What’s going on at Jerry Jazz Musician? A brief three dot update…

July 21st, 2023

Greetings:

Lots going on behind the scenes in the sweeping and sprawling offices of Jerry Jazz Musician. Among the items to share:

The Summer Collection of Jazz Poetry is being assembled, with the intent of publishing it on or around August 18. While it is too late for new submissions to be considered for this particular collection, please know that your work is always welcome. Click here for information about how to send it along….A collection of jazz haiku will be published in late September/early October. (My hope was to publish it earlier but that is probably not going to happen). The level of interest in this publishing event is rather high. While the deadline for submissions has passed, given that publication is still 8 – 10 weeks away, I could be persuaded to accept more work by July 31. Click here for details about the collection, and click here to see a sampling of jazz haiku recently published…The winner of the 63^rd Short Fiction Contest will be contacted very soon, with an anticipated publication date of August 10. If you’d like to enter your story for the 64^th edition of the contest, click here for details…I recently reached out to poets and writers concerning my publication of a page that will inform readers of poetry books, collections or chapbooks that have been published under their name in the last six months. The deadline for sending me details has passed, but this will be a bi-annual event so another opportunity will be here before you know it. Look for publication of this feature sometime in early September…I will soon be publishing an interview with Brent Hayes Edwards, co -author (with musician and composer Henry Threadgill) of Easily Slip Into Another World: A Life in Music. This biography is one of the finest books on a jazz artist in a very long while. I am thrilled to be able to share Edwards’ story of the book, and of course of Threadgill. (You can read an excerpt from the book by clicking here)…This interview comes on the heels of two others recently published on Jerry Jazz Musician. One is with Stephanie Stein Crease, author of Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat That Changed America, who talks about her book, and the drummer/bandleader Webb, a leading figure of the Swing Era, and one of the most influential musicians in jazz history. (You can read an excerpt from the book by clicking here). The other is with Alyn Shipton, author of The Gerry Mulligan 1950’s Quartets, who talks with Bob Hecht about the most eminent jazz baritone saxophonist and his unique contributions to music…

As always, there is a lot more beyond this in the works…

Please reach out if you have questions by clicking here…If you feel compelled and are able to help support the ongoing, commercial-free publication of this website, please click here for information concerning how to do so (thanks).

Meanwhile, hoping your summer is filled with love, peace and air-conditioning…

Joe Maita

Editor/Publisher

On my turntable…

I’ve been enamored with the music of Keith Jarrett for the last month…One of the songs that has reached under my skin is “Answer Me,” a live 2016 recording that was released in 2020. [Universal Music Group]