With the publication date of my new book Why Jazz Happened (University of California Press) fast approaching (December 17), many readers have asked for updates on my upcoming appearances on radio and TV as well as signings. Here's the latest...
- Review—I hear through the grapevine that Publisher's Weekly, the book-industry's bible, will be reviewing Why Jazz Happened next week—and that the review is quite favorable.
- Video—Last week I taped a video interview. It's now being edited, and I will post as soon as it is ready.
- Interactive presentation—On February 4, 2013, I will be speaking and spinning music based on my book at 92YTribeca in New York. There will be a book signing afterward. More information later this fall.
- Appearances—I have started to book radio interviews and college appearances.
Attention radio folks: If you're interested in interviewing me about the book, please contact me soonest at marc@jazzwax.com. As you can see, my calendar is filling up.
And thanks to JazzWax readers everywhere for your continued support. To order Why Jazz Happened, please click here. More to follow.
John Surman radio. On Sunday, jazz musician Bill Kirchner will host an hour-long Jazz From the Archives radio show on Britain's
John Surman—a ferocious baritone
saxophonist who also is formidable on soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, synthesizer and other instruments. You can listen for free on your computer from anywhere in the world by going here at 11 p.m. (EDT). [Photo above of John Surman by Ann Odebey]
Michael Pedicin—captured. Saxophonist Michael Pedicin sat down for a video interview with Bret Primack. Fascinating background, great player...
Free Art Pepper. Laurie Pepper, the alto saxophonist's widow and brilliant entrepreneur, has made yet another Pepper track available for free download. This time it's the lyrical and beautiful My Friend John, which Pepper wrote for producer John Snyder. [Photo above of Art Pepper with bassist Tony Dumas (behind, left) and pianist George Cables (right) by Laurie Pepper]
As Laurie notes...
"The song was written in New York and Boston (as it says on the original sheet music) for John Snyder right before Art's appearance at the Village Vanguard in New York in 1977. The original sheet music was, Art said later, too hard to play. So he rewrote the tune a bit. The two-page chart for alto is the modified version. [Photo above: Art and Laurie Pepper]
"It was recorded for the Artists House label and it's now unobtainable—except as part of of $60 Galaxy box set available in iTunes. (It's a bargain, and I encourage you to get it.)"
Is Smooth Jazz Dead? Writer David Adler [pictured above] answers this question in a terrific, robust piece in JazzTimes. To read David's article, go here.
New Chet Baker bio. Funny Valentine: The Story of Chet Baker, Matthew Ruddick's new biography of the trumpeter, is a fluid read and makes solid use of existing material and fresh interviews by the author. Go here.
Oddball album cover of the week...
Yet another one of those Fontana covers from the Netherlands, where an enlarged photo of a jazz musician is made to seem as though he's ogling a model. Just one in a series of about a dozen by Fontana in the 1970s.
