Music Industry News

Musicians' Group Asks Obama for Change

Source: All About Jazz
November 7, 2008

One of the difficulties in music policy advocacy is that there are always more pressing matters at hand. Rising unemployment rising, a declining environment, a somersaulting economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other pressing matters understandably occupy more of our policymakers' time. Nonetheless, the Future of Music Coalition hopes the upcoming Obama administration will prioritize music industry reform, particularly as it involves corporate interests. The FMC points out that as the internet loosens music's geographical ties, radio ...

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Joe Sullivan

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 7, 2008

This is Joe Sullivan's birthday. Although Rifftides posted an item about Sullivan and others only three months ago, it is never too soon to call him to the attention of listeners who may not have made the acquaintance of a man who inspired countless other pianists. Here is a Rifftides golden oldie.

It is not good enough simply to recycle an archive piece. As a double bonus, here are two versions of Sullivan's most famous composition, “Little Rock Getaway." The first ...

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Scratch-Scratch

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 6, 2008

In the scratch-scratch tradition of cross-referencing that is an important aspect of the blogosphere, Don Heckman has responded to the November 4 Rifftides piece about him, The Los Angeles Times and the general decline of writing about jazz in newspapers. That posting is two exhibits down the page. Heckman asks:

Do the complaints, the angry emails, the letters to the editor make a difference? Well, as Jake Barnes said to Lady Brett in The Sun Also Rises, “Isn't ...

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After the Election

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 6, 2008

When I was in college and involved in the jazz community in Seattle, I helped to arrange a concert in my home town. Some of the musicians who traveled to the interior of the state to perform in that conservative agricultural community were black. One of my closest childhood friends came to the concert. Afterward, I took him to a party for the musicians. In the course of the socializing, I danced with a newer friend, the pianist Patti Bown. ...

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Roy Ayers in Ew! | Roy Ayers | News

Source: All About Jazz
November 6, 2008

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Herb Geller at 80

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 5, 2008

Herb Geller is eighty years old today. The alto saxophonist was the performing guest of honor tonight in a tribute concert by the NDR (North German Radio) Big Band. From 1965 to 1993, Geller was a star soloist of the NDR, one of the best large jazz aggregations in the world. The concert was in the NDR's venerable Rolf Liebermann studio. Since his mandatory retirement at sixty-five, Geller has been at least as busy as he was during the ...

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The Heckman Phenomenon

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
November 5, 2008

Newspapers everywhere were retrenching even before the world financial crisis tetered on the edge of recession and finally fell into it. Declining readership and shriveling advertising revenue demanded cost-cutting. To no one's surprise, staff and space reductions claimed arts coverage early. When newsroom budgets start to shrink, cultural journalism is among the first targets because editors know that there will be relatively few complaints. In a world of miniscule and increasingly fragmented attention spans focused (ha) on hip-hop, Britney Spears and movies about high ...

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Led Zep's New Singer?

Source: JamBase
November 2, 2008

Led Zeppelin Without Robert Plant?

Myles Kennedy There's been no shortage of Led Zeppelin gossip this year. Following the band's one-off reunion in London last December (read the review here) there's been a steady stream of touring buzz and recording dreams, all of which seem to consistently be thwarted by Robert Plant. With the remaining core of Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, along with original drummer John Bonham's son, Jason Bonham, eager to get the Led out, this problem ...

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