Anyone remember the JazzFM magazine that came out around 1990? I used to get this when it first came out and quite enjoyed it. I can also remember buying a really obscure Irish magazine at Mole Jazz once as it had an interview with Bill Frisell in it. There was an editorial regarding an album by Brazilian percussionist Nana Vasconcelos which was shocking in the extent of the racist tone which would have been more typical of something produced in 1930's. Amazingly poor.
The problem with a lot of British and European jazz magazines is that they are so parochial. I have bought "Downbeat" on a few occasions and have been given copies of other American magazines like "Jazz News" which are more in line with the types of publications you get over here. Downbeat was been a real eye-opener insofar that the journalists are pretty much on the pulse with the music whereas magazines like "jazzwise" are on off-shoot of a muisc-publishing business and their coverage is governed very much by new CD releases or tours. I always felt that "Downbeat" was a magazine which had the respect of musicians whereas something like the "Wire" tried to define who was "hot or not." It was once described to me by a British musician I met on a music course as being run by people who were w****rs who made life even more difficult for professional musicians. This ties in with my comment about possible legal action by critics and the care needed to comment reasonably and without prejudicing someone's career. In contrast, the questions in "Downbeat" that are posed to the musicians are intriguing and the debate is far wider than the Marsalis v New jazz that seems to pre-occupy "Jazzwise." I don't know whether this magazine has changed much since I last read it, but it did seem much more informed that UK magazines and less inclined to over-praise the modish. I always felt that it was a bit like "Jazz Hot" insofar that it had a history and place in the culture of the music that it looked to maintain and therefore tended to have a closer connection to the music as opposed to the "product." Difficult to find anything in "Jazzwise" that isn't plugging something!
Sometines both "JJI" and "Wire" had an axe to grind and probably the reviews were not written without a great deal of care. "JJI" always seemed to cater for the Trevor Cooper's of this world (and probably his father too!!) and did champion some of the more obscure Be-bop / mainstream players. However, I think this policy left if without a younger readership and was ultimately a bit short-sighted. Steve Voce's editorial also seemed to disappear off on funny tangents. I must admit that come of the record reviews in "Wire" did not even discuss the music on the record but would make reference to other musicians / influences so as to leave you with little idea what the music was actually like. I must admit, although I enjoyed it at the time, I wouldn't like that kind of journalism nowadays. I would love to dig some of the old copies out one day and see just how accurate the "Wire" was at predicting what the better albums were. Seem to recall that the "Top Twenty" albums of the 80's included Miles' "You're under arrest" which now sound pretty dated to say the least! With contemporary magazines like "Jazzwise", there is the same problem with looking at the music from a UK perspective and a tendency to over-praise bands like EST. I haven't read this magazine for ages and don't know if it has changed or whether is still looks to the next big sea-change in the music.
The problem with a lot of British and European jazz magazines is that they are so parochial. I have bought "Downbeat" on a few occasions and have been given copies of other American magazines like "Jazz News" which are more in line with the types of publications you get over here. Downbeat was been a real eye-opener insofar that the journalists are pretty much on the pulse with the music whereas magazines like "jazzwise" are on off-shoot of a muisc-publishing business and their coverage is governed very much by new CD releases or tours. I always felt that "Downbeat" was a magazine which had the respect of musicians whereas something like the "Wire" tried to define who was "hot or not." It was once described to me by a British musician I met on a music course as being run by people who were w****rs who made life even more difficult for professional musicians. This ties in with my comment about possible legal action by critics and the care needed to comment reasonably and without prejudicing someone's career. In contrast, the questions in "Downbeat" that are posed to the musicians are intriguing and the debate is far wider than the Marsalis v New jazz that seems to pre-occupy "Jazzwise." I don't know whether this magazine has changed much since I last read it, but it did seem much more informed that UK magazines and less inclined to over-praise the modish. I always felt that it was a bit like "Jazz Hot" insofar that it had a history and place in the culture of the music that it looked to maintain and therefore tended to have a closer connection to the music as opposed to the "product." Difficult to find anything in "Jazzwise" that isn't plugging something!
Sometines both "JJI" and "Wire" had an axe to grind and probably the reviews were not written without a great deal of care. "JJI" always seemed to cater for the Trevor Cooper's of this world (and probably his father too!!) and did champion some of the more obscure Be-bop / mainstream players. However, I think this policy left if without a younger readership and was ultimately a bit short-sighted. Steve Voce's editorial also seemed to disappear off on funny tangents. I must admit that come of the record reviews in "Wire" did not even discuss the music on the record but would make reference to other musicians / influences so as to leave you with little idea what the music was actually like. I must admit, although I enjoyed it at the time, I wouldn't like that kind of journalism nowadays. I would love to dig some of the old copies out one day and see just how accurate the "Wire" was at predicting what the better albums were. Seem to recall that the "Top Twenty" albums of the 80's included Miles' "You're under arrest" which now sound pretty dated to say the least! With contemporary magazines like "Jazzwise", there is the same problem with looking at the music from a UK perspective and a tendency to over-praise bands like EST. I haven't read this magazine for ages and don't know if it has changed or whether is still looks to the next big sea-change in the music.
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