More notes from the Jazz Beat

My “beat” for this newspaper over the past 35 years has been to travel about the country chronicling jazz events, attending festivals and jazz parties, and enjoying the “jazz beat” and “notes” provided by the bands and musicians performing what we loosely refer to as “traditional or classic jazz.” At these events I would prevail upon one or more of the musicians present to join me in a quiet corner for 40 minutes of casual conversation where I would take copious “notes” regarding their career, development, influences, and above all, his or her joys as a music maker. Throughout the interviews, I injected relatively few personal opinions, feeling it was more important to let the musicians tell their story. My role was solely to be the storyteller. For a long time, I resisted the suggestion to publish a collection of these interviews in a book, not wanting to commit the considerable time and expense required to accomplish such an undertaking. But positive response from readers convinced me that these stories broadened a jazz fan’s understanding and appreciation of what is happening on the bandstand and offered insight into the musicians’ personalities and lifestyle. Additionally, having accumulated a considerable amount of historical data, it occurred to me that the 100-plus profiles I have written over the past 35 years warranted a degree of permanence in the