Pre-Millennium Blues? No, a Transitional Era

There were enough hits and misses for jazz in 1998 to argue that the music--like pop and classical--was going through a difficult phase or, conversely, that things were looking up. On balance, the hits seem to outweigh the misses, and the best perspective may simply be to view this as a transitional time. Transitional between generations, as a new, secondary boomer bulge arrives in the population, and transitional in terms of the business, as the recording world readjusts itself in new corporate mergers.

So here’s a quick overview of some of 1998’s significant highs and lows:

Jazz in L.A.

Hits

* The appointment of bassist-bandleader John Clayton to head up the L.A. Philharmonic’s new jazz initiative. A perfect choice for the position, Clayton--with his Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra--has laid out some visionary plans for the expansion of jazz at the Hollywood Bowl and beyond.

* The Los Angeles Jazz Society’s continuing low-profile but high-impact efforts to aid and assist the spread of jazz in area schools.

* The dedication to prominent jazz programming in virtually every major arts center in the Southland--from UCLA and Cal State L.A. to Cal State Long Beach, Cerritos, Thousand Oaks, the Orange County Performing Arts Center, UC Irvine, El Camino, Pepperdine, Cal State Northridge and others.

Misses

* The failure of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and the Music Center to deliver on the glowing promises of their collaboration. Instead, it has produced a few interesting educational programs, late-night weekend jazz at a restaurant in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and continued good work in area schools. Much of the institute’s focus appears to have moved into a still-unclear connection with the USC jazz department.

* The continued inability of various jazz interests around town to come together into a coherent, unified effort to support the music.

The Club Scene

Hits

* The opening of an attractive new jazz room at Rocco in Bel-Air.

* The emergence of Steamers in Fullerton as an attractive, musician-friendly room with the potential to start booking national acts.

* The frequent Latin jazz bills at the colorful new Conga Room.

* The successes--sometimes uncertain, but always persistent--of the Jazz Bakery and Catalina Bar & Grill. The two strikingly different rooms (the former is a concert-style setting, the latter a traditional jazz club) give the Southland a solid schedule of first-rate artists.

Misses

* The abortive efforts to open Los Angeles versions of two New York jazz rooms--the Blue Note and the Knitting Factory. The Blue Note was on the verge of happening in Beverly Hills before the deal fell apart. The Knitting Factory is still considering L.A. options.

* The changes of programming at the Moonlight, which has largely abandoned its once-a-week commitment to big-band jazz.

Jazz on Record

Hits

* The merger of Universal and PolyGram brings the GRP, Impulse! and Verve labels into one company, reportedly to be known as the Verve Group. CEO Tommy LiPuma is a musically qualified executive with plenty of personal production experience, and the newly streamlined operation should do a better job of supporting its acts.

* The growth of 32 Jazz and Zebra Records--significant new companies with diverse points of view headed by skilled, experienced jazz record executives (Joel Dorn at 32 Jazz and Ricky Schultz at Zebra).

* Diana Krall’s persistent presence at the top of the jazz charts--easily the most visible new jazz artist of the second half of the ‘90s.

Misses

* Conversely, the merger of Universal and PolyGram could be the dud of the decade if LiPuma is obliged to give away some of the small-label independence so vital to the uncommercial flow of jazz creativity on recordings. And, either way, it’s going to result in the loss of staff and the drastic pruning of rosters.

* The risk that Krall, for all her talent, may be on the verge of overexposure. Too many cameo shots on other artists’ recordings, too many bookings in too short a period of time. * An excess of unimaginative product. The glut is making it virtually impossible for fans to keep track of what’s available, lowering sales figures for average recordings and placing too much emphasis upon the few major stars.

Hits and misses aside, jazz is in pretty good shape, ready and eager to move into its second century.