Now, I am not really here to mourn the loss of this organization. I like to think I can follow various events in the jazz world, but until I came across this particular article I had never even heard of the IAJE. This, of course, may be exactly the problem. They were an organization with a goal of promoting jazz music across the country and I had never heard of them. Obviously they weren’t doing something right.

The article indicates that a major mistake seems to have been moving the organization back to Toronto from its location in New York. This reduced the audiences for their various sponsored events by more than half. They also apparently launched several ill-conceived campaigns that never really took off or succeeded on even a basic level.

I find that sort of sad. Jazz can be a very hard sell to people, especially the younger people of today. I know it was for me until I reached college. I think there is a lot of music out there that can be taught to young people and, in particular, aspiring young musicians. An organization that can promote and educate those people would be perfect. It would just be nice to have one that was run correctly.

I don’t exactly have an answer to the problem. The organization has filed for bankruptcy and the assets of the organization have been parceled to a trustee. What will become of the IAJE after that is unknown, but it seems likely to be gone forever. That means one less advocate or group of advocates for an important genre of music.

That’s never a good thing.

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge

They have lots of great pictures and they have a lot of really cool programs.  For example, they have something called “Jazz for the Curious Listener” for those of you who may be new to the genre and are just interested in checking out the sounds.  They have all kinds of programs for those interested in jazz.

Needless to say, Harlem was a big deal in the history of jazz.  It was in New York that the famous picture of all of the jazz greats posing outside a brownstone was taken for Esquire magazine.  Some of the greatest musicians in the world came out of Harlem and some of them still come out of there today.

They have a great news section that can keep you up-to-the-minute on the world of jazz and what’s going on.  They have all kinds of things to keep the avid jazz fan fascinated for hours and for the new jazz fan or the curious intrigued.  If you visit this site and check out the stuff at the museum and still think jazz has no affect on modern music and the development of music in America, then there is really something wrong with you.

So, check it out.  I hope to get to see the museum soon.  Maybe I can convince my brother to join me and we can make a kind of pilgrimmage there.  He’d dig it.  Maybe we can wait a couple of years and bring my niece with to indoctrinate her in the world of jazz.  This is gonna be one swingin’ kid, let me tell ya.

Post from: Jazz & Blues Lounge