Breaking Jazz News & Opinion: May 2009

Rumors of jazz movies Will they ever come to the screen?	How jazz works Jay Thomas gives the inside scoop.
When swing came to Carnegie Hall Benny Goodman's 100th birthday is an occasion to recall his historic 1939 concert.	Chico Hamilton, 87, jams at Borders NEA Jazz Master and drum innovator Hamilton was a pioneer of cool jazz.
Is radio station tax good for music? "That's a helluva business plan, recording industry! Hurt your partners who promote record sales."	The "demonetization" of recorded music Ticketmaster CEO says CDs have become marketing tools, not revenue sources.
The best scat-singing dog Please don't send us your pet videos.	7 musicians added to Jazz Wall of Fame ASCAP honors Coltrane, six others.
95% of jazz sucks Peter Hum shares an interesting video.	Sonny Rollins sings the blues Honestly, it was more like a growl.
Rare Lester Young is uncovered . . . But no record label is interested.	Goodbye Jazz Bakery This is the SoCal's club's last weekend.
Jazz Twitter Nation Peter Hum is skeptical about Basie alum's plan.	Seattle may cut music club tax Committee approved measure on a 5 to 3 vote.
Why would anyone want to be musician in this environment? Dave Kusek of Berklee gets some responses.	The ultimate guide to 73 world music and ethnomusicology blogs Barbara Alge puts together the master list.
Ten great YouTube jazz moments A fan shares some faves.	Last.fm denies data-sharing accusations But journalist stands by the original story.
Suggested CDs for a jazz newbie The Organissimo forum offers recommendations.	Brad Mehldau goes grunge Is Pearl Jam the new Radiohead?
Sax players invited to help set a world record But you must know how to play "O Canada."	You could own. . . Art Tatum's chattel mortgage? Another odd jazz item shows up on eBay.
Small indie release jumps to the top of the jazz airplay chart One for All beats out the Blue Note 7.	European Union pushes music industry to open up online sales 12 countries still have no access to iTunes.
Trumpeter starves himself of music Jon Hassell lives in a MP3-free zone.	The most popular songs of World War II Was this the golden age of popular songs?
Write a jazz blog, win $100 Do the Math announces competition winners.	The mathematical equation blues Is this article for real, or a parody of academia?
Downbeat turns 75 A jazz institution celebrates a milestone anniversary.	Get a taste of Iggy Pop's jazz CD . . . if you dare.
No tears for dying jazz festivals Are festivals dinosaurs that deserve extinction?	Duke Ellington died 35 years ago today A jazz icon passed away on this day in 1974.
Spaniard wins jazz piano competition Marcus Roberts, Dr. John and Na'im Rashid judge the next generation of jazz pianists.	Japan's jazz hub is thriving The beat goes on in Yokohama, even though jazz cafe owners "tend to be cranky and unfriendly."
Should a jazz radio DJ play Steely Dan? Where do you draw the line in jazz?	How black jazz writers persevere Willard Jenkins talks to A.B. Spellman
WNUA switches to Hispanic format�just a few days after KKSF switch Another smooth jazz station bites the dust.	Atlanta Jazz Festival returns this week with no help from Atlanta Festival scrambled to find alternative support.
Duke Ellington plays . . . the Beatles? And wait, there's more: Ed Sullivan!	Sammy Cahn said thank you Derek Silvers remembers a famous tunesmith.
2010 NEA Jazz Masters announced 8 honorees will each receive $25,000.	Wall Street Journal recalls Art Tatum Tatum's art changed jazz.
Johnny Depp to play Sinatra? Entertainment Weekly has the inside scoop.	DiCaprio to play Sinatra? MTV has the inside scoop.
What happened to the JVC Jazz Festival? NY Times looks at the death of a festival.	Lounge jazz meets the Beastie Boys Welcome to the warped world of Richard Cheese.
KKSF switches to classic rock The station was a longtime home for smooth jazz.	Diana Krall still tops airplay chart Sean Jones and Allen Toussaint are #2 and #3.
jazz magazine comes back to life Jazz Journal returns from the dead.	Women in Jazz celebrated in DC Michael J. West gives a day-by-day account.
Interview with Jackie Cain JazzWax talks with a legend of vocalese.	Latin jazz at the Greek Theater Michael Katz reports on the concert.
Which drummers use a click track? Paul Lamere devises a click track detector.	Kurt Rosenwinkel recovering from injury Serious burn requires hospitalization.
Checking out early vintage Wynton David Brent Johnson's Night Lights looks at the music of young Wynton Marsalis.	French jazz festival goes back to basics While other festival squeeze out the jazz, Nice promoter promises most acts will play jazz.
Rifftides remembers Buddy Montgomery The last of the celebrated Montgomery brothers is dead at age 79.	McCoy Tyner & Ravi Coltrane in concert Fred Kaplan checks out a combo line-up "that almost promises too much."
Wayman Tisdale dead at age 44 Tisdale was a jazz bassist, a NBA player and an Olympic gold medalist.	Where are the women jazz fans? Howard Mandel asks about the connection between gender and jazz.
Odd couple planning jazz project Bette Midler aims to collaborate with rapper 50 Cent on jazz songs.	Never before published Sinatra photos Life magazine archival photos released on the anniversary of Sinatra's death.
Scorsese planning Sinatra film No word yet on who would play the title role.	Jazz at the White House Esperanza Spalding performs for the president.
Has Wynton left Blue Note? The Orchard announces deal with the trumpeter.	Top 10 jazz ironies JazzWax gets ironic.
"Wasteful" earmark supports jazz $143K goes to Kaycee jazz foundation.	Diana Krall tops jazz airplay chart Sean Jones and Stanley Clarke are #2 and #3.
Need Dixieland jazz. . . hire Randy Newman Hollywood has its own concept of New Orleans.	Talking with Nat Hentoff JazzWax interviews the esteemed critic.
New inductees named for New England jazz hall of fame Ceremony takes place on May 17.	Jason Moran's multimedia Monk comes to Minneapolis The event celebrates Monk's 1959 Town Hall concert.
Musicians turn to house party gigs As clubs shut down, jazz artists take the music home.	Brad Mehldau at the Village Vanguard Nate Chinen reports in The New York Times
Mystery tape from Africa We love this music. We just wish we knew who the heck was playing it.	Quincy Jones on jazz & arts education From a 1943 manual: "jazz is sterile . . . entirely useless. . . an anodyne like tobacco."
Rhythm-a-ning with Branford Fred Kaplan writes about an exciting concert.	Pandora iPhone sales booming Consumers buy a million phone songs per month.
Gripes about the Montreal Jazz Festival List of headliners excludes jazz acts.	Jazz award nominees announced JJA winners will be announced on June 16.
Sinatra at the Meadowlands, 1996 Midriff reports on the concert recording.	Remembering Dave Tough Jazz Profiles looks at a very swinging drummer.
Can artists tweet their way to success? Expert says: "Tweet, Engage and Interact."	Losses widen at Warner Music Download sales grow, but CD sales drop 20%.
Congress hears from some sad singers Performers seek a bigger share of royalties, but labels want radio stations to pay for it.	Capitol Records archives in Utah How did Sinatra scores (and lots of other archival material) get to BYU?
Music piracy in 1897 The music industry has been griping for a long time!	Dave Douglas cooks in Cheltenham The Telegraph reports on the proceedings.
Frank Sinatra's top 10 rock swingers JazzWax looks at the rock side of Sinatra.	Happy birthday, "Giant Steps" Peter Hum looks back at a jazz classic.
John Edward Hasse explains American jazz in Ethiopia Hasse reports from Addis Ababa.	Radio station drops jazz; adds Michael Savage Talk radio replace Smooth Jazz at KJZN.
Living near New Orleans Jazz Fest Neighbors "enjoy" the proceedings.	The Beatles and jazz in the 1960s Night Lights looks at the Fab Four.
Tony Bennett hands out instruments at Jazz Fest Youngsters get $100,000 worth of horns.	Business is booming as Depression-era jazz club turns 75 Baker's has been a Detroit institution since 1934.
Q&A with Gil Scott-Heron But the interview will not be televised.	Reaching Alzheimers patients with jazz Guitarist creates a non-profit called Jazzheimers.