• Jason Crane continues his outstanding series of interviews on The Jazz Session this week. Check out his pieces on Sam Rivers, a holy man of modern jazz in this blogger's humble opinion, and bandleader/composer Darcy James Argue (let's not call him "up and coming" – Mr. DJA has arrived).

• Speaking of broadcasts, musician and scholar Bill Kirchner is devoting his edition of WBGO's Jazz From the Archives to pianist and composer Carla Bley, including highlights from her new CD of Christmas carols (which is very good, by the way; I just listened to it yesterday).

• Two noteworthy big-band recordings are being reissued. Storyville Records is releasing Duke Ellington: Treasury Shows V. 14, the newest album of their ongoing CD re-documentation of Ellington's 1945-46 radio broadcasts. Also, the invaluable Hep Records is putting out a 2-CD set of Artie Shaw's dynamic 1949-50 orchestra.

• Jazz research impresario and Gigi Gryce biographer Mike Fitzgerald has established a great new online journal, Current Research in Jazz, the mission of which is to provide "an outlet for detailed writing about jazz that is informed by musical and historical knowledge, that is rooted in scholarly rigor, and that is not compromised by commercial interests."

• Is this still news? Sales of vinyl and turntables are up. The New York Times has reported on this, God bless 'em, but haven't they run this kind of piece a few times now? Yes, it's true: vinyl culture is back! And hiphop, some say, is here to stay.

For More On The News...

• Listen to Mike Fitzgerald on the two-part Night Lights program about Gigi Gryce: Social Call and Rat Race Blues.

• Check out the Night Lights show The Carla Bley Songbook to explore early interpretations of that singer's music.