Local jazz writers issue forum

[KolumBUZZ]

I know there are others out there besides myself who write for local newspapers (I write for Columbus ALIVE) and magazines about jazz.

I thought it would be a good idea then to have a forum to discuss issues relevant to being a jazz critic on a local level.

Some opening questions:

1) Do you feel like you have to fight for space in your paper and like your editor isn't fully behind covering jazz, that he/she just wants some token coverage??

2) If you do a weekly beat type-column, How much do you interact with local musicians?

3) Do you feel an obligation to review locally released records before the national stuff on a Verve, Blue Note label etc.?

4) Have you written anything beyond cd reviews and the typical fare for a local critic, i.e., a feature story??

[Tenorman]

OK Here's a question for you. How do you get the local rag to take an interest. I don't have a journalist's ticket, so if I am unable to continue organising local jass gigs, as seems possible, how do I get newspapers to take me seriously as a writer of jazz reviews concentrating on the local scene?

[KolumBUZZ]

I'd recommend you first put together a little portfolio. Writing for AllAboutJazz would be a good first step. Do a few reviews that you can stand by, then...

Present your portfolio to music editors, along with an appeal about why that paper/magazine ought to cover Jazz. I think the best suggestion in this light, is to make the case that jazz is an underappreciated art form. Another angle is that many music sections are "whitewashed", that is- they give virtually no coverage to black music. Appeal to the editor then that they need to reflect the diversity of their audience more in the diversity of the music they cover, and that jazz, of course, would be part of this picture.

[Lazaro Vega]

I wrote about jazz for more than 15 years for the Grand Rapids Press, in Grand Rapids, MI.

1) Do you feel like you have to fight for space in your paper and like your editor isn't fully behind covering jazz, that he/she just wants some token coverage?? Answer: everyone is fighting for space in newspapers because ad revenues are down in the shrinking economy; journalism in national papers has gone to a "bulletin" type approach to music writing: two tight paragraphs and then move on to the next subject within a space allotted to cover as many things as possible in as short and pithy a method as possible. Magazines have even taken to more of this approach. There's a very healthy local music scene in Grand Rapids, from classical to folk to blues to jazz and, especially, churches which have done some innovative programming for their choirs where they team up with other choirs across the Great Lakes, pool their resources to commission a composition for their choir from a major figure, then have that figure tour through the region to give a world premier with each choir of the commissioned work. That received some attention, but could easily have been a front page entertainment section story. Instead, some pop figure playing at an arena is more likely to get the cover because it's become more of a numbers and less of an idea game.

2) If you do a weekly beat type-column, How much do you interact with local musicians? I interacted with local musicians often, though didn't have a column per se (I was a freelance writer). The only guys who had a column wrote about pop.

3) Do you feel an obligation to review locally released records before the national stuff on a Verve, Blue Note label etc.? Yes. The local folks don't have the large press expenditures behind them, nor the national mailings to radio stations. They can use all the help they can get, unless of course it's a negative review. There was one guy who's record was so bad I did him the favor of not reviewing it in the paper and he called me a horses ass, but "sports jazz" was so opportunistically novelty oriented that I couldn't bring myself to say so publicly.

4) Have you written anything beyond cd reviews and the typical fare for a local critic, i.e., a feature story?? Yes, several. One on the Penguin Encyclopedia of Popular music; many others. Mostly, though, I did 'advance' articles consisting of interviewing an artist prior to local concert appearances. That kept me very busy. After I left the paper did a huge spread on a downtown business neighborhood that was being revitalized and how, back in the day, it was a black music center. Old photos, interviews with survivors of the era, interviews with the new entrepreneurs. It was great.

[KolumBUZZ]

thanks for sharing your insights, but what is this "sports jazz"?? i have a feeling this is going to be quite amusing.

the barry sanders boogie?

[Lazaro Vega]

Yes, as a matter of fact, something quite similar. And "It's Roughing the Kicker," and "Touchdown Jesus" and you really don't want to know.:(

[KolumBUZZ]

got it. lol. i'd almost like to hear what "roughing the kicker" sounds like though. is that a violent song?? lol

[JFitzGenius]

"Be so good they can't ignore you." -Steve Martin

My advice would be to first, find your voice. The world does not need another dry, factual piece about anything. Live in your words, and fear nothing.

[Blue Lake]

Fear nothing except your editor and the AP Style book ;) and never forget what James Newton learned: their is no copyright for improvisation. How stacked does the deck need to be? There's a long way to go. Ultimately singing about architechture, and all: so I've focused more time on programming the radio.

Some listeners who've accepted the smooth nature of jazz programming (not a dig at smooth jazz), might not agree with what I do, but a professionally syndicated format is available on another station in our market when I'm on, so, here comes Earl Hines, or Sun Ra.

There's an accepted emotional bandwidth equated with some stydicated jazz radio (not Jim Wilke, certainly, he's excellent) which is more narrow than the full range of human emotions expressed in the music's entirity. Everyone has their own way: there used to be a mess of jazz radio stations, mostly AM, in each jazz market, and I'm sure they all had their own personality.

Today, they're on the net, but I'm not sure how much personality they're allowed (like scripting shows, trying to bring the dramatic element to the service of entertainment without dennigrating the music or musicians).

Unless you're so good you can get away from journalistic pyramid and file something more like creative writing, but editors are likely to tell you, caringly, "You should write for a magazine."

[Lazaro Vega]

spell check was off on that post, duh