I was at the Future of Music Coalition presentation this evening and was reminded of something that I've meant to do for a long time—find out more about a local jazz media institution that I've known about for awhile but have yet to connect to.  JazzWeek is a weekly report of the top fifty Jazz and Smooth Jazz recordings played on radio stations across the United States and Canada and is located right here in Rochester.  After some financial issues that resulted in missing 2007, they've recently regrouped and are retooling and again will be holding a JazzWeek Summit here in Rochester at the end of the Rochester International Jazz Festival from June 19-21st at the Clarion Riverside Hotel.

One of JazzWeek’s missions is to provide a conduit for radio, retail, and the rest of the industry to work together.  Part of that effort is the Summit, which is intended for radio station program and music directors, representatives of major and independent music labels, jazz artists, and journalists. They try to get all of these disparate groups together to discuss the issues facing them in promoting jazz and smooth jazz music. One of the things I learned at the FMC event tonight is how much people can learn from each other when they get together to explore something they're passionate about (heck, I learned about some things tonight that surprised me and, most importantly, learned something about what musicians—on whom the FMC event was focused—are seeking to learn).

Check out the JazzWeek website for the Summit and, if you're interested in promoting jazz or yourself as a jazz artist, think about attending the conference.