Download - Downbeat

First TakeBy Jason KoranskyA Job Inside the MusicIn my 11 years working as an editor atDownBeat, the afternoon of April 22, 2004,stands out as especially profound.I spent the Thursday at New York’s VillageVanguard. The club had opened its doors toDownBeat for a photo shoot for our 70thanniversary issue. Jimmy Katz had plans to takephotographs of a number of artists holding aphoto of a musical legend they considered theirhero. First to show up was Gary Smulyan, thewinner of the baritone saxophone category inthis issue’s 57th Annual Critics Poll.As the afternoon progressed, a historic,multigenerational group of jazz artists descendedinto the basement club, including Horace Silver,Chico Hamilton, Benny Golson, PaquitoD’Rivera, Matt Wilson, Matthew Shipp, KennyBarron, Cedar Walton, Gary Bartz and JonFaddis. The shoot was spectacular, and helpedillustrate a special issue.These artists did not show up because I set upthe shoot. The came because of DownBeat. Themagazine has that sort of pull. As shown in lastmonth’s 75th anniversary issue, since 1934DownBeat has served as a home to jazz like noother magazine.I reminisce because this issue marks my lastat DownBeat, as I move on to develop a careerin law. I started working as an associate editor atDownBeat in 1998. The November 1999 issuemarked my first as editor. Jon Faddis interviewedMilt Jackson for the cover. The trumpeterknew that Bags did not have much timeleft to live, and he convinced me that this wouldbe a great feature. It proved to be just that.Faddis and I had talked over the phone, butwe had never met. After the story came out,Faddis came to Chicago for a Lester Bowie celebrationconcert. After the show, I introducedmyself to him. He looked at me, and in a classicFaddis fashion, joked, “You’re just a baby!”Well, I was only 24. I could not, however,apologize for my age. Today, I consider Faddisand many other musicians as friends and colleagues.Over the past 11 years I have grown upa bit (some may disagree), and have watchedsome dramatic changes in jazz. The industry haswitnessed a paradigm shift, with the digital revolution,home recording, scaling back of themajor labels and artists taking over their recordingcareers. New musicians have emerged tolead this music in exciting directions. HurricaneKatrina devastated New Orleans, and today wewatch the city slowly recover.Bound copies of each year of DownBeat siton a bookcase outside my office. When I lookthrough a volume, it offers a genuine snapshot ofthe jazz scene from that year. I hope that overthe past decade we have captured the essence theChristian McBridejazz scene in these pages.This month’s Critics Poll serves as a glimpseinto what a group of 120 critics from around theworld believe has been the best in jazz and bluesover the past year. The cover story on ChristianMcBride, the acoustic bassist of the year, looksat an artist who has emerged as a truespokesman for jazz. Ted Panken’s story onMcBride appears on Page 26.Traveling to jazz festivals is one of the perksof working as DownBeat editor. I went toMoscow, Idaho, during several Februarys forthe Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival. The enthusiasmof the students at the festival is one of thegreat wonders of the jazz world. One year, Irode in a van with Hank Jones, the newestinductee in the DownBeat Hall of Fame, fromMoscow to Spokane, Wash. For an hour-and-ahalf,late at night, we talked about his life inmusic. This stands as just one of the countlessspecial moments of my time at the magazine.Howard Mandel’s Hall of Fame story on Jonesbegins on Page 32.While at DownBeat I have interacted withmany of the winners in this year’s Critics Poll,from Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea and SteveTurre to Lee Konitz, Wayne Shorter and RoyHaynes. It has been a dream to work withmusicians I consider my heroes. I could nothave asked for a more rewarding professionalexperience.Working at DownBeat means being part of afamily. Kevin Maher and Frank Alkyer trustedme as editor, and I cannot thank them enoughfor giving me this opportunity and their guidancealong the way. I also owe a debt of gratitudeto everyone with whom I have worked atthe magazine. I could not have done any of thiswithout you.Ed Enright has returned to DownBeat as editor,and Aaron Cohen is still onboard as associateeditor. The magazine is in great hands, andwill continue as a compelling and insightfulview into the jazz world for years to come. DBJIMMY KATZ8 DOWNBEAT August 2009