Jazz Connect in New York – Day 1
Saint Peter’s Church in Midtown Manhattan was the place to be yesterday – Day 1 of the Jazz Connect conference started out with a panel on how editors and programmers decide how to represent jazz in their respective media outlets. Panelists included John Murph from AARP, Natalie Weiner from Billboard Magazine, and Will Friedwald from the Wall Street Journal. Basically, it all comes down to an attractive and compelling story and good music. Easy as that…
In between panels, it was good to hook up again with so many dear colleagues and musicians and the final reception in the afternoon was another good hang. I also made a lot of new and intersting contacts. Dee Dee Bridgewater gave the keynote address. Winter Jazzfest Marathon is starting today so it’s going to be a loooooong night after the second conference day. It will be interesting to check out a lot of new and upcoming artists later.
In the picture, you see Mark Winkler whose latest wonderful release I reviewed on these pages. Also, singer Mary Foster Conklin who is coming up with a new release next month. The album, called “Paragraphs”, includes songs by the great Fran Landesman and also by the Beatles and Joni Mitchell. The record release event will be at Birdland, February 4th. Can’t wait to hear it. Also in the pic, Detroit singer Kathy Kosins who will have her new record out later in the spring. Produced by Kamau Kenyatta, it is a brilliant mix of underground soul and jazz combined with her deeply sensitive vocals.
