Between you and me, there is no me. In case you haven't noticed, this particular ghostwriter doesn't provide a name at the bottom. And that's for a good reason--we like to think of readers and contributors alike as members of the same community at All About Jazz. That's a musical community, a shared space we all occupy.

For those interested in a new way to interact in this particular space, we enthusiastically direct you toward our new discussion forums. Years ago, we launched an area called Talkin' Jazz, which some readers may fondly recall. Well, new technology hit, and we've just upgraded to a new, more interactive system with all the bells and whistles. Visit the discussion forums to share ideas with others, including contributors of course. (Note: the main navigation bar has been updated to feature this section.)

For no reason in particular, we listen in on jazz classics with renewed vigor this month.

Dave Rickert goes astral traveling with Django Reinhardt, Lonnie Liston Smith, and Satchmo on three Bluebird reissues, including the last record Louis Armstrong ever made. On a different note, many jazz fans may not have heard of classic pianist Elmo Hope. (We confess.) So Derek Taylor comes to the rescue, putting together a brief primer covering five Fantasy releases from '55 to '61.

Blue Note continues its Rare Groove series, a market favorite, with funk masters straight out of the '60s and '70s. Chris Slawecki looks at its hits and misses. For the purists out there, Blue Note also tosses three vintage curve balls in its Rudy Van Gelder series, and Dave Rickert hits them all. Our main man in Miami, Javier Antonio Quiñones Ortiz, listens to four new Latin jazz reissues from Columbia, offering a whole lot of insight above and beyond his reviews.

Enough variety? No! One more classic, this from the horn of Miles Davis. No stranger to controversy, Miles jumped right into the fire with 1972's avant funk-fest, On the Corner. New columnist Trevor MacLaren spins some interesting angles on this important record.

If for some reason the classics tire your ear, don't forget that we have ample reviews of brand new music of all flavors, interviews with veteran and emerging stars, and broad coverage of progressive jazz. But whatever your tastes, it's important to remember that this music has roots, and they run deep.

A quick note from the nuts and bolts department: we've just reorganized our archived interviews, book reviews, and artist profiles with the goal of making them more accessible. Now might be a good time to peer back and find something unexpected.

Some of us handle nuts and bolts, some listen, and others have a point of view--mostly all three. And there's nothing to stop you from joining in.

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