Albert J. McCarthy launched a new magazine in March 1955, JAZZ monthly, that became one of the most respected publications covering the field. His introduction in the first issue is reproduced below.
“THE PAST FEW years have seen a decline in the standard of jazz writing and criticism that is almost catastrophic. We are faced with a situation today, when a record critic is almost afraid of reviewing a record without pre-judice, lest he should be condemned by the fans for heresy. The same stultifying fear inhibits many writers on the subject, who are less concerned with objective appraisal than with pleasing the camp followers of a particular style. Such an attitude has done more to prevent genuine progress in jazz, irrespective of the idiom, than any attacks from outside sources. It seems almost an absurdity to have to mention that the standards by which one judges Erroll Garner or John Lewis are not those of a Jelly Roll Morton or a Meade Lux Lewis, but such is the state of partisanship in the jazz field today, that this is exactly what many reviewers attempt. A great deal of what passes for criticism at present, is merely special pleading for a certain style or group of musicians. Between the embittered followers of traditionalists and modernists there is no quarter asked or given and such musicians as Benny Carter, Coleman Hawkins, Jonah Jones and Teddy Wilson are airily dismissed for no more reason than that they cannot be pigeon-holed into a convenient category. A genuine historical approach to the subject cannot be encompassed as too many inconvenient facts would come to light.
One of the principal objects of this magazine is to print serious articles on all aspects of jazz, without bias in favour of any one style. We have been very lucky in obtaining the services of many well known writers, both here and abroad, who are capable of providing such material. A number of them have not written a great deal during the past few years, because they felt that there was no magazine which catered for them. We consider it a privilege to be able to bring their writings before the public again.
The number of jazz records being issued is very considerable and we shall review them all, naturally giving greater space to the most important ones. Personnel details and recording dates will be given when known and our reviewers will normally consist of Charles Fox, Raymond Horricks, Alun Morgan, Paul Rossiter and the editor, who, between them, can adequately cover the whole jazz field. Specialist reviewers will be called in when necessary. The reviews will be objective and informative and not a means of displaying the individual reviewers’ prejudices.
The discographically-minded reader will be well catered for, with the Paramount series running and a page of general collectors notes. As such magazines as the Discophile and Matrix cater so well for this audience we shall not be running many full discographies as such, but from time to time will print one of special interest. Our endeavour is to strike a balance on this side as we known that pure discography does not interest a great many readers, but even so, there will be more real collectors information in our magazine than in any other general jazz review.
We intend to present some really outstanding photographs in all issues and we shall run half-page and full page ones when possible. We know that the jazz fan prefers to have a reasonably sized photograph for reference and will certainly cater to him or her in this respect.
Contributors to future issues will include all those who are present in this number plus, among others, Ralph Gleason, Max Jones, Alexis Korner, Alun Morgan, Robert Melville, Charles Payne Rogers and Erik Wiedemann. A specially interesting feature we shall commence running shortly will be a series of extracts from Big Bill Broonzy’s autobiography. This is a very remarkable book and we are sure that it will arouse a great deal of comment when published by Messrs. Cassell’s.
We are convinced that an intelligent and well produced jazz magazine will find ready acceptance. We shall be glad to have comments and suggestions and look forward to the help of every reader in enabling us to develop rapidly. It is our sincere hope that you will all find a great deal to interest you in every issue.”
Albert J. McCarthy
RIPM Jazz retrieves citations only. The covers reproduced highlight major topics covered in each issue. Additional background on the publisher per RIPM follows:
“Albert J. McCarthy (1920-1987) was at the time of Jazz Monthly already a well-practiced jazz writer and critic. Having began in 1943 with Jazz Music, he was then editor of The PL Yearbook of Jazz (1946) and Jazz Forum (1946-1947). During the early 1950s, he worked on the Jazz Directory, a discographical publication, left incomplete. However, his most sustained contribution to jazz journalism were the 192 issues of Jazz Monthly.
Each issue opens with an editorial by McCarthy on a particular aspect of the jazz world, followed by articles on specific musicians, record labels, historical aspects, or other topics connected to jazz and blues. Issues of race and racism thread through many articles, owing to McCarthy’s strong political beliefs; these were often connected with an interest in the American south. Keeping with McCarthy’s editorial desires, articles in Jazz Monthly were well-written and researched, though not afraid to display an author’s perspective and opinion, and often contain well-reproduced photographs. Contributions came from a group of regular writers, including Alun Morgan, Max Harrison, Jack Cooke, Michael James, John Postgate, Paul Oliver, G. E. Lambert, Mark Gardener, Valerie Wilmer, and Brian Priestley, among others.
The central aspect of each issue was a lengthy record review column in which all genres of jazz and blues were considered, from the latest recordings to historic releases. Hard bop, big bands, swing, West Coast, cool, free jazz, piano blues, mainstream, avant garde, and everything in between and much beyond fell within the purview. Some 6,097 recordings were reviewed across Jazz Monthly’s run.
Ultimately, economic concerns appeared to create problems in the early 1970s. Later issues contained few advertisements; when the magazine was reborn as Jazz and Blues greater amounts of advertising appeared in an effort to bolster the publication’s finances.”
JAZZ monthly – Volume 1
JAZZ monthly – Volume 2
JAZZ monthly – Volume 3
JAZZ monthly – Volume 4
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