Happy Birthday Jazzwax

JazzWax turned two years old on August 3rd. I was too busy posting the start of my Denny Zeitlin interview to remember. A friend mentioned it yesterday, and my palm hit my forehead. So today I decided I'd pause briefly and reflect. The past two years have certainly been an exciting adventure. I always say I'm no different than my readers--it's just that I write about what I'm listening to and take the rest of you along for the ride. I hope you've found the past 706 JazzWax posts enjoyable and, like me, have learned a few things along the way.

As long-time readers know, I write only about subjects that interest me and interview legends I care most about. Editorial decisions are made free of influence and are exclusively about the music and what turns me on. Despite the hurt that print has experienced over the past two years, it's gratifying to know that web-based journalism and history are still widely read and appreciated.

So far so good for JazzWax. According to Invesp Consulting, a blog-ranking service with data updated weekly, JazzWax is now ranked #6 in the Ultimate Rank among all jazz blogs based on 20 different factors. JazzWax also is #2, just behind Doug Ramsey's Rifftides among jazz blogs with the most incoming links (meaning who in cyberspace is linking back to JazzWax blog posts). It's #2 based on unique monthly visitors, behind Wynton Marsalis' site. It's also #2 based on Google PR, and #2 in Invesp's Compete Rank.

All of which is nice. What counts, however, is that JazzWax's mission continues--namely to help jazz consumers figure out where to spend their money and to preserve the stories of jazz legends. Jazz is as much about stories as it is about music. In fact, the music is almost meaningless without the historical context. And a big thanks to all of you who post brilliant comments, regularly e-mail support and keep an eye on my typos. You know who you are.

Well, I've held you long enough. Lots more coming in the months ahead. Oh, before I forget: Starting Monday, a five-part interview series that is sure to astonish. Trust me, you'll be taken aback. See you on Sunday for my weekly editorial and Wax Bits roundup.

Have a great weekend!