Village Voice names St. Louis-based label MAXJAZZ among top jazz independents

The Village Voice's annual summer jazz supplement is out this week, and while it's always an interesting read, this time one of the articles also includes a St. Louis connection.

Tom Hull's survey of the best independent jazz labels names St. Louis-based MAXJAZZ among that elite group, though I wondered a bit about his characterization of the label as "right-of-center...Unlike most conservatives, they're less interested in rolling back progress than playing within their well-honed talents."

Small jazz labels have always sought particular musical niches, and in this case, I think the equation of political "conservatism" as it is currently practiced with what most people think of as "mainstream" jazz is a comparison that obscures more than it clarifies. Still, it's nice to see a St. Louis-based label recognized beyond our city limits, and the piece also points out a number of other small labels that seem worth investigating.

As long as you're there, you might as well read the rest of the articles in the supplement, too, including pianist and journalist D.D. Jackson's article on how college jazz programs are the new apprenticeships; Larry Blumenfeld's piece on how arts centers and other non-traditional presenters are filling the gap left by the waning of jazz clubs; and Nate Chinen's essay on college jazz studies programs that consider the music in the context of other academic disciplines.