Bill Milkowski

Probably one of the most widely published jazz critics within the East Coastline, Bill Milkowski continues to be covering jazz extensively because the ’70s. THE BRAND NEW York City citizen offers, over time, acquired a status for being one of the most broad-minded critics in jazz journalism. Definately not a purist or perhaps a bop snob, Milkowski is known as a major expert on jazz-rock fusion — actually, one of is own greatest achievements was a 1995 publication within the past due electrical bass virtuoso Jaco Pastorius (who he understood individually). Fusion, nevertheless, is only among the many varieties of jazz that Milkowski offers covered; he in addition has given extensive insurance to from post-bop, hard bop, soul-jazz and golf swing to avant-garde jazz. The lengthy set of jazz performers Milkowski provides written liner records about is fairly diverse and runs from Weather Survey, the Yellowjackets and Al DiMeola to John Coltrane, Joe Move, Hank Crawford and Gato Barbieri. And although jazz is certainly Milkowski’s primary concentrate being a journalist, he’s not really a jazz snob who hates all the types of music — his early heroes included rock and roll guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck in addition to blues icons such as for example Albert Ruler and B.B. Ruler. Milkowski isn’t a indigenous New Yorker; he was created in Milwaukee, WI on Sept 26, 1954 and was raised for the reason that Midwestern town (where he started playing your guitar at age 12). Milkowski, whose initial article was released in 1974, graduated in the School of Wisconsin Milwaukee using a journalism level in 1977. It had been also in 1977 that Milkowski co-founded Cityside, an alternative solution tabloid that envisioned itself being a Milwaukee exact carbon copy of the Community Tone of voice or the Chicago Audience. Cityside lasted until 1979, and the next year, Milkowski transferred to NEW YORK to accept a posture as handling editor from the Long Isle weekly MEMORIES. In 1982, he still left Good Times to become full-time freelancer, as well as the long set of papers and magazines which have released his work since that time contains JazzTimes, Downbeat, Jazziz, GUITARIST and Contemporary Drummer (among numerous others). In 1987, a 32-year-old Milkowski was identified as having testicular cancers, and an advantage concert happened within a Manhattan membership to greatly help him with the expenses of the procedure; the function was managed by fellow jazz critic Howard Mandel and boasted well-known improvisers like Michael Brecker, Danny Gottlieb, John Scofield and Mike Stern. In 1993, Milkowski apparently needed a rest from NY and relocated to New Orleans, but 3 years later on, he finished up moving back again to ny — and by that point, he had created Jaco: The Amazing Life and Instances of Jaco Pastorius (a fantastic book that recognized Pastorius like a musical genius but didn’t timid from the dark and tragic areas of the bassist’s existence — such as for example his well-documented drug abuse). Milkowski’s various other books possess included Rockers, Jazzbos and Visionaries and Golf swing It! An Annotated Background of Jive.