This morning’s email brought links to three CD reviews: two about Hemispheres (Jim Hall/Bill Frisell with Scott Colley and Joey Baron) in The Independent newspaper in London and State of Mind, and the third was in JazzReview about Brother to Brother (John, Jeff and Gerald Clayton with Terell Stafford and Obed Calvaire). As you may know, I’m a fan and it just so happened that as 2008 drew to a close I had a last-minute assignment to write press releases for these two ArtistShare recordings. I have become so used to reading articles and reviews from around the world that I have to remind myself just how amazing it is that we can be so connected with the whole wide world…and how exhilarating as well as overwhelming that can feel.
Social networking is a part of that mix and as I just wrote to Orrin Keepnews this morning, “this social networking stuff is crazy and can be time consuming, but it’s fun, people post some wonderful videos and pictures, and it feels good to be connected.” I am trying to juggle the feel-good nature with the usefulness factor, exponentially confounded by three networks — Facebook more social, Linkedin more biz, and I haven’t figured out the point of Twitter yet but you can follow me. All I know is that I can now use HelloTxt to post status messages to Twitter and Facebook simultaneously…for whatever that’s worth. Does anybody really need to know, or care, that I’m about to brew a pot of coffee or head off to pilates?
What do you think? Are DevraDoWrite readers signed on to any of these networks? Why or why not? Do you read publications from afar and if so, how often? Please post your comments or email me directly.