“from now on I’m going to make some changes” to Jazz&Jazz!
In 2010 I visited New Orleans with Southern Sounds for the French Quarter Festival. It was an experience I’ll never forget and a catalyst for developing and expanding Jazz&Jazz.
It got me deeper into jazz photography and painting jazz portraits. Imagine my delight in meeting stars such as Dr Michael White, Greg Stafford, Barry Martyn and Leroy Jones, and then painting their portraits. All because my wife Ginny won the star prize in the very last Ken Colyer Trust Annual Draw at the 2009 Hemsby Autumn Jazz Parade!
In 2013/14 I introduced my high resolution Jazz&Jazz YouTubes featuring bands and musicians. Then as Jazz&Jazz gained in popularity I began to receive requests to promote events, often at top venues. But such requests can be intrusive and steer me away from my stated aims for Jazz &Jazz – i.e. “Celebrating the Joy of Jazz” and analysing and exploring potentials for its future. Delve back into the earlier years of Jazz&Jazz and you will find many features covering
various aspects of jazz.
So now its time for a rethink!
Getting back to Jazz&Jazz Basics
Sometimes I’m asked why I don’t cover jazz at more clubs and festivals. Simply put, it wouldn’t be possible. I don’t have a bottomless pocket to cover the costs. But I am welcomed at several clubs within striking distance, where I can enjoy the music of many UK bands and even overseas bands. I feature and help promote events for these clubs and am thankful that I am granted free admission in return. I also benefit from free admission to a couple of festivals for the same reason. After all, the bands and musicians get paid, although I fear much of the time not truly what they are worth. This is another conundrum frequently discussed on Jazz&Jazz – for instance:
Jazz Lamentations, “Peanuts and Poor Turnouts”? Let’s Up The Ante!
For instance, there is a Jazz Revival! Numerous younger bands with growing numbers of enthusiastic young fans are making their mark. Older fans love them too and seize on opportunities to follow them. Jazz&Jazz features, films and hi-lights their live gigs at every opportunity. Search the site and you will find them.
I am prepared to make certain exceptions to my decision not to promote “third party” events. For instance, if it’s considered that Jazz&Jazz – along with my peripheral Social Media links – has enough reach and impact to help promote such events, then I’ll consider featuring them on the site, with links to my Social Media pages. But as of now, only in return for contributions to cover costs and help with much needed financial support for Jazz&Jazz.
So no more freebees!
I receive no assistance in producing Jazz&Jazz, nor my Jazz&Jazz YouTubes or Social Media links. Definitively and promotionally, I am a One Man Band! So voluntary contributions, not charges, are always appreciated.
Jazz&Jazz Revisions
Facebook & A Final Plea!
frustrates me.
I support your aim of shifting more of the dialogue from Facebook to J&J, although I fear it may be an uphill battle! If you’ve got time, could you comment further on what constitutes a “third party event”.
Keep up the good work – we need you!
Thank you, Phil. I agree, encountering FB will not be easy. But I’ll endeavour to do so probably best with links back to Jazz&Jazz. Good point about “third party events” – it’s a catch all phrase referring mainly to requests received for promotions for instance from agencies. I will need to use discretion.
It was good to see you again on Sunday. I’m not a regular user of the comments section on any forum, but my question is this : Is there a way you can improve the sound quality of the recordings you make? YouTube is, after all, a worldwide public platform. Anyone searching for a band on YouTube and finding one of your clips are getting something that is visually great, but aurally very mediocre unfortunately. It isn’t a great advert for any band to sound so thin and edgy. Maybe in the same way that you have a lens attachment for your mobile phone there is a similar thing microphone-wise?
Thanks for the input, Wil. First such comment I’ve received as most times the sound is as well accepted as the the visual. I think the sound quality is much more down to the venue, better in some locations than others. Sound quality at clubs is nowhere near up to recording studios – but the YouTubes capture the atmosphere and even some fan repartee. Probably a microphone attachment would pick up even more club imperfections – and wouldn’t be easy to sync.