On The Edge

In my mailbox has been languishing a note from my friend, drummer Michael Stephans. It announces an audio interview he did with Richard Paske who produces an online monthly half-hour audio magazine called Notes From The Western Edge. Michael’s interview is one of the two pieces produced for October, and October is almost over. I logged on to hear it, but it cost money — $24/year for a streaming audio subscription, $36/year for the downloadable subscription.

I balked; what if Michael’s interview is the only one that will interest me? $24 is a lot to spend for one 15-minute audio clip.

But how dare I balk? Am I not also endeavoring to share my thoughts and skills via the internet for a price? SnapSizzleBop had a few free goodies, but yes, I hope people will become paying participants, even if only at the lowest $20 level. So, fair is fair and I decided to check out Notes From the Western Edge.

The home page of each issue offers brief excerpts so I was able to verify the excellence of both the interviewer and the production. In doing so I was delighted to find interviews with Maria Schneider, Joe Zawinul, Bennie Maupin, Chris Potter, and Ron McCurdy. I’m not sure how much I’m going to like David King’s “sonic tsunamis” or Nels Cline’s “Armageddon of screeching and howling feedback,” but I’ve put my money where my mouth is.

I encourage you all to support artists on the Internet. Perhaps you’ll find my “People On The Page” book project of interest…or not. Perhaps Notes From The Western Edge will be your cup of tea…or not. Maria Schneider, Jim Hall and Bob Brookmeyer are only three of the three-dozen-plus who have ArtistShare websites; browse through the ArtistShare list of Featured Artists. Check out Joe Lovano‘s, Billy Taylor‘s, Bill Mays‘ and Sonny Rollins‘ web sites too — all impressively produced by Bret Primack, and they are replete with wonderful audio and video clips and podcasts. On Taylor’s site I just watched a three-piano rendition of Perdido with a young BT playing with Duke Ellington and Willie “The Lion” Smith on the David Frost show. On Lovano’s site Primack has conceived and produced Video Liner Notes ™ for Lovano’s Streams of Expression recording. On Mays’ site you can watch Video Highlights that include clips with Freddie Hubbard, Red Mitchell, Gerry Mulligan, Toots Thielesman, and others.

I’ve put lots of links in today’s post, please click and enjoy. Surely there is something out there for you. And if you find something else that you think might be of interest to DevraDoWrite readers, please let me know and I’ll spread the word.

(P.S. This is not an invitation for every publicist in the world to send me their pitches. Either know me, or at least know my taste before sending anything.)