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Chords & DiscordsNationwide GrassrootsI’m glad to see that cities like Atlanta,Baltimore and Santa Cruz have started holdinggrassroots house-party concerts (“TheBeat,” June ’09). Here in Harrisburg, Pa., theall volunteer Central Pennsylvania Friends ofJazz is getting ready to celebrate its 30thAnniversary. We have presented a Who’sWho of jazz over those years with ourmonthly concerts. Glad to see that efforts likeours are being recognized. It ain’t easy!Gary HoffmanHarrisburg, Pa.Poetic PinpointingI just read your April 2009 issue and wascompelled to comment about MarcusO’Dair’s piece on Jon Hassell. I actually knowabout Hassell, so I didn’t expect to find anabundance of new information in this article.What I did find was a calibre of writing thatkept me engrossed. O’Dair epitomizes how aprofessional reviewer can articulate his/hersubject’s work with pinpoint poetics.Roger AndrisSt. LouisHave a chord or discord? E-mail us at editor@downbeat.com.Thanks For Audio SMAThank you so much for including audiorecording as a category in the Student MusicAwards. The students take it very seriouslyand work all year doing recording projectsfor entry. There are lots of video festivals,awards and competitions, but the DownBeatStudent Music Awards is the only nationalcompetition I am aware of for audio. It ismuch appreciated.Steve ReynoldsAudio InstructorThe New Orleans Center for Creative ArtsShorter’s Beautiful SoulDan Ouellette’s feature on Wayne Shorter(May ’09) was one of the greatest articles I’veever read in your magazine. Wayne is such abeautiful soul, one who embodies all of thebest aspects of jazz music. Reading his wordsis every bit as exciting as hearing his music.He’ll surely go down in history as one of jazz’sgreatest musicians as well as one of its greatestthinkers.Max MarshallBloomington, Ind.Congrats on 75thThe highlight of your flawless July ’09issue was Dave Dexter’s stunning BillieHoliday archives feature. Happy 75th!Dennis HendleyMilwaukee, Wis.The 75th anniversary issue of Downbeatresembles a textbook of sorts of informationthat only DownBeat can furnish inone place. It is amazing to read articleswritten in the past with the viewpoint ofwhat was then the distant future.Lyn HortonWorthington, Mass.I would like to congratulate you on your 75years in jazz. But in your 75th anniversarycollector’s edition you left out WyntonMarsalis, the most important person injazz since Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellingtonand Thelonious Monk. Marsalis changedjazz for myself and many others. If hehadn’t come along we would have been insad shape, yet even after being the firstjazz composer to win the Pulitzer Prize, hestill doesn’t get the respect he deserves.Earl Belcher Jr.earlslb@aol.comYour collector’s edition was extremelywell done and surely provided fascinatingreading material for younger people. Butas an individual who lived through mostof those years, I found it downrightdepressing. My kind of jazz has been deadfor a long time.Irv JacobsLa Mesa, Calif.10 DOWNBEAT August 2009