If you have an album for review (no singles, please), you need to enter the details in the JJ review pitchlist – it’s the only sure way to have your release considered by Jazz Journal reviewers.
To begin, please pay, per entry, £3.50 by card or Apple Pay or £3 by PayPal to jazzjournal48@gmail.com using friends and family. You can buy multiple entries. Each single payment allows you to enter one title and 75 words of description in the JJ pitchlist. Every entry in the pitchlist is offered to our writers for review and as a bonus every entry will automatically feature in the next available JJ New Releases column.
Once paid, please write to editor@jazzjournal.co.uk giving the artist(s) and title(s) you wish to enter in the pitchlist and the email address used to pay. You will receive an invitation to access the pitch list.
Please note: entry to the JJ review pitchlist and JJ new releases column is, for period, free for advertisers.
About the Review Pitch spreadsheet
I send the contents of the pitch sheet to JJ reviewers every two months, on the 25th of every other even month, when they select anything they want to review. I will then request you send any nominated album direct to the reviewer. Please don’t send anything more to the Caxton House office, which closed in 2021.
The JJ pitchlist is titled to reflect the beginning of the period in which reviews will appear. So, for example, “JJ Review Pitch 0825” refers to the review publication period August-September 2025. It would be emptied and its contents sent to reviewers 25 June 2025.
How to complete the Review Pitch spreadsheet
Enter details of your title(s) using the next available line at the bottom of the list (do not overwrite existing entries!).
Artist, author, band name
Artist-led dates need to be sortable A-Z by leader’s family name, e.g., Smith, John. DON’T PUT JOHN SMITH! If no leader, give band name, e.g., Weather Report. Leave out generics such as quartet, quintet etc.
Title
Make All Words Initial Caps – like that – NO BLOCK CAPITALS.
Label & number
If no label or number, give artist URL.
Stream
Non-expiring one-click free stream such as Soundcloud or Bandcamp that plays immediately – no Spotify or other subscription service, and no Dropbox, Google Drive or similar that involves multiple clicks to access, and no passwords! These streams are to help reviewers decide (quickly), but may be used also for actual review. However, most reviewers will require a hard copy to review. Please note that review material is non-returnable. See terms and conditions.
Reader sample
A stream or YouTube sample that can be published in review.
Email
Please give the email address for service of reviews copies.
Notes
These are very important – reviewers may decide from what you write, especially with lesser-known artists. Players’ names, the musical style (what does it sound like? – Dixieland, bebop, swing, funk, improv, etc.) and instrumentation are more likely to engage writer and reader than elevated concepts, political or poetic. Maximum 75 words. Don’t paste a link to download a PR in place of words – you need to attract the reviewer in moments – but add a URL to more info if you want.
Once done, hit return – the document will autosave – and close browser tab. No need to do anything else.
Many thanks
