DownBeat April 2002 [antikvár]

STUN RECORDS Inf DAMSMlI^JC70fiCMCST«* e Eliane Elias / Bob Brooicmeyer The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra 'Impulsive!' American Grammy nominee Brazilian-born, now New York-based, Elias reveals her Latin roots, her classical apprenticeship, her harmonically complex composing skills and her refreshing contemporary keyboard chops in her perfofmance. All lliis, in collaboration with Biookmeyer, makes for an outstanding session" Jazztimes Fredrik Lundin Overdrive 'Choose Your Boots' Awarded "Album of The Year" by Danish Music Awards 2002 „Altogether, further and very enjoyable evidence of the continuing high quality of European jazz-making" Jaiz Review VIATIO Ben Besiakov 'Aviation' With George Garzoné, Ray Orummond, Billy Hart a.o. "It's teamwork ol the very best kind Together they constitute a strong five-leaf-clover with cool Scandinavian/American big-city jazz Varied and incredibly good music throughout." Jazz Special STUNT nrconns fTS SUNDANCE^ THE SCANDINAVIAN MUSIC COMPANY distributed by; Stateside Distributors Bayside Enlertainmeni, Fusion III www.sundance.dk PHONE +4533336720 FAX-1633338730 antheboBit April is "jitzz Appi ccialion Month" (JAM). A new initiative launched by the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum oi American History, JAM is a collective effort by organizations such as BMI. the Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts. MENC: Tlie National Association for Music Education, the U.S. Department of Education and the Grammy Foundation. In a press release that came across my desk about JAM, John Edward Hasse, curator of American music at the National Museum of American History, described some money on jazz this month, and every month. Here are some ideas: • Go see some live music. On Page 36 of this issue, Down Beat features a guide to 100 great jazz clubs around the world. impetus behind this guide, which features contact info and a short description of each club, was to get people out to experience jazz the way if s supposed to be heard. Find a club close to you and go there a couple of times this month and every month. • Go to a record store and buy some jazz. The slump in the recorded jazz market is very real and has potentially Jazz Month Is Here So Now WhatP the impetus behind JAM: "Every April, I'd love to see the country riff, swing, boogie and bop to the syncopated strains of jazz. Jazz is a great national treasure—arguably oiu- greatest cultural export to the rest of the world." It's hard to argue with Hasse's comments. Almost anything that can help jazz spread its reach throughout society gets a thumbs up in my book. JAM has the potential to, at the very least, get some people thinking about jazz who ordinarily wouldn't give it the time of day. However, I want to put forward a more substantial challenge to Down Beat readers. The very fact that you are reading this magazine shows that you care about this music, that you have an interest in seeing it prosper. So do something to help it through these tough times. After all, in the past few months we have heard such sad news as the closing of Atlantic Records' Division One. which offered a recording platform for the likes of James Carter and Cyrus Chestnut; a potential major restructuring of Koch Jazz, which could see substantially reduced operations; and the end of the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band directed by Jon Faddis, which Carnegie Hall pulled the plug on citing poor attendance at concerts. Jazz fans lend to be passive consumers. To change Uiis, I throw down tiie gauntlet right now and challenge you to spend devastating consequences for artists. With paltry sales numbers, independent labels are having a tough time getting extensive distribution, and the major labels are continually trimming their rosters. Higher sales wU only help remedy this situation. • Make travel plans to attend a jazz festival. Besides being an amazing vacation, festivals across the United States, Canada and Europe offer musical configurations not found any place else. So make the most of Jazz Appreciation Month. The results can only be positive. On another note, we are happy to announce that a newly redesigned version of DownBeat.com is live on the web. Features on the site include an expanded archives section, which will be updated every week with new gem stories and CD reviews from the Down Beat vaults; a monthly Masterclass in which a jazz professional provides a playing lesson for burgeoning jazz talents; daily music news; bios of more than 600 artists with complete discographies; an easy form to start or renew a subscription to Do\vn Beat and more. Plus, expect exciting features on the site in the near future. Imagine having access to thousands of albums, streamed straight to your computer, legally, in CD qualit>-any time you choose, all for a ver>' si»^' fee. Tliis will be reality. by jason koransky