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.

The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25

If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/join

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.

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

1. Writing Jazz: Conversations with Critics and Biographers by Sasha Feinstein
2. Guide to Jazz in Japan by Michael Pronko
3. Focus on Women in Jazz by Guy le Querrec
4. The Story of Jazz by Marshall Stearns
5. Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence by André Hodeir
6. The Life and Writings of Ralph J. Gleason: Dispatches from the Front by Don Armstrong
7. Going Back to T-Town: The Ernie Fields Territory Big Band by Carmen Fields
8. Master of the Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World by Elizabeth J. Rosenthal
9. Cross Rhythms: An Introspective into the Life and Musicality of Joe Chambers by Joe Chambers and Cristian Schorr
10. Oceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart by Billy Hart and Ethan Iverson
11. The Jazz Barn: The Music Inn, the Berkshires, and the Place of Jazz in American Life by John Gennari
12. Becoming Ella Fitzgerald by Judith Tick
13. Stomp Off, Let's Go: The Early Years of Louis Armstrong by Ricky Riccardi
14. Song for Someone: The Musical Life of Kenny Wheeler by Brian Shaw and Nick Smart
15. Sax Expat: The Biography of Don Byas by Con Chapman
16. Black Mystery School Pianists and Other Writings by Matthew Shipp
17. Run the Song: Writing About Running, About Listening by Ben Ratliff

Books Referenced

1. Sophisticated Giant by Maxine Gordon (about Dexter Gordon)
2. Gene Krupa: His Life and Times by Bruce Crowther
3. Rhythm Man: Chick Webb and the Beat that Changed America by Stephanie Stein Crease
4. The Swing Era by Gunther Schuller

Albums Referenced

1. Friday and Saturday Night at the Blackhawk by Miles Davis (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)
2. Dizzy on the French Riviera by Dizzy Gillespie (includes essay by Ralph J. Gleason)

The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25

If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/join

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.

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

The Jazz Omnibus is on sale now at 25% off. This 600-page anthology features 21st-century photos and writings by JJA members. Details at: bit.ly/jja25

If you're a media-maker working in jazz, the JJA is offering first-time members a special rate of $50. Join a community of colleagues telling all the stories of jazz. Sign up at members.jazzjournalists.org/join

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.