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As long as I'm here, and for those who own an iPhone or iPad, we just released v1.1 of the Jazz Near You app. With v1.1, users can change locations to view events happening in other cities. More info.

7/4, The scroll bar issue was fixed. If you still don't see it at either http://www.allaboutjazz.com or http://www.jazznearyou.com, please hit shift refresh to refresh your browser's cache. If you're still having problems, please contact Max here. Thanks.

Hey everyone, The All About Jazz forum (http://forums.allaboutjazz.com) was down for a month and I explain what happened here. To clarify, the forum was never moved--it has always been and will remain here: http://forums.allaboutjazz.com . And it was impossible to communicate with the members beyond this news post as the vBulletin software was hacked and the database was corrupt. For our longtime members, we are back and much improved. See http://forums.allaboutjazz.com I plan to more tightly integrate the forum with http://www.allaboutjazz.com and http://www.jazznearyou.com for more convenient access. Best, Mike R. P.S. Couldn't help but notice some misinformation in this thread re: AAJ. Jazbo, I don't get testy with volunteer contributors though I do enforce the house style/submission guidelines. That said, we have relaxed the guidelines and as the website has evolved and improved, much of the old guidelines are no longer relevant. If you want to write about jazz (e.g. cover live events in Cleveland), feel free to contact me here.

aaj is a website. people define a website in many ways. aaj also has a bulletin board. the website has many, many sections: some resources and guides, some editorial, some visual, some tools for professionals (musicians, publicists, record labels, etc.). the site is not a magazine adapted for the web--it's a website with a community-minded/social purpose. traffic at the website will top one million readers in october (and that doesn't include bulletin board traffic). the site's reach is a culmination of 11 years of building and expanding. i can easily list 100+ contributors, programmers, photographers, musicians, publicists and readers who have been directly responsible for aaj's continued growth. the site serves the fans (from new to knowledgeable) and the musicians. every site like aaj's needs a bulletin board. though with the MY AAJ system we now allow members to start threads and post comments directly to an article. aaj's bulletin board, whether you like it or not, is very popular, but it's small potatoes next to the website. as far as boards go, i obviously like aaj's, but i like the org board too (and not just because there are many cross-posters). i haven't spent much time on the JC board, though i think a few aaj website contributors post there.

chuck, if memory serves, you were rather disrespectful to the musician with your post. and the thread was in the GET THE WORD OUT forum, a place to post announcements, press releases, etc. you were replying to a press release posting. btw, we have over 9700 bb members and we've banned a grand total of nine people. i don't think anyone has been banned since andy/che. if anyone has any questions about the website (http://www.allaboutjazz.com) and its direction, i'm happy to answer them. if there are musicians on this board with questions about MY AAJ or the calendar, please post them here or email me. i have developed a MY AAJ FAQ for those interested.

agreed. i'm in contact with musicians on a daily basis so i have a good handle on their needs, and the majority of the systems/tools we develop address those needs. the biggest deficiency to date was a local calendar and we just launched that. i'm working on ticketing events next.

aaj needs to be profitable and we're working towards that, but that's not what drives me. developing a website of aaj's scope and using technologies to innovate is very exciting. i love aaj and i love it's potential, especially now that MY AAJ and the regional calendar are here. i've also met the greatest people (many are now friends) as a result of my association with the site.

thanks, jim. i bet most here don't know that PUMPKIN PIE has been downloaded over 2100 times and it's #75 on the all time download list. we're launching video of the day next--the timing seems right. we're also working on the jazz teacher finder (also free) which connects students with teachers via instrument, experience level and zip code/region. i'm hoping to have that one ready to roll by september. if you are a musician, check out all the free aaj services here. aaj is operated by a volunteer group--the core contributors are listed here. the site is open to everyone to contribute and participate.

just to clear a few things up. i don’t stifle discussion or ban people for mentioning organissimo or jazz corner at the aaj bulletin board. we also have several moderators that are more active and spend time on the board daily. i spend most of my time developing the new systems (MY AAJ and the calendar being the latest) and publishing articles for the website. much has transpired since the BNBB exodus and i was the only one privy to all the pms and emails re: the aaj board. a few members on this board continually post false information about me, about the aaj board and about the aaj website. they never had their facts straight. i also realize that many here haven’t visited the aaj bulletin board or the aaj website in a very long time. the activity on the site has been the highest it’s ever been (and that’s great for jazz and jazz musicians). you can view bulletin board activity by scrolling down the page—it’s as active as ever. and mg, how can you say i’m in it for the money? aaj has been around 11 years and it barely pays the bills. if i was in it for the money, i would have dropped aaj a long time ago. i have decided to launch another venture based on the aaj technology and i’m hoping that site ultimately carries aaj.

we just made a few improvements to aaj's upcoming release center. see http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=10569 for the details. if you have any suggestions on how to further improve it, please post your comments here... http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/submit_suggestion.php thanks, and enjoy, mike r. p.s. john kelman updates the listing twice monthly. he just added 230+ titles this morning.

guys, just wanted to let you know that the website is back up. i understand that some of you prefer this board and i'm cool, but aaj is first and foremost a website, meaning http://www.allaboutjazz.com. aaj has done a world of good for many people and i'm proud of it. the website (not the board) has been hacked twice in the last week, and i'm sorry to say mark (sheldonm), all signs point to the php upload process at the visual arts center. i have help and we're trying to figure out how to make the upload secure--it's going to take time. i'll send the 60 artists an email and tell them to hang tight. i'll also email the other 150 and tell them that we're suspending new registrations until we can figure out how to close the security loophole. i plan to run a dedicated firewall segment and am taking other precautionary measures. they should all help. mike r. p.s. matt, i didn't freak out (i got that out of my system after the 2003 incident); though dealing with hackers can really bring you down. they're like rodents, man.

Thanks, Jim!

Alan, Check your emails. We exchanged messages on 5/21 and you told me you’d take a look at it and get back to me. The next time I heard from you was on 5/31. Charlie Dahan already managed a reissues calendar and he wanted to post the reissue titles. I was looking for you to post the new stuff. Between 5/21-31 John Kelman volunteered to enter the new titles. When you wrote back I asked the two guys if they needed help and they said they had it under control. Mike P.S. Mike Fitzgerald: next to Dan Gould, I think you're AAJ's biggest fan.

I couldn't figure out why I missed Catesta... it's all coming back to me now.

wesbed, i have no problem talking about the aaj site on this board, but i'm not comfy talking about the aaj:bb.

Jim, Thanks for the follow up. I hear what you're saying, but I never asked anyone to choose between the two. B3-er gave me the go-ahead to plug the new system and I did. I tried maintaining a "Coming Soon" page twice (many years ago) and gave up both times --it's very time-consuming. Alan has done a consistently solid job, that's for sure. The AAJ upcoming releases center is managed by two gents (Charlie Dahan and John Kelman) and is database driven. Charlie handles reissues and John handles the new stuff. I developed the system myself and I think it's worth checking out. It's certainly worth the two seconds it takes to list your CD (if you have a new one). Mike 3,884 more posts and I'm "Da Fonz"!!

Thanks, P.D. It had more to do with the suggestions. They were all solid, they made perfect sense to me, and the guys who asked for them were cool. I had the time so I made the changes. Those suggestions also improved the board. There are still some ex-BNBBers at AAJ. Many of them represent the core group.

Hear ya! The new version of vBulletin makes it difficult to customize the look & feel. I made a few minor tweaks, but the color schemes won't be an easy change.

More refined than a static HTML site. If you need more info, feel free to PM me.

Hey, guys! Mike from AAJ here. I’ve been spending some time on the Org board posting replies in the JAZZ IN PRINT forum. I spotted this thread and thought I’d chime in. I read all the posts (nice to know what some of you really think). Anyway, some of you guys look at AAJ the wrong way. We aint a corporation, and yes, we have a mission statement, but why not? It was developed primarily for the contributors (we have over 500 volunteers, and new people join up every day). That aside, we constantly provide coverage and outlets for indy musicians and smaller labels; just take a look at who and what we’re promoting on the home page. AAJ provides a great service to jazz musicians: the site has helped some land good gigs, some musicians have gotten signed to labels as a result, others have sold CDs, while others have been helped by referral traffic. I understand the challenges facing a working jazz musician who records and I’m developing systems to address them. To my knowledge, no one else is doing this. Most people know jazz isn’t a money business and it’s been nearly impossible to generate $ from the site (I haven’t even come close to covering my costs), but I believe in AAJ, I believe in my plan, and I finally have help. We still have another solid year of development work ahead us, but when the first phase of the system is complete, it’ll do a world of good for jazz musicians and will become a great & useful site for jazz fans. Re: Tom Evered on the AAJ Bulletin Board. I invited Tom to the board because a handful of people suggested it. I plan to invite Creed Taylor next (BTW, we’ll be running a 3-part interview with Creed next week). Getting guests has been a challenge (there’s the technical barrier and the time consideration). I still hope to bring a new guest to the board monthly—we’ll see. P.S. In case you missed this comment on another thread... There is a thread at the AAJ bulletin board for Organissimo posters to stay up on the status of the Org server. Jim also has an open invitation to create and close Org status threads at AAJ. We're working together.

Give me a break, Hans. I've worked on AAJ 10-14 hours a day for the last eight years. Database design, programming, web design, publishing, needs assessments, requirements planning... that's my job.

Jim, What do you think AAJ is? It wasn't until the last couple of years that someone (Nils Jacobson) volunteered to step up and help. In the last year I've also received help from my friend Mike Lorenz and John Kelman. It's done on a shoestring and I produce it from my home. Believe me, it aint glamorous behind the scenes—you can ask Shawn. That said, I do know a thing or two about databases, programming, web design, publishing, the needs of the industry, etc., that why AAJ’s look will also be a bit more refined. Mike

I’m developing several systems that contain exit points from AAJ (musician center, birthday center, etc.) to a musician’s website. All AAJ pages index high at Google, so though the birthday system may not appear to be a big deal on the surface, it’s still well worth being listed. I didn’t mention the Musician Center, but I should have... http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician_center.php There are some immediate benefits to be listed and several long term. It’s free.

The plan for AAJ is to develop a comprehensive system that serves jazz musicians, the jazz industry and the site contributors. There is a plan, it was developed many years ago, and thanks to help, I’m finally in a position to implement these systems. I have very high hopes for the regional calendar of events (which will enable musicians to promote their gigs to readers within a zip code radius) and the my.allaboutjazz.com system. Alan Lankin is a helluva good guy (he’s also local, so I’ve met him in person a few times). I approached him about collaborating on the system, but it unfortunately didn’t work out. You don’t have to choose one over the other, as I’m sure Alan will have listings that you won’t find at AAJ and vice versa. There is a thread at the AAJ bulletin board for Organissimo posters to stay up on the status of the Org server. Jim also has an open invitation to create and close Org status threads at AAJ. We’re working together. Mike

Jim, Thanks for allowing me to post this… To check out jazz CDs, DVDs, and SACDs scheduled for release throughout the year, go to http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/album_center.php (or select "Upcoming Releases" under the "CENTERS" dropdown on the AAJ navigation bar) You can search for titles by month, by artist name or by record label. You can also filter them by "new" or "reissue". If you're a jazz musician and don't see your title listed, you can add it here: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/album_submit.php . We'll be adding new titles every day. Best, Mike R. All About Jazz http://www.allaboutjazz.com