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Cicily Janus

New Face of Jazz author, Cicily Janus is a tireless jazz geek. Traveling throughout the country she is a crusader for the support of culture, arts and the live music scene.

About Me

I've been immersed in jazz for over 30 years. I can remember my parents playing Pat Metheny and Yellowjackets throughout the house when I was a child, that blossomed later on as an innate passion for the music. I went on to the University of North Florida to major in jazz studies on trumpet and then onto the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Although I play only on occasion now, my support and love for the music never ended.

When I became a writer I heard people say that you should always write what you know because then you'll believe in it when someone critiques you or questions your reasons. It dawned on me at that point that the one thing I intimately knew, was jazz. So I hit the streets in search of how to convey my love for the art. What started out as a small guide book on jazz turned into over four hundred interviews with jazz artists who are on the scene and shaping it today. These interviews were then compiled into my book, the New Face of Jazz which is due out through Random House this coming summer, 2010. I've had numerous other published interviews, reviews and fiction through magazines such as Art Nouveau, Opium and more.

I thoroughly enjoy passing on good music. I believe it's one of the greatest gifts you can give anyone. It's personable and can evoke emotion in them and lift them up to a more creative place in their own lives. You can't ask for more than that out of life.

Currently, in addition to book writing, I do liner notes, bio work and some fiction. I also run a writer's retreat in Breckenridge, CO twice a year to help fuel others in their creative needs.

Thanks for reading my works, as I'm deeply appreciative of your interest in what I have to say.