the big rocK Jazz Fest — better than everBy Patty Bailey, LJS Vice PresidentThe Highlands-Douglass Neighborhood Association is presenting the ninth annual Big Rock Jazz Fest, on what is sure to be a wonderful day in our fabulous Cherokee Park. I remember scaling that Big Rock many times as a little girl, and now that great lawn next to the pavilion is the site of one of the coolest and hippest shows of the year. The Louisville Jazz Society, along with many other businesses and individuals, provides the funds to pay all the expenses so that jazz lovers can enjoy a free concert. All you have to do is park your car at Adath Jeshurun Synagogue, at Douglass Blvd. and Ellerbe St., and take the free trolley down to Big Rock. Or if you’re in the neighborhood, ride your bike down, or better yet, walk! Bring a chair or blanket, invite all of your coolest friends, and do bring a few bucks to buy some fest T-shirts, LJS T-shirts and member-ships, CDs, food from Tommy O’Shea’s, and beer from BBC. Naturally, other beverages will be for sale as well. For the first time, we’ll have some “Jags on the Rocks”— about twenty Jaguar aficio-nados will bring their sleek and beautiful vintage Cats for display, and everyone is encouraged to vote on their favorite car.

The start time has been moved back to 2:00 PM this year, and for the first time, we are extending the hours until 7:00 PM. The lineup is multi-talented and offers a lot of variety. Starting off the fest will be the Steve Allee Quintet, followed by Louisville’s own Juggernaut Jug Band, and end-ing with another local group,The Stray Cat Blues Band. Each of these bands will play a ninety minute set.

Steve Allee is a veteran of more than thirty-five years on the music scene, working principally in jazz. Talented and versatile, he has worked as a pianist, composer, arranger, and educator, as well as writing and performing for syndicated radio programs, network television, and motion pictures.

A native son and longtime resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, Steve’s playing has a touch, sparkling clarity, and improvisational style reminiscent of the late Bill Evans, as well as a very strong blues i n f l uence tha t Steve credits to his exposure to Buddy Montgomery and Horace Silver.

Steve has released six CDs as a lead-er, the two most Summer 2008

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JameyAebersold

Jazz

Left: big rock co-chairs Jim Kays and patty bailey. above: roland vazquez, 2007 big rock Jazz Fest.

Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd.

The Big Rock Jazz Fest Sunday, October 5, 2008

2:00 PM to 7:00 PM

Jazz, as an art form rooted in improvisation, most frequently reaches peaks during live performance. The interaction between the artist and the audience, and the interactions between and among the artists while onstage, can lead to inspired moments. Thus, a series of in-concert releases can serve as valuable mementos for those who were there, and as time capsules for those who were not.

The Monterey Jazz Festival is one of the oldest con-tinuous jazz festivals in the United States, having begun in 1958. The second set of historic recordings from this Festival has just been released, and it cov-ers many stylistic variants within the mainstream of modern jazz. There is the bedrock of the blues, as exemplified by Jimmy Witherspoon’s 1972 set backed by guitarist Robben Ford’s band. There is Latin jazz, with a magnificent set by Tito Puente backed by a full fifteen-piece orchestra. Vocal jazz is well represented by singer-pianist Shirley Horn, recorded in 1994 dur-ing her comeback. Two artists, Dave Brubeck and Cal Tjader, are represented by overviews of their many performances at Monterey. A rare combination of musicians, credited to “Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz,” was recorded in 1972, and features Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, Roy Eldridge, Clark Terry, Kai Winding, and Al McKibbon.

Your personal taste will no doubt dictate which of these CDs is of the highest priority for your collection. For me, the two top ones are the Tito Puente and Giants of Jazz record-ings. Like many of my generation, my introduction to Tito Puente came through Santana’s covers of Puente’s “Oye Como Va” and “Para los Rumberos,” both of which are performed here. Puente’s tim-bales are augmented, yet never overwhelmed, by a trio of percussionists (traps, bongos, and congas). The multiple horns add extra punch to the music. Puente always enjoyed bringing fresh composi-tions into his repertoire, as is made evident by his interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s 1973 composition “Don’t You Worry ’bout a Thing.” Puente’s band members have plenty of solo space, and the jazz improvisation over the percolating grooves of the Latin beats makes for a thoroughly enjoyable album. On the closing number, “Picadillo,” vibraphonist Cal Tjader sits in, adding a melodic percussive voice. On his own release, Tjader’s complete 1958 set (some 37 minutes) is augmented by one song apiece from the years 1972, 1974, 1977, and 1980. Tjader deftly mixes jazz and Latin influences with a changing cast of musicians supporting him.

The recording of Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz documents a short-lived all-star ensemble which toured during 1971-72. Dizzy Gillespie, who had been part of the lineup, was in South America at the time of the Monterey show, and he was replaced for this engagement by both Eldridge and Terry. Nonetheless, Gillespie’s presence is made known

through the group’s opening romp on his “Blue ‘n’ Boogie” and the closing tour de force on Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia.” The set includes both lengthy jamming vehicles, such as the Gillespie numbers and a fifteen-minute workout on “Perdido,” as well as shorter ballad features, such as the only Monk com-position here, his beautiful “‘Round Midnight,” and “The Man I Love.” Blakey is at his peak, propelling the barn burners with his powerful drumming, while exercising restraint on the slower numbers.

The classic quartet of Dave Brubeck, with Paul Desmond, Eugene Wright, and Joe Morello, is featured on the first three tracks of his CD, which close with a 1966 rendition of “Take Five.” Two songs from 1971, “Sermon on the Mount” and “Jumping Bean,” are spotlights for Gerry Mulligan. Following other tracks from 1985 through 2002, this retrospec-tive closes with performances by the superb lineup which played here in Louisville in 2003 and 2007,

namely Bobby Militello, Michael Moore, and Randy Jones. Brubeck lovers, indeed all modern jazz lovers, will find much to enjoy here. Now, how about some full-length concerts from this icon?

Shirley Horn performed a relatively short (47 minutes) set in 1994, but the range of emotions expressed in the ten songs here more than make up for the brevity. Accompanied by bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams, Horn’s reper-toire ranges from a lovely rendition of “The Look of Love” to a humorous chestnut, “Hard Hearted Hannah.” Songwriters from Harold Arlen (“I’ve Got the World on a String”) to Leon Russell (“A Song for You”) are represented, as Horn plays and sings with verve and emotion.

Blues fans will get a double dose from the Jimmy Witherspoon recording, as it features not only the famed singer, but a solid electric blues band led by Robben Ford. Spoon covers classic blues songs such as “I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town,” “Kansas City,” and what may have become his theme song, “Ain’t Nobody’s Business What I Do,” frequently giving the band no more advance notice than to call out “a little A-flat blues” before launch-ing into “Goin’ Down Slow.” A bonus cut, “When I Been Drinkin’” from an evening set with Coleman Hawkins, Woody Herman, and other jazz greats, rounds out this fun set.

Further details on these releases, including full personnel and song listings, are available at www.concordmusicgroup.com/labels/Monterey-Jazz-Festival-Records, where you will also find details about the first batch of releases which came out in 2007. As if the music itself were not incentive enough, proceeds from the sale of this series go to a nonprofit organization dedicated to further-ing jazz education.

LIVE AT THE MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL© 2008 by Martin Z. Kasdan Jr.

Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz − Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

Dave Brubeck − 50 Years of Dave Brubeck: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-2007

Shirley Horn − Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival

Tito Puente & His Orchestra − Live at the 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival

Cal Tjader − The Best of Cal Tjader: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-1980

Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Robben Ford − Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

recent being his trio record-ings, Dragonfly (June 2008) and Colors (April 2007) on the Owl Studios label. He began his professional career at age nineteen with the Buddy Rich Orchestra before he was draft-ed into military service during the Vietnam War. Through the years, he has worked with a veritable “Who’s Who” of major jazz artists across the United States and abroad. Recently he has performed with the Rufus Reid Trio, The Randy Brecker Quartet, David “Fathead” Newman, John Clayton, and The Rich Perry Quartet. He also leads a big band that performs regularly in Indianapolis. Many of you may have heard Steve on one of his gigs at our beloved Jazz Factory, that oasis of jazz that lasted about five years in downtown Louisville.

This busy artist is also the music director for the nationally syndicated, Indianapolis-based comedy-variety radio show, The Bob and Tom Show, with which he has co-produced more than fifty albums over the past twenty-five years.

As an educator, Steve has taught or lectured at several college and university music programs, including the University of Cincinnati, University of Louisville, University of Illinois, Morehead College, Purdue University, Butler University, University of Indianapolis, Indiana State University, Drury College, and Florida International University. He now teaches at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops and other master classes and workshops throughout the year.

What do you get when you blend jazz, blues, ragtime, swing, and original music with washboards, washtubs, kazoos, jugs, and other sundry hardware? Nothing less than the strange concoction called the Juggernaut Jug Band.

The JJB is comprised of Roscoe Goose on jug, vocals, washboard, trumpet, blues harp, and snare drum; The Amazing Mr. Fish on vocals, acoustic and washtub bass, and kazoo; Skip Tracer on vocals, guitar, mandolin, and banjo; and Smiley Habanero on vocals, guitar, kazoo, and mandolin.

While members of the band are accomplished musicians, in the words of the Washington Post, “They don’t let virtuosity get in the way of having fun.” Each performance is a challenge to the audience to have as much fun as the band. Don’t let their antics fool you though. Their exuberant music is the result of skillfully conceived arrangements and unique vocal harmonies.

A combination vaudeville act, musical American history lesson, and one very tight band, their repertoire spans popular and obscure tunes from the 1920s through the 1940s, traditional jug band fare, originals, and even a few rock and roll classics. I nearly fell out of my chair when

I heard their rendition of The Who’s “Pinball Wizard.” With their sense of fun, nostalgia, and great entertainment, the JJB delivers a musical concert like no other.

The Stray Cat Blues Band will play the third set of the afternoon, bringing a unique band fronted by two guitar-ists—Greg Martin and Ricky Mason. They will be joined by Bruce Lively on vocals, Lamont Gillespie on vocals and harmonica, Jimmy Brown on bass guitar, and Andy Brown on drums.

Most of these “cats” hail from Louisville, and a few of them began jamming in back of the store opened by Jimmy Brown in the early 70s—The Guitar Emporium on Bardstown Road. This is where Greg Martin was purportedly introduced to the blues, and he took to it like a fish to water. He stayed with the band for a couple of years, but eventually found a more lucrative niche in the country genre, forming a band called

the Kentucky Headhunters, which has had considerable

success. But Greg maintains that his heart really belongs to the blues.

The Stray Cat Blues Band plays originals (one was recorded on a WLRS Homemade Album) and also covers blues tunes by others, always adding their own distinctive flair. When I asked Lamont Gillespie (of the 100 Proof Blues fame) to sum up their sound, he replied, “We’re just some hillbillies getting together to play the blues.” The great Sam Meyers paid them a fine tribute when he commented that “They really don’t copy anyone . . . they play from their hearts in their own unique style.”

During the band’s twenty-plus year run in the area, it wasn’t uncom-mon for them to pack two hundred people into Woody’s Tavern downtown on Friday and Saturday nights. They also played gigs at the Whipping Post, Steve’s Kentucky Pub, and Armando’s Palace, as well as traveling to other cities in the region.

This will be a much heralded reunion of a band that many folks from around Louisville will remember fondly. While it is a happy occasion, it is also tinged with great sorrow, as they are replacing the originally invited band, Steve Ferguson and the Midwest Creole Ensemble. Steve was all set to reassemble his own crew, when health problems got in the way. We certainly wish him well, and hope that he can attend the event. If he can sit in, that would be icing on the cake.

So come one, come all, for what promises to be the biggest and best Big Rock Jazz Fest yet.

(continued from front page)

Steve Allee

The Juggernaut Jug Band

Greg Martin of the Stray Cat Blues Band

Life is what happens while we’re making other plans. Just ask Natalie Boeyink. She started her musical journey determined to have a career as a classical violin teacher and performer. And for several years it looked as if she would do exactly that. Play jazz bass? Wasn’t even a consideration. At least not in the beginning. But thanks to the quirky twists that life loves to dole out, that would change.

Although there were all kinds of music in her childhood home, when she began violin les-sons at the age of five and piano a few years later, the focus was entirely classical. A native of Bloomington, Indiana, she was a student of Mimi Zweig’s in the renowned Young Violinist Program at Indiana University where she excelled from the very beginning. But even though she was a serious violin student, there were occasional clues pointing to her future as a bass player. Zweig once pronounced her a “closet violist” because of her preference for the deepest, richest sounds of the violin. Natalie’s thought was “No! I’m a closet cel-list!” but the bass didn’t enter her mind. That would come several years later when plain old necessity led her there.

Jazz band was offered as an after-school program in Natalie’s middle school and she joined as a jazz violinist. But during her eighth grade year the band suddenly found itself with no bass player. No bass meant no band, so it didn’t take Natalie long to volun-teer even though she had no great desire to play bass. She borrowed the school’s electric bass to practice and, as you already know if you’ve heard her play, Natalie took to it. Gradually, as her playing developed so did her appreciation for jazz and the bass, especially the upright. The beauty of its shape and the colors of the wood appealed to her, and she found the richness and resonance of its sound unrivaled by the electric bass. Natalie speaks of playing the upright with the kind of fond-ness people reserve for the things most dear. “To hold the upright and feel its vibrations is like having another limb,” she says. So it’s no surprise that she eventually stopped practicing violin and piano to concentrate on the bass. And when she decided to enroll in Indiana University’s undergraduate music program to pursue a bachelor’s, she chose the bass as her instrument. There was only one problem.

By the time Natalie got there, jazz at IU had come a long way since the days in the sixties when students stood to lose their practice

room privileges if they were caught practic-ing jazz. Still, the school was steeped in the conventions of a traditional classical music program. Although jazz degrees were offered, everyone who auditioned had to play classi-cal repertoire. And Natalie had never played classical bass. In fact, she rarely played with a bow at all. So, ever resourceful, she dusted off her classical piano skills, took the audition, and was accepted as a piano student. Her first year, she studied both classical and jazz piano and set about gaining the skills she needed to take a classical bass audition and officially become a bass student. Her sophomore year that’s exactly what she did, and a few years later she graduated with the degree Bachelor of Music, Emphasis in Jazz Bass.

After graduation Natalie moved to Louisville, taught violin and piano at Mom’s Music, and worked first for Stage One, and then as a recep-tionist for the Public Radio Partnership—a position that led to part-time hosting, some-thing Natalie still enjoys. But although she was enjoying her teaching and had good stu-dents of all ages, after a few years she found herself feeling stuck and longing for new chal-lenges. For a time she considered traveling to Paris as an au pair, but didn’t like the thought of not being able to play for an extended time. Teaching music at the college level was her ultimate goal, so clearly graduate school was necessary and the time felt right. She applied and was accepted at both IU and U of L, but chose the University of Louisville. By then

Jazz performer profile: natalie boeyinkBy Michele Blum

Natalie Boeyink

Louisville felt like home and U of L offered greater opportunity for travel with school ensembles. Louisville’s local music scene was also healthier than Bloomington’s and that cinched the deal. It’s a decision she doesn’t regret. As a student of Tyrone Wheeler’s, she learned invaluable techniques for breathing and releasing tension while playing, and for the first time in her life started feeling truly comfortable with improvisation. Wheeler’s instruction combined with the overall quality of the students and staff at U of L created an atmosphere where Natalie flourished, and in 2007 she earned the Master of Music in Jazz Performance degree.

Natalie hasn’t slowed down since graduation. She still teaches and performs on both violin and piano in addition to bass, and programs and hosts Java Jazz on WFPK, Sunday morn-ings from 8-10. And she is thriving as a jazz bassist. Natalie performs whenever she can—rarely turning down a gig—and plays with a variety of groups. You can hear her with the Jerry Tolson Quartet/Quintet, the Rob Nickerson Group, and Jeff Sherman, among others. She also has her own sextet, Alma y Clave. Alma means soul and clave is the term for the dominant rhythmic pattern of Afro-Cuban music and the name of the instrument used to produce it. Rhythm is at the core of Latin music of course and for Natalie, who jokes that she will be a percussionist in her next life, it’s irresistible. She was exposed to the music of Africa and Latin America early on and acquired a love of salsa dancing, which in turn led to more exposure and greater passion for the music. Her list of influences is long and includes the Cuban piano dynasty of Bebo, Chucho, and Chuchito Valdés; the saxophon-ist David Sanchez; the salsa singers Celia Cruz and David Bisbal; and of course the genre’s giants Antonio Carlos Jobim, Arturo Sandoval, Dizzy Gillespie, and Paquito d’Rivera. Perhaps most notable of all is Israel Cachao López, the Cuban bassist and composer who pioneered the mambo and died in March of this year. In addition to performing with Alma y Clave at the Jazz Factory and the Elk Creek Winery, and on WFPK’s Kentucky Homefront, Natalie has collaborated with other regional Latin ensembles including Intuition and Alma Azul (Bloomington), Grupo 317 (Indianapolis), and Kalor (Louisville). She sums it up simply by saying, “Afro-Cuban and Latin music is definitely where my heart is.”

So what’s next for Natalie? She’s been accepted in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, but has requested a one-year deferment to give herself

time to consider other schools. Coral Gables is extremely expensive and although Miami is a wonderful place for anyone who loves Latin music, other schools have much to offer in that regard as well. Her eventual goal is to attain a position in an established jazz depart-ment that also incorporates world music. And wherever she ends up, she’ll strive to provide her students with instruction and encourage-ment in whatever musical niche appeals most to them—classical or jazz, notated or impro-

vised, traditional or progressive. Because for her there is not one “right” way to play music. For musicians who love music the way Natalie does, the goal is simply to play as much music as possible, as often as possible.

You can hear Natalie play every other week-end at Varanese with Jeff Sherman. And don’t forget to watch the Jazz Society calen-dar at www.louisvillejazz.org/calendar for other dates.

After forty years as a key player in the worldwide jazz scene, the abrupt bankruptcy declaration of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) stunned jazz enthusiasts everywhere—and left many of us wondering, what’s next?

Earlier this summer, thirty-five leaders from all areas of the American jazz scene met in Chicago to thrash out the answer to that question and lay the foundations for a new, better jazz era.

On June 1, 2008, these dynamic jazz leaders announced the official launch of a new organization that will fill the void left by IAJE’s collapse.

This new Jazz Education Network (JEN) is dedicated to building the jazz arts community by advancing education, promoting performance, and developing new audiences. In June, JEN President Mary Jo Papich said, “There is a burning need to help build a strong community in jazz education. Our goal is to be an essential resource for anyone involved in or with jazz education.”

Our Louisville Jazz Society already has a long tradition of being very much involved in jazz education. We provide financial support to events such as Bellarmine’s Jazz Guitar Clinic and The University of Louisville’s “Jazz Fest . . . and More,” as well as funding an annual scholarship award for a student to attend the Jamey Aebersold Jazz Improvisation Workshops each summer.

Our Board of Directors also recently voted to provide financial assistance for the transportation costs incurred as part of U of L’s Jazz in Schools project. This free community service (supervised by LJS board member and U of L faculty member Ansyn Banks, and presented by Jazz Studies department students) brings jazz performances to area middle and high schools. The Louisville Jazz Society believes that introducing young people to jazz—whether they’re active musicians or just listeners—is vital to the continued enjoyment and development of this unique art form.

As an individual, I’ve already joined JEN as a charter member. I’m working with President Mary Jo Papich and Vice President Lou Fischer as a volunteer on the Public Relations committee for this new organization. I encourage you to visit JEN’s new website, www.jazzednet.org, and explore the many new features and programs that are being added daily.

Then, do, please, make your own commitment to the world of jazz by joining this dynamic new group. Get connected to the larger world of jazz, and help make this new networking opportunity a success. The next generation of jazz musicians and fans will thank you.

new Jazz network Launched this summer© 2008 Nancy S. Grant

The Louisville Jazz Society Newsletter is produced

quarterly by the Newsletter Committee:

Managing Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michele Blum

Associate Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Patty Bailey

Advertising. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . position open

* * * * *

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Alfred Moreschi

* * * * *

www.louisvillejazz.org

The Louisville Federation of Musicians

(502) 451-7509 musunion@bellsouth.net1436 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

www.louisvillemusicians.org…featuring Louisville’s finest jazz musicians.

We’re the Professionals!Visit our website for our Band and Ensemble List.

The Louisville Federation ofMusicians

(502) 451-7509 musunion@bellsouth.net1436 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

www.louisvillemusicians.org…featuring Louisville’s finest jazz musicians.

We’re the Professionals!

Visit our website for our Band and Ensemble List.

Every summer I like to experiment with new plant combinations in my gardens—add a new variety of Hosta, divide the Siberian Iris, maybe try a different color Coneflower. Sometimes older plants surprise me by self-seeding, springing up in unexpected places. Turns out, Louisville’s jazz scene is flowering in surprising new ways, too.

We welcome the Comedy Caravan as our newest Jazz Society business partner. Owner

Tom Sobel, a very creative guy, is living up to the new tag line for the nightclub, “Jazz, Jokes and Magical Evenings,” by offering an eclectic assortment of jazz styles each month. The inaugural version of “A Night of Jazz” featured three very different sets, with unusual instru-mentations from local musicians who are determined to take jazz in new directions.

After just one night of listening to Squeeze-Bot (I had no idea that Todd Hildreth, pianist extraordinaire, is also a master of the accordion!), the Bobby Falk Group, and Fattlabb (Tony McDaniel’s trumpet may look like Dizzy Gillespie’s, but the notes are something else!) my ears are ready to be more adventuresome.

That’s what I hope you’ll do this fall—step out of your usual favorite styles of jazz and give a listen to something that will be new to you. If you enjoy small combos, give a big band a try; if you like solo piano, give a vocalist a try. And invite a friend to share the experience with you.

One of the greatest things about our Louisville jazz scene is that during any particular week you can find so many different styles of jazz being performed live in a restaurant, club, or nightspot somewhere on either side of the river. One night you might have the choice of progressive jazz, a vocal duo, or swing music—and another night you can hear a guitar trio, solo piano, vibes, or a really funky saxophone quartet.

Wherever you go, do our local restaurateurs, jazz presenters, and musi-cians a big favor. Bring along your own jazz instrument—I’m talking about cash. While you’re listening, spend a few bucks on something to nibble and something to drink so the venue owners will see that jazz is good for their businesses.

And then buy a CD from the performers.

Over the years, John La Barbera’s made frequent jokes about “shameless commercialism” when mentioning CD sales. But it’s really no joke. Our local jazz musicians and the folks who come here on tour are profes-sionals, wonderfully creative people who earn a living doing something they enjoy. When you spend a little cash to buy their CDs you’re helping keep that spirit alive and moving in new directions.

Visit the calendar on our website at www.louisvillejazz.org, then make plans to go out for an evening of listening to live jazz. Help us grow the jazz scene here in the Louisville Metro area by inviting friends to explore all the many colors in our unique garden of jazz.

all that’s Jazz: News and Notes from the President

© 2008 Nancy S. Grant

1250 Bardstown Road in Mid-City Mall (502) 459-0022

In one sense Pandora Radio seems aptly named. Pandora means “all gift-ed” in Greek, and in ancient Greek mythology Pandora received the gift of music from Apollo. But unlike the mythological Pandora, who ultimately unleashed so many evils, Pandora Radio offers wonderful things.

It’s the product of the Musical Genome Project, a group of fifty musicians and music-loving technologists who set out to create the most com-prehensive analysis of music to date. They started by identifying over four hundred musical attributes, then analyzed songs—a half-million so far—and assigned specific attributes to each one. Then the songs were cross-referenced based on those attributes. The result is a vast, listenable database that allows users to custom build and refine “radio

stations” based on their musi-cal tastes. What

does this mean to you? It means you can type in your favorite artists or songs, and hear countless hours of music with similar qualities. Some of what you hear will consist of old favorites of course, but you’re also quite likely to discover something new. And because the cross-referencing of musical attributes is meticulous, you’ll probably like most of what you hear. Here’s how it works.

Registration takes about five minutes and then you’re ready to start creating stations by typing in “seed” names, the term Pandora uses for the artists and songs users enter. For example, I created a station by typing in three seeds: Stan Getz, Paul Desmond, and Joe Levano. Those names rendered a radio station featuring the music of, to name a few, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Miles Davis, Michele Petrucciani, Ed Thigpen, Jimmy Cobb, Baden Powell, Astrud Gilberto, and Duke Ellington. If you run across an artist you’re not familiar with and want to learn more, just click on their name to go to to Pandora’s “back-stage” area featuring biographies, discographies, and recommendations from other Pandora users who are fans of that artist. Click on an album in the discography to get a list of its songs, then click on a song to get a list of the attributes Pandora has assigned to it. To illustrate the kind of detail contained in the database, here are a few of the attributes assigned to “So What” from Miles Davis’s Kind of Blue: block piano chords, cool jazz qualities, a virtuosic tenor sax solo, an outside trum-pet solo, a mid-tempo swing feel, use of call-and-response melodies, interesting harmonic progressions, a groove oriented approach, use of modal harmony, and use of minor modes.

You can listen passively or provide Pandora with feedback by clicking on the Guide Us button. Several choices appear including “I really like this song−play more like it!” or “I don’t like this song−it’s not what this station should play.” To add more variety to a station, just add more seeds. To limit a station to a particular kind of music, use fewer and more specific seeds. You can create up to one hundred different stations and there’s a Quick Mix feature that allows you to pull music from several different stations during one listening session.

Pandora is free, available for PC and MAC, and works with any DSL or cable connection. There is some on-screen advertising but it doesn’t interrupt the music, and the only thing you need to get started is an active e-mail address. So what’s the downside? There are a few things you can’t do, mostly due to licensing restrictions. You can’t listen to any particular song or artist on demand or listen to any album in its entirety, and there’s no rewind or replay feature. You will also have to be near your computer unless you invest in special equipment that

enables you to listen to Pandora on your home stereo. Nonetheless, I think you’ll find that the benefits of Pandora outweigh its limitations. But there’s no need to take my word for it—visit www.pandora.com and explore for yourself. Be forewarned though, the one BIG problem with Pandora is that it’s terribly addictive. Happy listening!

More Streamin’ Jazz www.kcsm.org/jazz91A San Francisco Bay area station that’s completely devoted to jazz. Their hosts include veteran jazz musicians, educators, and seasoned jazz broadcasters. KCSM maintains a library of over 50,000 titles.

www.wbgo.orgThis listener-supported public radio station is highly regarded and currently reaches over 335,000 listeners in the New York Metropolitan area. They offer 24-hour jazz programming – much of it produced live in their own studios.

www.jazz.fmCanada’s premier jazz station and the first station to offer 24-hour a day jazz programming in Canada. But Toronto's FM91 is more than a radio station. It’s also a listener-supported, registered charity that sponsors a variety of community outreach programs dedicated to jazz education.

We've just learned that as we go to press, Pandora and similar Web casters await the court's decision on whether or not the fees they pay for music rights will dramatically increase. If so, it could mean the demise of this fledgling form of broadcasting. We'll report on the progress of this issue on our next Streamin' page.

pandora radio: a streamer’s DreamBy Michele Blum

Jazz venues■ Artemisia

620 E. Market Street 583-4177

■ Clifton’s Pizza Company 2230 Frankfort Avenue 893-3730

■ Jack Fry’s Restaurant 1007 Bardstown Road 452-9244

■ Galt House Hotel & Suites Fourth Avenue at the River 589-5200

■ The Nachbar 969 Charles Street 637-4377

■ Nios at 917 917 Baxter Avenue 456-7080

■ Park Place Restaurant 401 E. Main Street 515-0172

■ Seelbach Jazz Bar 4th & Muhammad Ali 585-3200, ext. 205

■ The Speakeasy 225 State Street New Albany, IN 812-981-0981

■ Volare Ristorante 2300 Frankfort Avenue 894-4446

■ Varanese 2106 Frankfort Avenue 899-9904

As always, we suggest that you call the venues to confirm appearances.

Louisville Jazz Society

P.O. Box 5082 Louisville, Kentucky 40255

LouisviLLe Jazz society MeMbership registrationYES, I’d like to join the Louisville Jazz SocietyPlease check the appropriate dues level and complete the info below.

PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDLOUISVILLE, KYPERMIT NO.1498

Adult Jazz Enthusiast*Senior Jazz Enthusiast (65 and up)*Student Jazz Enthusiast #Solo Jazz MusicianJazz EnsembleJazz Educator

$35 per year$20 per year$5 per year$50 per year$50 per year$50 per year

General Business Partner $150 per yearJazz Venue / Jazz Presenter $150 per yearOther Community Organizer $150 per year

TOTAL ENCLOSED $__________________

*add additional family members in these two categories for $10 each per year#Students, please list your school & grade level here __________________

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing address for Newsletter __________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

Email address for Jazz Insider news service __________________________________________________________________________

Yes, I’d like to know more about volunteer opportunities and/or social events.

Day phone __________________________________________ and/or evening phone ______________________________________

Please be assured we do NOT sell or rent our mailing lists or other contact information to others.

Mail this form with your check to LOUISVILLE JAZZ SOCIETY, P. O. BOX 5082, LOUISVILLE, KY 40255

(Street Address or P. O. Box)

(Please include area code) (Please include area code)

(City) (State) (Zip)