Enough said. For any disbelievers out there, we have a special message this month: jazz, the language of improvisation, is alive and well. This month we feature a variety of stories that convey the spirit and inspiration our favorite music has to offer.

Since jazz touches everyone's lives in a different way, there are as many tastes and approaches to the music as there are personalities among its listeners. Two of our writers have chosen a distinctly personal route to convey their impressions this month. Max Babi, whose experiences as a developing jazz afficionado led him down a memorable road, lends his account in the inaugural edition of his new column, My Journey Into Jazz. Victor Magnani, an active improvising musician, aims for the ears with his column, A Call to Listen. Victor argues that jazz is serious music worthy of your attention. Sure, jazz works great for dance, and it's wonderful as accompaniment for candlelight dinners -- but it's also a highly developed art form which rewards the simple act of listening.

Of course, jazz lives all around the world. We've always been partial to global coverage, but this month we shine a special spotlight on the country of Australia. Shane Nichols has been busy down under for years, and his coverage only gets better. This month's Notes From Down Under packs in six noteworthy CD reviews, an interview with Sydney Big Band leader Ralph Pyl, a profile of Sydney's Secret Street label, and a number of timely news items. Hats off to Shane for this month's column, and all his excellent work for AAJ! Australian expat Aparna Datta lends her own personal voice to our June coverage, providing a very helpful Aussie Jazz compendium of progressive bands worth your attention. And finally, South Australian visual artist Leith O'Malley offers a series of eight vibrant pictures in different styles portraying jazz artists and moods. Leith's work is among the very finest we've been privileged to present in our Gallery section.

June marks the launch of jazzlives.org, the new AAJ Internet Service Provider. In partnership with Velox Communications, we're offering an inexpensive full-service ISP with dialup access, POP and web-based email, instant messaging, and 24/7 technical support. As part of this service, you'll be able to choose a "jazzlives.org" email address, and you'll also get a browser with special jazz presets. We'll donate a portion of the proceeds to a scholarship fund sponsored by the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). And by signing up for the jazzlives.org ISP, you'll also be supporting future site improvements here at All About Jazz. The price is right, and we think it's a winning combination. Check it out!

And finally, a word about our festival coverage. In addition to a brimming handful of new reviews documenting recent jazz events, we have been beefing up our Summer Festival Guide. We advise readers around the world to take a look at the nearly 50 festivals we have listed for the summer months of 2002. It's going to be sizzling out there!

That wraps up the highlights for June. No matter whether the music is swinging or funky, bluesy or avant garde, there's no doubt: jazz is as alive as ever. Most certainly at All About Jazz.

Photo Credit: Hans Kumpf