[jja-announce] JJA/DC Listening Session

[Muzikmuse at aol.com]

The first in a series of public programs presented by the Washington, DC 
metro area chapter of JJA was a major success!  Last night at the Borders store @ 
18th & L Streets in downtown DC we hosted a Listening Session in the spirit of 
Howard Mandel's programs for the New York chapter.  Participants in the 
Listening Session included journalists/broadcasters Larry Applebaum, Rusty Hassan, 
and Askia Muhammad, and moderator Willard Jenkins.  The discussion was quite 
lively and informative, providing the SRO audience with keen insights into what 
these journalist/broadcasters are listening for when they consider new 
recordings either for review or broadcast, and in the case of Rusty Hassan, for 
their teaching coursework.  Also in attendance were at least four members of the 
DC chapter of JJA, including Joy Chambers, Mike Gillespie, Ruben Jackson, and 
Patricia Willard.

Each panelist participant brought 3-4 CDs, some un-released and forthcoming, 
others new releases, and a couple of classics contributed by Askia Muhammad 
for good measure.  The music ranged from Bird to Rene Marie to Omar Sosa to 
previews of the forthcoming Charles Lloyd/Billy Higgins and Monty Alexander/Ernest 
Ranglin collaborations on ECM and Telarc respectively.  We have been 
enthusiastically invited back by the Borders store, which quickly scheduled the next 
JJA/DC Listening Session for Thursday, April 29 7-8:30 p.m., at which there 
will be an entirely new panel of three participants.  Stay tuned!
Peace,
Willard Jenkins
JJA VP