I got off to a great start with my new column in the Post and Courier's Preview entertainment magazine on Thursday.
There was a nice, photographic key from page 1A to it in the section. Editor Marcus Amaker laid it out nicely, complete with a cool picture and, with all due modesty, a minimum of changes from what I originally wrote.
He's been completely supportive from the beginning of the idea and through the run up to publication.
He believes; and nothing that happened Thursday has changed that. We exchanged e-mails Thursday afternoon and he's ready to continue.
So am I.
The initial response has been strong and positive. I got great complements, and that's cool, but among the ones I like the most are those who see it as "our" space, the local jazz community, that is.
After all, we are a family. We're not clannish (although we and others everywhere are accused of being such); it's just that we're a minority and we tend to band together for support. We also enjoy sharing our love of the music with others and this column is a helluva way to do that.
We can even show off.
Jazz is America's gift to world culture. It's multi-faceted and sparkles with beauty and invention. That's a big part of what attracts us fans. So, when there's an outlet for turning others on to it, we bask in it.
Here's to a good, long run of furthering the good news.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
new voice
I've been in talks for a few weeks with Marcus Amaker, editor of Preview, the weekly entertainment magazine of the Post and Courier, Charleston's daily newspaper, about a jazz column.
I heard from him yesterday saying it was a go.
So now, I have a new voice, a new outlet for my musings on my favorite art form totally from my point of view, no less.
I'm no stranger to the newspaper. Until a few months ago I worked there for 24 years, doing everything from clerking to sports writing to copy editing to feature writing to arts and entertainment criticism to community news gathering.
Writing about jazz is not the most of what I did there but it was my favorite.
I'm a longtime fan and I've been in tune with it for one of its most interesting periods, the last half of the twentieth century until now.
Over the course of its 200-plus year history, the paper of record in one of the country's most historic cities has not been known for its embrace of modern culture.
Evidently, that's changing - slowly, but inexorably.
I'm glad to have the shot.
I heard from him yesterday saying it was a go.
So now, I have a new voice, a new outlet for my musings on my favorite art form totally from my point of view, no less.
I'm no stranger to the newspaper. Until a few months ago I worked there for 24 years, doing everything from clerking to sports writing to copy editing to feature writing to arts and entertainment criticism to community news gathering.
Writing about jazz is not the most of what I did there but it was my favorite.
I'm a longtime fan and I've been in tune with it for one of its most interesting periods, the last half of the twentieth century until now.
Over the course of its 200-plus year history, the paper of record in one of the country's most historic cities has not been known for its embrace of modern culture.
Evidently, that's changing - slowly, but inexorably.
I'm glad to have the shot.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
You never know
You never know where things are going to come from.
An accidental meeting, which has proven to be purposeful, with an author who is now a friend has led to the near completion of a book project that is one of the highlights of my publishing career.
Hans Offringa, a writer and expert on whisky form The Netherlands, brought me on to his latest book project, "Whisky and Jazz," while visiting the United States with his American wife, Becky, about a year and a half ago. I'm a contributing editor.
The "whisky couple," as they're known internationally, moved around Charleston socially on that visit and they casually talked about their latest effort. They were urged to hook up with me by many of the people they talked to.
My involvement in things jazz is known by many.
We met for drinks and live music at the Charleston Grill and then dinner at FIG through the auspices of Deneen Bell, a friend who just happened to be the property manager for the house the Offringas were renting during their stay. When they asked her if they knew me, she said yes and got us together.
We hit it off - personally and professionally - and agreed to a deal that had me editing the jazz side of Hans' book.
It was a collegial marriage made in heaven.
We worked well together since then and grew to like each other very much which, in my view, has led to a wonderful product.
Hans is a jazz fan; and the premise of the book is an analytical comparison of the characteristics of 10 whiskies with the musical traits of 10 of his favorite jazz musicians.
If I say so myself, the result of our efforts is a beautiful book that is totally unique and a serious contribution to the jazz literary canon.
The publishers left us alone to do our thing, trusted us and encouraged us to put out this masterpiece.
While it superficially appears that this was luck or happenstance, I believe it was providence.
The jazz gods smiled on us - and on me, once again.
As I've learned over the last four decades, jazz is about more than music.
This is more evidence.
An accidental meeting, which has proven to be purposeful, with an author who is now a friend has led to the near completion of a book project that is one of the highlights of my publishing career.
Hans Offringa, a writer and expert on whisky form The Netherlands, brought me on to his latest book project, "Whisky and Jazz," while visiting the United States with his American wife, Becky, about a year and a half ago. I'm a contributing editor.
The "whisky couple," as they're known internationally, moved around Charleston socially on that visit and they casually talked about their latest effort. They were urged to hook up with me by many of the people they talked to.
My involvement in things jazz is known by many.
We met for drinks and live music at the Charleston Grill and then dinner at FIG through the auspices of Deneen Bell, a friend who just happened to be the property manager for the house the Offringas were renting during their stay. When they asked her if they knew me, she said yes and got us together.
We hit it off - personally and professionally - and agreed to a deal that had me editing the jazz side of Hans' book.
It was a collegial marriage made in heaven.
We worked well together since then and grew to like each other very much which, in my view, has led to a wonderful product.
Hans is a jazz fan; and the premise of the book is an analytical comparison of the characteristics of 10 whiskies with the musical traits of 10 of his favorite jazz musicians.
If I say so myself, the result of our efforts is a beautiful book that is totally unique and a serious contribution to the jazz literary canon.
The publishers left us alone to do our thing, trusted us and encouraged us to put out this masterpiece.
While it superficially appears that this was luck or happenstance, I believe it was providence.
The jazz gods smiled on us - and on me, once again.
As I've learned over the last four decades, jazz is about more than music.
This is more evidence.
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