| Vol.
I, No. 9 | End
of School / Summer Issue | June
15th, 2001 |
Music
& Sound
Links to Music & Sound On-Line
. Links
to Music & Sound On-Line The
amount of info on the web is enormous, as anyone who's ever tried to run a
search can attest to. And, to put it all in context, best estimates say
that only a fraction, maybe 20 - 40 % of what's out there is actually making its
way to the search engines.
Well ...
Here at DownStreet, we'd like to try to help. So each issue, we
post a few links in Music & Sound to sites that might interest you.
Sometimes the links will be related to one another ... sometimes
we'll just offer up a somewhat random sampling. In either case, we think
we might be able to help you find the kind of site you've been looking for.
Of course, while we can't vouch for the fact that every link we provide will be
of interest to everyone, we do our best to filter out the noise and the
bustle. ...
We hope you enjoy the following sites. . Jazz,
plus The Local Music Scene: On-Line ...
 There's
an old saw that goes something like this: Just about everyone else,
everywhere else in the world, appreciates jazz more than we do here in the US,
where it was born. To underscore that fact, when we did a quick search
through MSN {mostly out of curiosity, since we'd already had lots of sites to
offer up}, the top 3 'Featured Sites' were all about the Utah Jazz!?! We
first ran this series of links in our 2nd issue, back in November, and as with a
few others this month, we're re-running it again for a couple of reasons.
First, with the Jazz Festival just having finished up, there may be some of you
who need a fix. Second, as we mentioned in our write-up of this month's Sounds
Around: Rhymes & Reasons, rap has its roots in jazz.
Finally, and frankly, we're also re-running it because back in November we only
had about 300 readers or so. But now, with 100 visitors a day, that means DownStreet
is getting about 3,000 sessions a month. In that light, what are the odds
that you even knew there was such a thing as DownStreet when we first ran
this?!? Well, enough of that. On to this month's Links
to Jazz, plus The Local Music Scene on-line:
DownBeat.com
If
you know jazz, then you DownBeat, the magazine that's been both
publishing and making the news about jazz for a long while. {I still
have my first copy upstairs from 1964.}
.
The
DownBeat.com site keeps up the tradition. From the main page, you can
link to sections on Artists, News , Festivals, Education, Message Boards,
the Magazine {with archives going back to early 1999}, and the DB
Store. In addition, you can also listen to DownBeat Radio, or take
advantage of DB's Digital Downloads, a nice collection of jazz, blues, and
international stuff.
.
The site is quick
enough. And you'll want the latest Windows Media player to take
advantage of DownBeat Radio. So, if you're a jazz hound, don't
hesitate. The DownBeat is well worth the visit.
Rating: ****1/2 [4-1/2
stars]
. All
About Jazz, Jazz Magazine and Resource
The
All About Jazz site is a solid offering. There's info on News,
Reviews, Interviews, Artists, Festivals, a Gallery, a Timeline, and even a
Quiz.
.
Among the specialized sections,
there's Getting Started, Audio Downloads, and a section for those New to
Jazz. In addition, you'll find Articles & Opinions, includingan
Ask Ken link, as well as info on Jazz Journalists and Jazz Radio. The
Lists and Links section includes Desert Island Picks, Editor's Choice, and
links to Jazz Clubs, other Jazz Site Links, Radio Stations, and Record
Labels. Of course, you can also Shop, place Classifieds, and download
Jazz Screen Savers, too.
.
The most
curious listing was something called Gigs From Hell, where musicians can and
have posted stories about "unappreciative audiences or employers,"
"lousy pay or working conditions," "horrible/inappropriate
song requests," "personnel problems, equipment problems, [or]
screwed-up logistics," and "strange but true stories."
But Gigs from Hell aside, for jazz enthusiasts, this site is Heaven-sent.
Rating:
****1/2 [4-1/2 stars]
. BIG
HEAVY WORLD
Big Heavy World [BHW] is a Burlington-based site that
covers "The Burlington Music Scene." The site isn't limited
to jazz, so fi you're into folk or rock, whatever ... you can find out
what's happening locally. Be aware, however, that parts of the site
were listed as 'under construction'. Even still, some sections were
up-dated as recently as the Friday prior to our visit.
.
The
site offers up a number of sections, including a Burlington Band Guide that
listed no less than 7 jazz venues and 10 Blues venues. In addition,
there's a "Nightclub Listings" page that links {in new windows} to
a number of local places, including Higher Ground, Pickel Barrel, 242
Main, Borders, Deerleap Books, La Brioche, Vermont Pub & Brewery, and
the Urban DJ Network.
.
BHW isn't the
music site to end all music sites. But for the local scene, it's a
solid bet, both for listeners and for musicians.
Rating: ***1/2
[3-1/2 stars]
*******
******* If you know of any
links that you think are worthwhile, why not send them along to ...
links@downstreetmagazine.com
... If we agree, we'll be happy to include
them in an upcoming issue to pass the word along. ...
Thanks. *******
******* .
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