DownBeat December 1994 [antikvár]

ON THE BEATDOWNBEAT December 19941994: A Year In Jazzby John Ephland'or Down Beat, 1994 has been a very good year. In case you were off the planet, we've had the honor of celebrating our 60th Anniversary' with a yearlong jubilee. From our February "Classic Interviews" issue to our July "60th Anniversary" issue to an upcoming book called Down Beat: 60 Years Of Jazz, our editorial staff remains wide-eyed and humbled from the vast and proud history the Down Beat archives contain.The anniversary offered a chance to dip into the deep and rich past of jazz. Come January, we'll begin mining jazz's past, present. and future again. But what did 1994 offer in the way of jazz? We asked a few industry insiders for their impressions.For Willard Jenkins, executive director of the National Jazz Service Organization, 1994 was "an average-to-good year." Yes, he said, public relations problems for the Jazz at Lincoln Center program in New York persisted in grabbing headlines; but the real news had more to do with the rest of the country "Cross-cultural, multi-disciplined jazz composers made a mark," Jenkins said. "For example. Don Pullen was commissioned to collaborate with the Chief Cliff Sisters in Helena. Mont., with choreography by the Garth Fagan Dance Company. The premier was in Helena, but shows took place in Louisville and Washington, D.C., as well." The Njso also played a major role in getting the reclusive (and pricey) Ornette Coleman back in the public eye, with shows all over the country.Getting jazz out of an "isolationist mode." as Jenkins put it, became a recurring theme for '94. "Independent tour brokers like the Midwest's Jon Poses continued to develop a circuit for jazz musicians at sites they wouldn't, or couldn't, normally play. It reached fruition in '94."Arts Midwest's Janis Lane Ewart echoed these sentiments. "Rapid City, S.D., held its annual, one-day jazz-and-blues fest with 700 people coming to it. Bobby Watson, Kenny Barron, and Ernie Watts as well as resident artists were featured," Ewart said. "In fact, a number of national artists had successful lours in the Midwest this yeara greater number with more dollars generated inOrnette Coleman: a reemergence in '94places like Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis, and Minneapolis.""Jazz made certain strides at being rooted in our culture in '94," according to Don Lucoff, a New York-based publicity consultant, whose clients record for a number of major and independent labels. "You can see this with how commercial and corporate advertisers are using jazz music and musicians more. I think Wynton Marsalis has helped change the image of jazz in this respect. In fact, this may be his most important contribution to jazz."On the down side, the country's only commercial jazz radio station, kjaz, folded. Ewart lamented the fact that an organization has yet to be formed to help provide health insurance for many jazz musicians who need it. DB led the chorus of disappointed viewers who saw that even Branford Marsalis couldn't guarantee jazz would be played on The Tonight Show With Jay Lena.Still, there is much to be grateful for: More artists were signed as jazz moved into a "post young lions" phase. Jazz musicians banded together in a show of hope and resolve against aids with two compilation albums. There were other momentous anniversaries, such as Verve's 50th and Decca's 60th. And, with much fanfare, the jazz/hip-hop group Us3 busted up the charts with their debut Hand On The Torch. At press-time, a phenomenal 800.000 units had been sold stateside, making it Blue Note Records' biggest seller ever. And, for those who feel jazz has become much too conservative, both Ornette Coleman and Henry Threadgill were signed to major-label dealsColeman with Verve and Threadgill with Columbia.My pick for the great o/j-event of the year? The fruits of Herbie Hancock's much-anticipated hip-hop and jazz experiments, a CD project we hyped on our June cover but still haven't seen. Oh well. Herbie, like they say: there's always next year.DBDOWK BEATDecember 1994 Volume 61-Number 12publiiher: Kevin MaherAssociate Publisher: Frank AlkyerEDiTOttiAL omECTon: Frank Alkyer mamaoino EDiTOfl:John Ephland Associate Eoitoh: Ed Enhght desion: Betsy Bowron/Komerska Production Manager: Becky Williams Circulation Manager: Elaine RlzlehS Circulation Assistant: Ginger Glese President: Jack MaherContributorsAustinMichael Point: BostonFred Bouchard. Frank-John Hadley: ChicagoJohn Booz, Aaron Cohen. John Corbett. Jim DeJong, Ron Heard, Dave Helland. Art Lange, John Lilweiler. John McDonough, Paul Natkin. Howard Rek^; DetroitMichael Naslos: Los AngelesFred Shuster. Zan Stewart, Josel Woodard: MiamiJack Sohmer; New YorkRobert Baranello. Larry Birnbaum. Ten Bloom. Larry Blumenleld, Michael Bourne, Enid Färber. Eugene Holley Jr, Jim Macnie. Howard Mandel. Mitchell Seidel. Kevin Whitehead, K. Leander Williams: OhioElaine Guregian; New OrleansBill Milkowski; North CarolinaOwen Cordle; PhiladelphiaJon Andrews, John Diliberto, Russell Woessner; PortlandKevin Ellsworth; San Francisco-Stuart Brinin, Michael Handler, Dan Ouellette. Rot>in Tolleson; Washington, D.C.Geollrey Himes, Willard Jenkins, James T Jones IV. Bill Shoemaker, GermanyHyou Vielz; Great BritainBrian Priestley, Chris Sheridan; IndiaVinod Advani. Niranian Jhaveri; ItalyRuggero Stiassi; JapanShoichi Yul; NetherlandsJaap Liideke; NorwayRandi Hultin; South AfricaDon Albert: South America_MaxSeligmann; SwedenLars Lystedt. Editorial, Administration ft Advcrtisinq Offices102 Haven St. Elmhurst, IL 60126-3379 (708) 941-2030 Fax: (708) 941-3210Advertising SalesKevin Maher (708) 941-2030East Coast Advertising SalesBob Giesen 720 Greenwich St. New York. NY 10014 (212) 243-4786o