The Buzz: The JJA Podcast

• Them Changes: Talking Jazz Journalism with Howard Mandel

  Howard Mandel is an author, educator, journalist, and, since 1993, president of the Jazz Journalists Association. Howard's career crosses more than five decades of music journalism, from his early days writing for the Chicago Daily News to his current work as a contributor to publications worldwide.As Howard prepares to step down from his role as JJA president at year's end, we found time to explore the story of the birth and evolution of the JJA and to talk through just some of the topics of interest to our community today.Whether you're a longtime reader of jazz criticism or new to the conversations that shape how we understand this music, Howard's insights offer a window into our organization and the often invisible work of documenting and contextualizing America's most important cultural export.The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/joinDon’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

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• Jazz Books for the Naughty and Nice

  This conversation is hosted by JJA Board Member and Chair of our Book Committee, Bob Blumenthal. Bob, along with JJA members Fiona Ross, Todd Jenkins and Katch Cartwright, share some of their book recommendations for you to consider for those on your 2025 holiday nice list. Maybe a few of the naughty people deserve some of these, too. The JJA’s book committee votes on Book Award nominees everyJanuary and February. The recommendations herein do not reflect any prejudgments by the committee nor should this episode be taken as any preview of what's to come with the awards. Here is your shopping list of books and music discussed in this episode:Books Discussed in DetailWriting Jazz: Conversations with Critics and Biographers by Sasha FeinsteinGuide to Jazz in Japan by Michael PronkoFocus on Women in Jazz by Guy le QuerrecThe Story of Jazz by Marshall Stearns Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence by André HodeirThe Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason: Dispatches from the Front by Don ArmstrongGoing Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band by Carmen FieldsMaster of the Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal Cross Rhythms: An Introspective into the Life and Musicality of Joe Chambers by Joe Chambers and Cristian SchorrOceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart by Billy Hart and Ethan IversonThe Jazz Barn: The Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life by John GennariBecoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith TickStomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong by Ricky RiccardiSong for Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler by Brian Shaw and Nick SmartSax Expat: The Biography of Don Byas by Con ChapmanBlack Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings by Matthew ShippRun the Song: Writing About Running, About Listening by Ben RatliffBooks ReferencedSophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon (about Dexter Gordon)Gene Krupa: His Life and Times by Bruce CrowtherRhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America by Stephanie Stein CreaseThe Swing Era by Gunther Schuller Albums Referenced Friday and Saturday Night at the Blackhawk by Miles Davis (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)Dizzy on the French Riviera by Dizzy Gillespie (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/joinDon’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

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• It's All About the Music

  In fall 2023, three veteran jazz journalists, Bill Milkowski, Rick Mitchell, and Howard Mandel, sat down for a wide-ranging conversation, a portion of which is collected here to remind us all why we fell in love with music in the first place.From first album purchases to legendary festival moments, they share the records and live performances that impacted them. Whether it's Howard's early attraction to Bill Evans, Rick's reverence for Jimi Hendrix, or Bill's memories of Blind Faith, these are the musical origin stories behind three respected voices in jazz journalism.This episode captures what happens when writers stop analyzing and start remembering. It is all about the the music that made them who they are, and why. Yes, it's still all about the music.Check out our playlist of the music mentioned and excerpted in this episode. And here are the two episodes making up the discussion this episode is excerpted from:Part I: Jazz Journalism, Then and Now, with Veteran Writer Bill Milkowski and host Rick MitchellPart II: Bill Milkowski with Rick Mitchell and Howard Mandel, reminiscingThe Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/joinDon’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

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• Beyond Category: How Three Music Writers Navigate a Genre-Fluid World

  Michelle Zeto, Geoffrey Himes, and Rob Shepherd have each built careers in music journalism and broadcasting. They discuss how genre categories shape both criticism and listening, the difference between being a savant and a polymath, and whether the post-genre world is liberating or limiting. The conversation explores the role of critics as translators, the rise of playlist culture, and why attention spans may not be as new a problem as we think.In this episode, we explore: How musicians themselves often resist the "jazz" label—and what that means for writers Why shorter attention spans might not be the crisis we think The tension between consumer advisor and cultural translator What human curation offers that algorithms can't Whether broad knowledge serves critics better than deep specializationLearn more about our guests:Michelle Zeto and "Jammin' Jazz" Geoffrey Himes and "Hard Rain and Pink Cadillacs"Rob Shepherd and PostGenre.orgOur host:Lawrence PeryerAnd our organization, the Jazz Journalists Association. The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/joinDon’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

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• Jazz as Organizing: Music, Community, and Social Change

  Today we have JJA president Howard Mandel hosting a compelling discussion on political activism in jazz with three remarkable musicians who have dedicated their careers to both artistic excellence and social change.Our first guest is Terri Lyne Carrington, the four-time Grammy-winning drummer, composer, and producer who serves as Founder and Artistic Director of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice. As an NEA Jazz Master and Doris Duke Artist, Terri Lyne has spent four decades advocating for women, transgender, and nonbinary musicians while reimagining jazz's aesthetic possibilities. Her recent work includes the acclaimed album "new STANDARDS vol.1," featuring compositions by women, and a powerful reconceptualization of Max Roach and Abbey Lincoln's "We Insist!" for the modern era.Joining her is Orbert Davis, the Emmy Award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator who co-founded the Chicago Jazz Philharmonic. As host of "The Real Deal with Orbert Davis" on 90.9 FM WDCB, Orbert has built extraordinary cultural bridges through his "Immigrant Stories" concert series and groundbreaking collaborations with Cuban musicians. His work transforms jazz into a vehicle for international understanding and social healing.Our third guest is Marc Ribot, the innovative guitarist whose extensive collaborations include work with Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, and John Zorn. Beyond his acclaimed recording career spanning over 25 albums, Marc has emerged as a fierce advocate for musicians' economic rights through his organizing work with the Content Creators Coalition and efforts to reform the American Federation of Musicians.Together, these three artists explore what jazz activism means today—from challenging gender inequities and supporting immigrant communities to fighting for fair compensation and workers' rights. Their conversation reveals how jazz continues to serve as both artistic expression and instrument of social change.The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/joinDon’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts. For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

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