Several items captured my attention in the December issue of
Just Jazz Magazine.
From the Editorial:
“Just Jazz has been going for nearly 20 years now, dropping through your letterboxes, or on sale at clubs and festivals. However, we are aware that, in this day and age, we should consider going ‘online’ … and dare we say, attracting … young readers. Watch this space…”
I launched jazzandjazz.com back in 2010 so there’s some catching up to do with the monthly printed Just Jazz Magazine. But over that time I owe a great deal to Pete Lay’s and Jim McIntosh’s support and would be only too pleased to cooperate with Just Jazz Online and to do all I can to help promote the site – especially to younger online jazz fans.
Also From the Editorial:
“Well 2016 has been a bit of a mixed bag. Two festivals deciding that 2016 would be the last … However, others are still swinging along very nicely and in most cases to increased attendance. The club scene is doing reasonable well, but despite the increasing number of young musicians, we are still not reaching the younger fans … how we fix this problem is the proverbial $64,000 question …
Working together, perhaps Jazz Magazine Online and jazzandjazz.com, could work towards fixing this?
From the Contents:
“The end of the line for The Winning Post”
I was especially saddened to read the article “The end of the line for The Winning Post”. Kay and Tony Leppard have been running The Winning Post in Whitton, West London, for almost 20 years and in the process have raised over £50,000 to help support their local children’s hospice. The Club will be sorely missed. Plus they also ran Thursday Lunchtime sessions at the 100 Club until a few months ago, thank you Kay and Tony.
“Change” by Heather Balon Lay
Next I was drawn to Heather Balon Lay’s article “Change” about the changes to Hemsby’s Autumn Jazz Parade resulting from major renovations at Seacroft Holiday Village. Why? Because due to extenuating circumstance this was the first Autumn Parade I had missed in eight years. It was back in 2008 that I began photographing and painting portraits of jazz musicians, which led to the launch of Jazz&Jazz in 2009 and then to filming jazz for YouTubes in 2013. And above all, it was at the 2009 Parade that my wife, Ginny, won the very last Ken Colyer Trust National Prize Draw for a trip for two to the New Orleans French Quarter Festival in 2010. This resulted in a host more photographs and acrylic portraits.
I reminded Barry Price when he sent me birthday greetings earlier this month, just how pleased Ginny and I were to be presented with the winning tickets by him. He replied that he couldn’t think of more deserving winners. Whatever, Barry, but this website plus my Social Media and YouTube sites have made it even more rewarding, hopefully for all of jazz. Perhaps it was just fate!
Hemsby – I hope to be back for the Autumn Jazz Parade next year.
Interview with Denise Gordon
Another December Just Jazz article which captured my attention was Jim Macintosh’s intriguing interview with Denise Gordon.
••• ••• •••
If you haven’t already got the December issue of Just Jazz, sent for it now at:
Just Jazz Magazine Ltd, 29 Burrage Place, London, SE18 7BG.
Peter M Butler
Editor & Proprietor Jazz&Jazz
Images © Peter M Butler, Jazz&Jazz
Peter, my son has developed a fully professional state of the art publishing app which will take top magazines seemlessly into the digital age. He deals with high level publishing houses. Just Jazz may benefit from an app like that which does not have the hard printing costs and would make the magazine available to young and old on a worldwide basis. This sounds like a ‘sell’ job but it is the future, especially for young readers with sophisticated ‘devices’. Plus all media – videos, photos, sound files can be incorporated into articles and adverts.
Perhaps you should contact/email Pete Lay about this, Jeff.
I would go online with Just Jazz as soon as possible, but I’m not the publisher, only the Editor.
I have to say that Just Jazz ‘Online’; would not be free – it would still be for subscription purchase, and there would still be a ‘hard copy’.
As we cyber duct everything to the printers, it would be same process of putting it online. However, my preference online, would be, to read it, as ‘turning the page’ – not scrolling up and down. The experts on this would understand. Going online would reduce our postal costs – especially for our overseas subscribers and of course open up a bigger market abroad, because the high postal costs have restricted our overseas market.
Here is a notice of the unveiling of a Battersea Society blue plaque commemorating Sir George Shearing on the premises of Linden Lodge School for the Blind now Northcote Lodge School. Alyn Shipton to unveil. The present school band will play, Charlotte – ex-pupil of music teacher Mr Newell – will speak as will current Headteacher of Linden Lodge Roger Legate and I will read excerpts from his autobiography Lullaby Of Birdland- probably the anecdote about his Irish trip and the Braille airline notices produced by prisoners there and the piece about them encountering racism in the US because his band was racially mixed and how George dealt with it.
I have written a blog about him.
https://sheelanagigcomedienne.wordpress.com/2016/11/08/george-shearing-battersea-boy-jazz-pianist-composer/
We are very proud of our Battersea lad, glad that he made good in America and gave pleasure to many with the George Shearing sound, through his quintet and many collaborations with artists like Mel Torme and Louis Stewart.
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Saturday 29 April 2017
Unveiling Commemorative Plaque to George Shearing
Time: 11.00am
Jazz Pianist and Musician, George Shearing was born and raised in Battersea. He attended the school, then named Linden Lodge, which played a very significant in his musical education before he found fame and fortune in the USA.
The plaque will be unveiled by George Shearing‘s biographer Alyn Shipton
Venue: Northcote Lodge Prep School
Location: 26 Bolingbroke Grove, SW11 6EL
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Best wishes,
Jeanne Rathbone
0207 228 2327
Thank you for this comment Jeanne. But probably it would be better placed under: https://www.jazzandjazz.com/2017/02/blue-plaques-to-mark-the-uks-jazz-heritage/
Let me know
Peter
Anyone know how I can sell issues 1 – 176 of just jazz magazines in excellent condition for others to enjoy?