About Me

This is my first attempt at at blog, so please hang in there with me through the mistakes and changes as i attempt to build this out.

The mission of “The Jazz Indie” :  to expose more improvisational musicians, music, bands and everything that goes with the culture.  We live in a different world and the music has evolved with the cultural and social changes and become a very unique and powerful musical movement.   “Jazz” is no longer a word that can easily paint a picture in ones mind which represents something completely different from what it actually is.   Jazz is not a museum piece.  It is a living, breathing thing that evolves as the world evolves. It is not just America’s music.  It is not just music appreciated in Europe. It is not the music only your parents , or grandparents listened to.  It is our music.  Jazz is now !

The current generation of jazz musicians are incredibly progressive . They listen to so much music , so many different styles and grooves that it is inevitable those influences have begun to seep into the music in which they create.  The rapid growth of jazz around the globe has allowed the music to be a consistently fresh and exciting genre.  Just as Marco Benevento proclaims in the documentary entitled “Icons Among Us : jazz in the present tense”…  “Call it what you want but it’s only 12 notes. 12 notes.”

I am one of the directors and writers of  “Icons Among Us”.   This is not a blog created to promote the film, this is a blog to promote the music and the culture.  It is inevitable that “Icons” will see more exposure from a site like this, so i guess it is promotion in some ways.   The good news is that you will be able to see exclusive footage that never made it into the final cut.   All of the footage you will see features some of the music’s freshest contributions that is all a reflection of what is happening .. now !  You will see content that is featured in the documentary as well as plenty of footage that is not in either the series nor the theatrical version.  Hopefully,  this can be a place where all the amazing interviews, as well as live performances that we captured over the years,  can still have a chance to be seen by current fans of the music as well as those who might pass through this site on accident yet leave as new fans.

I will also be reporting on the music itself , as well as everything and everyone that help make it possible.

~M.Rivoira

The Jazz Indie

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

with Robert Glasper. Newport '09