That Jazz - Monkey Max Music and File Download

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Part III: The Beat Goes On: Jazz Appreciation 101
happens there often signals what’s to come in the rest of the country. I
have a Sunday-only subscription. If you don’t want it every week, pick up
an occasional copy from a major bookstore.
Ratliff’s concert and CD reviews, always delivered with intelligence and
humor, helps you decide which artists deserve your time and ticket
money. The newspaper’s web site (www.nytimes.com) gives you
access to articles by Ratliff and others if you’re a paid subscriber with a
password.
� City newspapers: If a performer is headed for your town from somewhere
else, you can check out reviews from earlier stops on the tour. Use a
search engine to find newspapers in those cities; keep in mind that
sometimes, you have to register for access (usually for free).
� allaboutjazz.com: This Web site is one of the oldest and best jazz
sites. It features a tremendous volume of CD and concert reviews that
give you valuable information on the most recent efforts by jazz artists
of all stripes. Currently, the content is free, which makes the site more
accessible than sites that charge or require you to have a subscription
to a related publication.
� villagevoice.com: This site is the online extension of the subversive
sixties weekly. Check out reviewers led by the brainy Francis Davis,
whose words also appear in The Atlantic Monthly and The New Yorker.
A Room with a View (and Good
Sound): Assessing Venues
My rule of thumb is that music always takes priority over venue. When you
can catch someone you love in only one venue, you have to sacrifice your
ideals for reality. I’ve heard some great concerts in venues that by the light of
day would probably be condemned by a building inspector.
If it comes down to two great concerts on the same night, I’d rather hear the
one in the better venue. If you have a choice of hearing a performance in your
hometown (San Diego, in my case) or a nearby bigger city (Los Angeles), you
may consider making the trek (2 hours for me) if you discover that the venue
is superior. In San Diego, for instance, I know many music fans who drive to
Los Angeles to hear a performance at the spectacular new Disney Concert
Hall designed by architect Frank Gehry.