Jazz Information (September 1939 - November 1941)

Whether by accident or intent, Jazz Information published its first four page issue during the same week that the Second World War began and ceased publication in the month prior to Pearl Harbour.

In between those two momentous events Jazz Information, which could be seen as the blog of its day, published a weekly magazine printed in the backroom of the legendary New York record store, the Commodore Music Shop.

I was never fortunate enough to own a copy of the fascinating publication - I was too young and too far away - but some years back, most issues were accessible online and I had the foresight to print off, I think, about fifty issues starting with the second one onwards. I don't think they are online anymore but what fascinating stories they tell of the pre-bop era. 

And the writers don't pull their punches either! eg (record review): Coleman Hawkins, Body and Soul - Fine Dinner. "Coleman Hawkins' second record has been released, and again we are compelled to report that his improvisations on the slow turns [sic] are sterile and meaningless, and his tone on the fast side forced and unpleasant."

Nevertheless, warts and all, it's an intriguing picture of the times with the beauty being that we're reading about it as it was then, not as how writers 50 - 80 years later would tell it.
Lance

 Info.