A welcome addition to the JAM staff has been Jeff Charney, host of the "Sunday Jazz Brunch" on KPRS. Jeff has been keeping us up to speed on the latest happenings in the world of "Contemporary Jazz," and in his April/May column he offers his first-hand impressions of the recent Gavin Convention in San Diego. (And, as always, Jeff's potpourri of news nuggets from the ticker tape helps us keep a finger to the pulse of all things jazz.)

This plus an unusually large volume of mail in "Correspondence," the quantity (and quality) of which has reminded us how nice it is to hear from you. As always, your letters (and e-mails) are welcome.

Coming Attractions
Next up is our annual "summer jazz special," and what an impressive lineup of jazz there is for the summer of '98. In the June/July JAM, look for coverage of the major summer jazz festivals (there are several), information about the annual Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl, Dean Hampton's yearly "Kansas City Jazz Vacation," and a "Club Scene Synopsis" in which we are all reminded of how many venues in the KC area feature live jazz. If anything, it's an issue of JAM that provides proof of how vibrant the jazz scene in Kansas City really is. And how it should never be taken for granted.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"I'm not implying that what I have to say is as profound or important as those past masters, but I guess I'd rather be a mediocre original than a profound copyist." -- Julius Hemphill

RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 1998 MAIN INDEX

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© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.






	Search our site:		by Mike Metheny JAM Editor IN THIS ISSUE... Put a tombstone on the cover of JAM, risk bringing people down. Or so it would seem. But the musicians, educators and jazz fans who sent us their well-articulated thoughts about "The End of Jazz?" were so overwhelmingly optimistic about the music's future, maybe the cloud some are seeing these days has a silver lining after all. What prompted the idea for our cover story was a new (and controversial) book by Eric Nisenson called Blue: The Murder of Jazz, a mostly pessimistic look at jazz today and (according to the author) the lack of innovation that threatens to rob the music of its customary forward-looking vision. There is also a review of Blue in "Storyville," and as you will see, Nisenson's is a book that pulls no punches. Three albums by KC jazz artists (and/or those with KC ties) are reviewed in "For The Record" this time. Trumpeters Al Pearson (a veteran of the local scene) and Clay Jenkins (an occasional visitor from L.A.) have new CDs out, and pianist Paul Hofmann (now a Rochester, NY resident) has released a solo album that represents quite a departure from his previous jazz-oriented recordings. A welcome addition to the JAM staff has been Jeff Charney, host of the "Sunday Jazz Brunch" on KPRS. Jeff has been keeping us up to speed on the latest happenings in the world of "Contemporary Jazz," and in his April/May column he offers his first-hand impressions of the recent Gavin Convention in San Diego. (And, as always, Jeff's potpourri of news nuggets from the ticker tape helps us keep a finger to the pulse of all things jazz.) This plus an unusually large volume of mail in "Correspondence," the quantity (and quality) of which has reminded us how nice it is to hear from you. As always, your letters (and e-mails) are welcome. Coming Attractions Next up is our annual "summer jazz special," and what an impressive lineup of jazz there is for the summer of '98. In the June/July JAM, look for coverage of the major summer jazz festivals (there are several), information about the annual Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl, Dean Hampton's yearly "Kansas City Jazz Vacation," and a "Club Scene Synopsis" in which we are all reminded of how many venues in the KC area feature live jazz. If anything, it's an issue of JAM that provides proof of how vibrant the jazz scene in Kansas City really is. And how it should never be taken for granted. THOUGHT FOR THE DAY "I'm not implying that what I have to say is as profound or important as those past masters, but I guess I'd rather be a mediocre original than a profound copyist." -- Julius Hemphill RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 1998 MAIN INDEX ------------------------------------------------------------------------ © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.