The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA), founded in 1987, is an international organization of all types of media professionals who document, promulgate, or appreciate

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

. As of 2016, it has approximately 250 members, including professional journalists, students, industry associates and supporting institutions, primarily in North America but also on other continents. The mission of the association is "to promote high standards and respect for our works, to create a professional network, and to increase general interest in jazz". It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. The president of the association (as of 2016) is jazz writer Howard Mandel. The organization was founded after writers and broadcasters involved in jazz convened in 1987 in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, United States. Since then, the JJA has held meetings and panel discussions, frequently coinciding with major jazz festivals around North America, and online activities including its eyeJAZZ video training webinars. It established a website, www.Jazzhouse.org, in 1996, and in 2007 transferred activities to JJANews.org and Members.jazzjournalists.org; the JJA also maintains Facebook pages for specific activities. The JJA's quarterly journal, ''Jazz Notes'', is archived at JJANews.org along with new content. JJANews focuses on business-to-business information, for journalists and others professionally involved in jazz.

Awards

In 1997, the Association, with producer Michael Dorf, then of the

Knitting Factory The Knitting Factory is a nightclub in New York City that features eclectic music and entertainment and is co-owned and co-operated by Knitting Factory Entertainment. After opening in 1987, various other locations were opened in the United Stat ...

, founded the Jazz Awards, which are presented for excellence in both music and music journalism. Originally the awards were presented at a party in New York each June; as of 2014 the awards for music are announced April 15 and presented by JJA members to musicians at their performances throughout the US. The awards for journalism and media are announced and presented at a party in June in New York. In 2010 the JJA established a media campaign called "Jazz April" to celebrate

Jazz Appreciation Month Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) is a music festival held every April in Canada and the United States, in honor of jazz as an early American art form. JAM was created in 2001 by John Edward Hasse, curator of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Am ...

(as declared by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...

) culminating in

International Jazz Day International Jazz Day is an International Day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 2011 "to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe." It is celebrated ...

(established by

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

with support from the

Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz is a non-profit music education organization founded in 1986. Before 2019, it was known as the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, but was then renamed after its longtime board chairman, Herbie Hancock. The i ...

). The JJA Jazz Awards were streamed as live video in 2010 and 2011; those programs are archived in their entirety at UStream.com.

References

External links

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Archived editions of ''Jazz Notes''
Organizations established in 1987 Jazz organizations Jazz awards {{jazz-stub