In some sense, our job here at All About Jazz is to bear witness to the music and the people who make it happen. We devote most of our pages to this sort of testimony, which in the case of our particular passion translates into experience, perspective, and communication.

In the case of bassist Ray Brown, who passed away on July 3 at the age of 75, we look back with special respect and regret. Brown was an incredibly gifted musician who played an enormous part in the development of the music we call jazz. If you judge a man by the company he keeps, Brown was without peer: he played and/or recorded with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, John Lewis, and Oscar Peterson. As musical director and manager for several musicians, he left an indellible mark on many careers. His playing was deep, swinging, and full of tasteful melody. It's hard to overemphasize his contributions to jazz.

We bear witness to Ray Brown in several ways this month. Kenny Mathieson looks back on his career, highlighting the many ways in which Brown propelled the music. Nichole L. Reber relates how he persuaded her to listen, rather than hear the music, and Rob Moore offers insight into his humility and experience. And finally, perhaps the greatest testimony comes from Brown himself, whom we were fortunate enough to document in interviews both this year and two years ago. (And need we say it? We've also spent a lot of time with his recordings--with over 30 CD reviews in the archives.) Thank you, Ray.

One thing Brown taught us is that there's more to the music than the act of creation. A lot of things have to happen behind the scenes, as record labels, promoters, and managers come into play to get the music out to the people. These can be difficult waters for young musicians to navigate, and there are many lessons to learn along the way. We present five new articles by musicians who have taken the time to share personal experience. They offer special tips on publicity and PR, distribution, airplay, and touring. Insiders as well as outsiders should benefit from a better understanding of the nuts and bolts inside the industry.

As always, our staff keeps both ears open for the music that's happening in the here and now. That reflects itself in five new festival reviews covering international events from Montreal to Istanbul. There's something very special about jazz in live performance, and these reviews bear witness to the excitement of the moment. We hope you will take these accounts to heart and get out to see the music happen--wherever you might live.

Finally, we offer very personal reflections on jazz and song, education, the music industry, and language. While there's definitely a place for objectivity in music journalism, there are also plenty of warm nooks for different points of view. In the end, whatever we hear passes through the filter of our own personal understanding, experience, and perspective--a point which these voices bring to bear in resonating clarity.

And lest we forget, there's one very important fact about bearing witness. To be effective, testimony requires an honest, fair perspective--and an open ear ready to listen. That's you.

Photo Credit: Murad Sekerli

Please take a moment and fill out our brief AAJ reader survey