We’re often told (mostly by publicists) that jazz is still a vibrant, living form with creative potential but given the ceaseless flow into the JJ inbox of press releases consigning it (and other music) to the dusty archives with the hack’s buzzverb “curate”, one might think it’s all over. They remind of the estate agent who recently invited me to “ascend” to the first floor among a “beautifully curated collection” of new houses. Here’s a few examples received in the last fortnight or so.
Novikov Mayfair, describing itself as “one of London’s most glamorous and enduring dining destinations” and launching its “Blues Meets Funk & Soul” night, says that every Tuesday its guests are invited to “sink into the rhythm of live music while enjoying Novikov’s signature mix of indulgent cocktails, refined bites and unmatched atmosphere”. It says that “from 9.30pm, two guests can enjoy a perfectly curated night and midweek escape for just £45″.
Meanwhile, over at Cecil Sharp House (2 Regent’s Park Road, London NW1 7AY), Angeline Morrison is guest curator of Black British Folk Takeover (4 October), a project that superimposes black experience on to British folk music. According to BBC Radio 3 genre-slasher Elizabeth Alker, Morrison describes her music as “a re-storying of black history back into British folk song”. One of her songs, Unknown African Boy, is a folk-styled portrayal of the death of an African boy off the Scilly Isles in 1830. Not to miss a chance, Angeline also gets in that other all-purpose buzzword when she notes that the BBFT is hosted “at the iconic Cecil Sharp House”.
Gondwana Records’ publicist also goes for a double whammy in plugging the label’s next live presentation, telling us that “Gondwana Records are delighted to announce the next edition of Gondwana Records Presents, for the first time at London’s iconic Southbank Centre, on 18th October 2025. They have curated an evening of inspiring sounds ranging from elevating chamber jazz to cinematic post-classical pop and Senegalese influenced ambient jazz sounds.”
Over in South West London, World Heart Beat’s PR tells us that “Operation Forest will be directed and curated by Ava Joseph – “a rising star and inspirational local artist”. When not sorting through jazz memorabilia, Ava is apparently “a gifted singer-songwriter […] known for her genre-crossing talent and authentic voice, combining jazz, soul, R&B, and conscious lyricism”.
From the US, Higher Level Media tell us that Nick Finzer’s big band, captured in a single-day session in 2022 through a grant from the University of North Texas, is “a carefully curated ensemble of top-tier musicians”.
Also from the US, publicist Lydia Liebman “shares” that La Tanya Hall’s latest album, “born from a period of vocal silence and artistic reflection following Hall’s complete loss of voice during COVID-19 […] showcases her renewed artistic purpose through a thoughtfully curated collection of lesser-known songs chosen for their lyrical power and emotional weight”.
Of course, in an increasingly competitive and saturated jazz market, such language is used in an attempt to get a head above the deluge of information and confer a sense of class, expertise, establishment respectability and artistic credibility, but is the image of the museum the impression a vibrant, living form would want to create? Perhaps better to let the music speak for itself.
