by Mike Metheny
JAM Editor

 
In This Issue...
Don't worry. This isn't the beginning of a trend where a frustrated writer-editor starts unloading old essays into the pages of JAM. Upon recently revisiting this issue's cover feature, however, it seemed timely to share this remnant of the late '80s with a larger audience, if for no other reason than to confirm any impressions that the cynical streak sometimes revealed in these pages might have deeper roots.

More importantly, though, "The Adventures of a Jobbing Jazz Man" was (and is) an attempt to bring some humor to a part of a musician's life that can have a dark side. Making a living playing music isn't easy! And making ends meet as a middle tier jazz musician in a big city like Boston presents even larger challenges. That is unless you fill things in with a certain number of "non jazz" gigs. And if you do, especially over the span of six or seven years, a cathartic magnum opus might be the end result. Which, in this case, it was. Hope you enjoy it.

Broadcaster Bob McWilliams has been a mainstay on the airwaves of KANU in Lawrence since the early '80s. In this issue's "Q&A," Bob talks about his passion for jazz and matters to do with jazz radio, and he also gives us a glimpse into a life made up of many different and diverse parts.

Dean Hampton's informative MP3 primer in the February/March JAM was only the beginning of what will surely be a series of occasional installments, either in feature story form, or as part of his regular "Hot Licks" column. This time Dean has a follow-up to this hot topic that will need updating and revision almost as often as many of us boot up and log on.

OK, let's say you're the editor of a Kansas City jazz mag and your KC-rooted kid brother occupies (by virtue of numerous award-winning recordings and collaborations with some of the jazz world's finest) a high standing in the same field covered by the magazine. Do you report on current accomplishments and works? And if you do, will glowing reviews be seen with a suspicious eye? Or, do you leave things unreported for fear of being caught in a conflict of interest? Once again that was the dilemma (times two) in "For the Record," and one that was met by handing the reviews to two first-time JAM contributors. The honesty, objectivity and qualifications of each were beyond question.

There are also four other CDs reviewed in this issue, including new releases from those ageless giants of Kansas City blues and jazz, Jay McShann and Claude "Fiddler" Williams. May both continue to amaze us with excellent sounds and breathtaking longevity for many years to come.

Coming Attractions
It's always great fun to assemble the June/July JAM, mostly because we know well in advance that it will deal with one of the most vibrant parts of the Kansas City jazz and blues calendar. Summer in KC is festival season, a time when hot sounds and cool drinks make for good times on lazy summer days and nights. (And don't forget about the Jazz Lover's Pub Crawl on June 22!). Look for a comprehensive overview of KC's jazzy summer of 2000 in the next issue of the Kansas City Jazz Ambassador Magazine.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
"A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history, with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila." -- Mitch Ratliffe, Technology Review, April 1992


RETURN TO APRIL 2000 MAIN INDEX

------------------------------------------------------------------------
© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2001. All rights reserved.