The Buzz: The JJA Podcast

The Jazz Journalists Association
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  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED SEMIMONTHLY

The Jazz Journalists Association is a membership organization founded in 1986. We promote the creation and dissemination of accurate, ethical, informed journalism on all jazz’s genres, and encourage innovative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of audiences for jazz. Public programs include Seeing Jazz Photography Master Classes, The Buzz podcast, celebrations of Jazz Heroes and Jazz Awards, and the website JJANews.org. Theme "Big Vic" composed by John Michaels Featuring Makaya McCraven Geoff Vidaland Mark Dunlap recorded by Doug Hewitt. Podcast edited by Wiz Petta.

  1. MAY 4

    Miles Davis at 100: What We Remember and What We Miss

    Miles Davis would have turned one hundred this year. The centennial has brought the somewhat predictable wave of reissues, retrospectives, and tributes. But which Miles keeps coming back? The suit-and-narrow-lapels Miles of the fifties. Kind of Blue as sonic wallpaper. The Second Great Quintet as the canonical high point. In this episode, Howard Mandel - JJA president emeritus and author of Miles Ornette Cecil: Jazz Beyond Jazz - sits down with three guests who've spent serious time inside the music: bassist and author Melvin Gibbs, pianist and scholar Bob Gluck, and journalist Martin Johnson. They push past the myth and talk about what the centennial framing gets right, what it flattens, and why Miles keeps mattering even when the cultural idea of 'cool' has largely moved on without him. Learn More About:  Miles Davis Howard MandelMelvin GibbsBob GluckMartin Johnson Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    28 min

  2. APR 6

    Free Tickets, Steak Dinners, and the Ethics of Jazz Journalism

    Jazz criticism has always operated in close quarters: small rooms, tight communities, artists who become sources and sometimes friends. That proximity is part of what makes the writing worth reading. It's also what makes the ethics complicated. This episode explores that tension. The guests have significant experience between them navigating exactly these questions, and the conversation goes to some candid places, including a few confessions that probably took some time to make. Featuring: Rick MitchellHannah EdgarPaul de BarrosSupport for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    41 min

  3. MAR 2

    Get Out and Do Something! The Past, Present, and Future of Event Listings

    JJA Board Member Andrew Gilbert hosts a discussion with Steve Smith (Substack “Night After Night,” former Time Out New York music editor) and Chrys Roney (editor in chief and publisher of Hot House Jazz Magazine) about the past, present, and future of jazz listings.  Inspired by Gabriel Kahane’s Atlantic essay “A Love Letter to Music Listings,” they recall how outlets like the Village Voice, the New York Times, The New Yorker, and Time Out New York once provided expansive calendars that helped audiences discover scenes, neighborhoods, and emerging artists. They describe the decline of print and mainstream media listings, the labor-intensive nature of curating accurate calendars, and how even insiders still miss shows.  The conversation contrasts journalistic authority and “crit picks” with transaction-driven event discovery platforms, discusses the need for trusted curators to sift through thousands of gigs, and explores evolving models such as nonprofit-supported listings, presenter-fed CMS tools, Instagram-based calendars, micro-subscriptions, and Hot House’s efforts to preserve its 45-year archive and develop a beta “JazzGPT” product. Explore: A Love Letter to Music Listings (paywalled)Andrew GilbertHot House JazzSteve Smith's Night After NightA special 'thank you' to Terri Hinte for her help in making this episode happen.  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    35 min

  4. FEB 2

    Making It Work: Hannah Edgar and Rayna Mathis on Careers, Community, and Criticism in Jazz Journalism

    Lawrence Peryer, managing editor of The Buzz, hosts a discussion about what it takes to build a sustainable career covering jazz in 2026. Chicago Tribune critic Hannah Edgar and Earshot Jazz editor Rayna Mathis discuss the realities of working in this field, from the fellowship programs that make full-time journalism possible to the complicated ethics of critiquing people you see at shows three nights a week. They talk about punching up versus supporting vulnerable venues, whether social media is worth the mental health cost, and why a career that keeps you up until 2 AM can still feel like a blessing.  This is not a straightforward "how-to" episode. The conversation moves beyond career advice into the actual practice and philosophy of making it work. Learn more about: Hannah EdgarRayna MathisLawrence PeryerSupport for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    48 min

  5. 12/01/2025

    Them Changes: Talking Jazz Journalism with Howard Mandel

    Howard Mandel is an author, educator, journalist, and, since 1993, president of the Jazz Journalists Association. Howard's career crosses more than five decades of music journalism, from his early days writing for the Chicago Daily News to his current work as a contributor to publications worldwide. As Howard prepares to step down from his role as JJA president at year's end, we found time to explore the story of the birth and evolution of the JJA and to talk through just some of the topics of interest to our community today. Whether you're a longtime reader of jazz criticism or new to the conversations that shape how we understand this music, Howard's insights offer a window into our organization and the often invisible work of documenting and contextualizing America's most important cultural export. Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    33 min

  6. 11/28/2025

    Jazz Books for the Naughty and Nice

    This conversation is hosted by JJA Board Member and Chair of our Book Committee, Bob Blumenthal. Bob, along with JJA members Fiona Ross, Todd Jenkins and Katch Cartwright, share some of their book recommendations for you to consider for those on your 2025 holiday nice list. Maybe a few of the naughty people deserve some of these, too.  The JJA’s book committee votes on Book Award nominees everyJanuary and February. The recommendations herein do not reflect any prejudgments by the committee nor should this episode be taken as any preview of what's to come with the awards.  Here is your shopping list of books and music discussed in this episode: Books Discussed in Detail Writing Jazz: Conversations with Critics and Biographers by Sasha FeinsteinGuide to Jazz in Japan by Michael PronkoFocus on Women in Jazz by Guy le QuerrecThe Story of Jazz by Marshall Stearns Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence by André HodeirThe Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason: Dispatches from the Front by Don ArmstrongGoing Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band by Carmen FieldsMaster of the Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal Cross Rhythms: An Introspective into the Life and Musicality of Joe Chambers by Joe Chambers and Cristian SchorrOceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart by Billy Hart and Ethan IversonThe Jazz Barn: The Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life by John GennariBecoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith TickStomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong by Ricky RiccardiSong for Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler by Brian Shaw and Nick SmartSax Expat: The Biography of Don Byas by Con ChapmanBlack Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings by Matthew ShippRun the Song: Writing About Running, About Listening by Ben RatliffBooks Referenced Sophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon (about Dexter Gordon)Gene Krupa: His Life and Times by Bruce CrowtherRhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America by Stephanie Stein CreaseThe Swing Era by Gunther Schuller Albums Referenced  Friday and Saturday Night at the Blackhawk by Miles Davis (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)Dizzy on the French Riviera by Dizzy Gillespie (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason) Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    34 min

  7. 11/03/2025

    It's All About the Music

    In fall 2023, three veteran jazz journalists, Bill Milkowski, Rick Mitchell, and Howard Mandel, sat down for a wide-ranging conversation, a portion of which is collected here to remind us all why we fell in love with music in the first place. From first album purchases to legendary festival moments, they share the records and live performances that impacted them. Whether it's Howard's early attraction to Bill Evans, Rick's reverence for Jimi Hendrix, or Bill's memories of Blind Faith, these are the musical origin stories behind three respected voices in jazz journalism. This episode captures what happens when writers stop analyzing and start remembering. It is all about the the music that made them who they are, and why. Yes, it's still all about the music. Check out our playlist of the music mentioned and excerpted in this episode.  And here are the two episodes making up the discussion this episode is excerpted from: Part I: Jazz Journalism, Then and Now, with Veteran Writer Bill Milkowski and host Rick Mitchell Part II: Bill Milkowski with Rick Mitchell and Howard Mandel, reminiscing Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    18 min

  8. 10/06/2025

    Beyond Category: How Three Music Writers Navigate a Genre-Fluid World

    Michelle Zeto, Geoffrey Himes, and Rob Shepherd have each built careers in music journalism and broadcasting. They discuss how genre categories shape both criticism and listening, the difference between being a savant and a polymath, and whether the post-genre world is liberating or limiting. The conversation explores the role of critics as translators, the rise of playlist culture, and why attention spans may not be as new a problem as we think. In this episode, we explore:  How musicians themselves often resist the "jazz" label—and what that means for writers Why shorter attention spans might not be the crisis we think The tension between consumer advisor and cultural translator What human curation offers that algorithms can't Whether broad knowledge serves critics better than deep specializationLearn more about our guests: Michelle Zeto and "Jammin' Jazz" Geoffrey Himes and "Hard Rain and Pink Cadillacs"Rob Shepherd and PostGenre.orgOur host: Lawrence PeryerAnd our organization, the Jazz Journalists Association.  Support for The JJA comes in part from the Jazz Foundation of America, providing emergency assistance, healthcare, and performance opportunities to performers, composers and others in need. Visit jazzfoundation.org. This podcast is made possible with the support of Jazz Road, a national initiative of South Arts, which is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Don’t miss new episodes of The Buzz. Make sure you follow us wherever you listen to podcasts.  For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to JJANews.org.

    38 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Jazz Journalists Association is a membership organization founded in 1986. We promote the creation and dissemination of accurate, ethical, informed journalism on all jazz’s genres, and encourage innovative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of audiences for jazz. Public programs include Seeing Jazz Photography Master Classes, The Buzz podcast, celebrations of Jazz Heroes and Jazz Awards, and the website JJANews.org. Theme "Big Vic" composed by John Michaels Featuring Makaya McCraven Geoff Vidaland Mark Dunlap recorded by Doug Hewitt. Podcast edited by Wiz Petta.

Information

  • Creator
    The Jazz Journalists Association
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Buzz: The JJA Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Buzz: The JJA Podcast

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