Sunday Wax Bits

Another year is roaring to a close and a new one is about to  begin. You can almost hear 52nd Street Theme playing as the 2009 gig winds down. This December, I find myself briefly reflective but mostly looking forward and optimistic about what's to come. It has been a rough year for many people, especially jazz musicians and jazz, thanks largely to the contracting economy. But 2010 will certainly be better than the previous two years, that's for sure. So chin up!

Traditionally, I devote the last Sunday post of the year to answering the big questions I regularly receive from readers. My assumption is that if one person asks, many may have the same questions in mind. So here they are...

How do you decide whom to interview? There's no pattern or agenda. I tend to stick with legends I love and whose names have been nearly forgotten or can shed light on my favorite jazz period—1940-1959. I wish there were 10 of me all working at once so we could interview dozens of artists each week. It's my belief that everyone is interesting provided the questions are good and we learn something about an individual and the music. But there aren't 10 of me, so I do the best I can with the time available. 

How do you conduct your interviews? All of my interviews are recorded digitally and transcribed by me. As I edit and ready interviews for posting, I double-check facts that subjects might have gotten wrong from their recollections. Once interview segments are posted at JazzWax, I have the subjects review them to ensure that all has been captured accurately. Ultimately, what you read has been recorded, transcribed, carefully edited, reviewed and vetted. I'm a stickler for accuracy, and I take legends' stories and jazz history very seriously.

Where can I find all of your interviews? If you go to JazzWax and scroll down the right-hand side of the site to "JazzWax Interviews," you'll find the master list. Names are alphabetized by first name, since it's easier for the eye to scan this way. To access an interview, simply click on a blue link. In many cases, each entry has up to five parts.

How do I access the different parts of interviews? At the very top of a "Part 1," you'll see a blue "Part 2" link in parenthesis. Simply click on it, and Part 2 will appear. You can continue along this route until the interview series ends.

What's the best way to print out a page? Don't simply hit your computer's print button. You'll only run into trouble. Instead, when you see a page you want, go to the bottom of the post. There, you'll see the word "Permalink" in blue. Click on it. When the page comes up, hit your print button. This is the electronic equivalent of tearing out a single page from the JazzWax "book." Just be sure that you're printing at 100% so the content is easy to read.

Can I search your site? Yes. Just type in what you're looking for in the search engine atop the right-hand column. Just be sure that "JazzWax" is checked, not the "Web." This will ensure that you're just searching the JazzWax archive.

What is PhotoStory? PhotoStory is a series I started this year that features jazz photographers reflecting in the first person on images they took of jazz legends. To find all posts in the series, go to JazzWax and scroll down the right-hand column to "PhotoStory."

What is "Eyewitness?" "Eyewitness" is a series of first-person essays by guests on jazz artists or events they've known or witnessed. For the full series, go to JazzWax and scroll down the right-hand column to "Eyewitness."

How can I email you? Simply go to the top right-hand corner at JazzWax and click on the blue link under "Email me." Up will come an email shell. Just write and hit "send." I generally do not respond to remarks posted in the Comments section of daily posts, since this space is for one and all. But I do try to answer all emails promptly.

Who owns your content? JazzWax™ is a registered U.S. trademark owned by Marc Myers LLC. The posts at this site are copyrighted and may be used or excerpted only with my permission.

Where else does your content appear? JazzWax is syndicated on the home page of JAZZ.FM91 under an agreement between JazzWax and Canada's leading nonprofit radio station in Toronto. JazzWax also is reprinted daily at All About Jazz under a similar agreement.

Can I subscribe to JazzWax? Yes, and it's free. In the right-hand side, toward the top, you'll see "Subscribe for Free." You have two choices:

1. If you have already set up a customized Google or Yahoo home page, the "Subscribe" button will put the current day's headline and previous ones on your home page with easy links. Then you just click to access.

2. Or you can provide your email address in the box, and an email of the previous day's column will be delivered to you. Your email isn't used for anything but providing you with a copy of JazzWax.

A big annual JazzWax thanks to Jon Foley, who has tirelessly proofed my column each day since the blog's start in 2007. Also a special thanks to Terry Teachout, Nat Hentoff, Ira Gitler, Dan Morgenstern, Will Friedwald, Bret Primack, Hank O'Neal, David Amram, Mary Francis, Doug Ramsey, Hal McKusick, Bill Kirchner, Ross Porter, Herb Snitzer, Kurt Kolstad, David Brent Johnson, Carol Sloane, Marty Sheller, Paul Slaughter, Michael Steinman, Jan Stevens, Marla Kleman, Jerry Shriver, Jim Harrod, Angela Alig, Jason Crane, John Herr, David Langer, Peter Sokolowski, James Grogan and Stanley Cooper. You all know why.

Comments

[Jason Crane]

Brother Myers: Thanks for the thanks! And thank YOU, he said thankfully.

See you in 2010 -- I can't wait to see who shows up on JazzWax.

[Denis Ouellet]

Marc, thank you for JazzWax. The interviews are always very informative and a joy to read. This is a daily ritual for me now. The best to you and your family.

Denis

[Ed Leimbacher]

Fulfilling all your goals and criteria and requirements has to be a tall order, repeated almost daily. (Must be why you don't look shorter in person...) Thanks for standing tall, and going so far and wide. Speaking for many, I'll just say: Wax on.