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Welcome to The Jazz Session!

The Jazz Session is a member-supported online interview show focusing on in-depth conversations with jazz musicians. Please become a member today.

Since its inception in 2007, there have been more than 2.5 million downloads of The Jazz Session’s 400+ episodes. The Jazz Session focuses on in-depth interviews with jazz musicians, along with occasional interviews with producers, authors and others in the jazz world. The show’s mission is to chronicle the lives and opinions of musicians who make creative improvised music, without regard to artificial genres or labels. Every episode of the show is available in the archive for free. You can also subscribe for free via iTunes or an RSS reader.

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The Jazz Session: A Special Announcement

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You can listen to the announcement (in slightly expanded form) using the player above, or read the text below:

I’ve decided to end The Jazz Session.

After five years, more than 400 episodes, and more than two million downloads, I just can’t make the show work financially. To keep it alive (and by extension, to keep myself going), I’d need to run a massive fundraising campaign immediately, and probably annually. I don’t know if that’s possible for The Jazz Session. I think it might be possible for a show with a broader format, which I’m considering.

I can’t thank each of you enough for your support of The Jazz Session. You’ve come through every time I’ve needed you, from the 100 x 300 Campaign to the Jazz Or Bust Tour. Moreover, your emails have kept me energized and have let me know that real people out there in the real world value this show. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I’m extremely proud of The Jazz Session and the archive it represents. I hope that when scholars of this music look back at the 2007-12 period, the 400+ episodes of my show — the show you helped me build — will prove to be a valuable resource. I hope at some point to associate this archive with a university so the episodes will be properly indexed.

The Jazz Session will run until show #417 on October 29, 2012. I’d like to ask you a favor — would you all please wait to cancel your memberships until that date? That would be a great help to me financially. I’ll send a note when the show ends reminding you to cancel. Unfortunately, this is something you have to do yourself. I can’t cancel them for you.

I’m going to spend some time in Auburn, Alabama, figuring out my next steps. One next step may involve living at a Zen center for a while. I could use it. These last few months have been a real challenge. I’d also like to work on a book recounting the tour and the circumstances leading up to it. I just don’t have an ending yet.

Once again, thank you so much for supporting me and the work I’ve done on The Jazz Session. You made it all worthwhile.

Much love,

Jason

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The “Jazz or Bust” Tour

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THE “JAZZ OR BUST” TOUR

ABOUT THE TOUR

As of June 1, 2012, I’m doing something fairly crazy and taking The Jazz Session on tour. I’m traveling through North America — and then maybe the rest of the world — conducting interviews and giving poetry readings.

NEWS COVERAGE

FOLLOW THE TOUR

My itinerary, daily tour diary, new poems, recordings of my poetry readings, photos and more are at http://jasoncrane.org. You’ll also find a list of my scheduled poetry readings there. And of course the podcasts from the tour will be at thejazzsession.com as they always are. And you can follow me on Twitter at @JasonDCrane.

SUPPORT THE TOUR

There are several ways for you to support my tour.

  1. I’ll be living off the income from the paying members of the show. You can become a member HERE.
  2. You can also make a one-time donation to the tour at various levels from $10 to $1,000. Just choose a level HERE and make your secure donation via PayPal. You don’t need a PayPal account to do this. And there are cool thank-you gifts, too!
  3. Suggest a place to go or a musician to interview.
  4. Give me a place to stay.
  5. Host a house party (any size) so I can read my poetry and maybe sell a book or two.
  6. Suggest a venue (bookstore, performance space) in your town where I could do a poetry reading.
  7. Buy a book for my Kindle from my Amazon travel wish list.

To do any of the above (other than donate) send me an email at jason@thejazzsession.com. Initially, I’ll be traveling on the East Coast, but feel free to suggest places and offer me accommodations anywhere. Thank you!