Top 10 Jazz & Blues Music Blogs

By Lawrence Stelder

I was commisioned to seek out the best jazz and blues blogs & sites on the Internet today by the people at BestShowTicketsLasVegas. So I spent some time compiling a list of blogs and sites that I thought were cool, and then used a bunch of different variables to come up with the top ten. I used Google and Yahoo popularity, Alexa ratings, Technorati visiblity, wealth of information, frequency of updates and my own jazz opinion. I've been a fan of jazz music for 20 years and love the greats like Coltrane, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Monk, Freddie Hubbard and I could go on and on. So, below are the ones I deem the top 10 jazz blogs (and blues), and I think these are some of THE best jazz & blues sites online now. And keep in mind, it's just my humble opinion:

1. Jazz.com Blog - An excellent jazz blog that has reviews, interviews, historical overviews and other materials, and encourage visitors to share their expertise and opinions on their Forums and elsewhere on the site. They have a cool Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians section and a thriving community.
2. About.com's Jazz Blog - Jacob Teichroew writes this blog that includes artist profiles, reviews, jazz festival information, and history of jazz.
3. Squeeze My Lemon - A blues blog that has some really cool pictures and videos.
4. Swing, Jazz & Blues - Written by Henrik Eriksson from Sweden who's a disc jockey that plays swing, jazz and blues for dancers. This blog is about music that makes you want to dance. Find tips about music and dancing resources: cd reviews, book reviews, video clips and jazz photography.
5. Jazz Lives - An entertaining and well-written jazz blog by Micheal Steinman, an author who has a wealth of jazz writing experience.
6. Straight No Chaser - A blog covering all things jazz - the music, the artists, the performances - from both yesterday and today. A source for links and podcasts.
7. All About Jazz - This is much more than a jazz blog and includes photos, forums, reviews, articles and featured stories all about jazz.
8. Jazz Improv Magazine - Although not a true blog, this site just had to be mentioned in this list. Find CD reviews, articles, a jazz store, Jazz Improv TV and more.
9. My Jazz World - This blog offers a good mix of things that have to do with the jazz world. Great writing and interesting opinions.
10. Jazz Portraits - A blog that discusses jazz news, reviews, gossip and some blues.