JAM: August/September 2006 Issue: Editor's Corner

by Roger Atkinson

As I reflect on the thirty years that jazz has been a part of my life, I am amazed at how little the music has changed in these years. Looking back, it seems that this was an unlikely scenario. After all, look at the changes that occurred every 10 years from 1926 through 1976, from Armstrong to Basie to Parker to Rollins to Coltrane and then to the avant-garde Loft Jazz scene and the popular fusion movement.

I was reminded of this when looking at the winners of the latest Downbeat Critics Poll: Sonny Rollins, Phil Woods, Dave Holland, Andrew Hill, Toots Thielemans, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Joe Zawinul, James Moody, the late Ray Barretto, and Jack DeJohnette were all voted as tops on their respective instruments. Rollins was Artist of the Year, and Hill's recording Time Lines was Album of the year.

This would have been a respectable group of winners in 1976! And several a decade or so earlier!

It is apparent that the language of jazz has changed little since the young lions of past decades – including the likes listed above – created it. That language is still valid and fresh today. The musicians who grew at that time continue to grow and push boundaries today – our own Bob Brookmeyer is a prime example, as is Lee Konitz, a poll runner up in 2006. And as long as the current generation of players continues to push the boundaries and find their own voices, the language will continue to be freshened for future generations to enjoy.

Don't let the polls fool you, there are an incredible number of vital younger players out there right now developing new sounds in schools and clubs and basements around the world. And they are here, at UMKC and the Blue Room jam sessions. Some are as accomplished as Sonny was when he was a kid and already making waves with Bud, Miles, and Monk. Go hear them!

In the May issue I gushed over the exhibition of Dan White's jazz photography at the AJM. The exhibit closed in mid-July with concert and discussion of some of White's key subjects, including Luqman Hamza, Myra Taylor, Lucky Wesley, Ahmad Alaadeen, Horace Washington, and Wallace B. Jones. I thank Dan White and the American Jazz Museum for making this wonderful exhibit possible.






	Search our site:		by Roger Atkinson As I reflect on the thirty years that jazz has been a part of my life, I am amazed at how little the music has changed in these years. Looking back, it seems that this was an unlikely scenario. After all, look at the changes that occurred every 10 years from 1926 through 1976, from Armstrong to Basie to Parker to Rollins to Coltrane and then to the avant-garde Loft Jazz scene and the popular fusion movement. I was reminded of this when looking at the winners of the latest Downbeat Critics Poll: Sonny Rollins, Phil Woods, Dave Holland, Andrew Hill, Toots Thielemans, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, Keith Jarrett, Joe Zawinul, James Moody, the late Ray Barretto, and Jack DeJohnette were all voted as tops on their respective instruments. Rollins was Artist of the Year, and Hill's recording Time Lines was Album of the year. This would have been a respectable group of winners in 1976! And several a decade or so earlier! It is apparent that the language of jazz has changed little since the young lions of past decades – including the likes listed above – created it. That language is still valid and fresh today. The musicians who grew at that time continue to grow and push boundaries today – our own Bob Brookmeyer is a prime example, as is Lee Konitz, a poll runner up in 2006. And as long as the current generation of players continues to push the boundaries and find their own voices, the language will continue to be freshened for future generations to enjoy. Don't let the polls fool you, there are an incredible number of vital younger players out there right now developing new sounds in schools and clubs and basements around the world. And they are here, at UMKC and the Blue Room jam sessions. Some are as accomplished as Sonny was when he was a kid and already making waves with Bud, Miles, and Monk. Go hear them! In the May issue I gushed over the exhibition of Dan White's jazz photography at the AJM. The exhibit closed in mid-July with concert and discussion of some of White's key subjects, including Luqman Hamza, Myra Taylor, Lucky Wesley, Ahmad Alaadeen, Horace Washington, and Wallace B. Jones. I thank Dan White and the American Jazz Museum for making this wonderful exhibit possible. RETURN TO AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 MAIN INDEX © Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2006. All rights reserved.