Jazz News
- Place of Publication: London, United Kingdom
- Language: English
- Date of Publication: 1960-1962
- Publishers: Jazz Today
- Lacunae: 1956-1959. Selected issues from these years are forthcoming.
- Type: Citation Only
- Continued by: Jazz news and review
Published from offices in Soho Square in the heart of London’s jazz scene, Jazz News distributed information on the burgeoning British jazz scene in the city and throughout the country. Edited by a rotating group, including Brian Nicholls, John Martin, Ian McLean, and Peter Clayton, Jazz News began as a monthly quarter-imperial sized publication with generally eight pages per issue. This expanded on 28 August 1960 when it was transformed into a weekly magazine of some twenty pages per issue. Jazz News shared offices with the National Jazz Federation of Great Britain, and although the Federation published its own newsletter for members, Jazz News effectively promoted the aims of the Federation through a broad survey of the jazz scene similar, but in a manner less sensationalistic, to that of Melody Maker.
The principal focus of each issue was on current musical events, including tours, clubs, and recordings. The arrival and tours of American musicians were frequently heralded, as was the growth of local British talent. Folk music, including the growing trend of skiffle events throughout the country; radio programs; and foreign news from Europe and the US are consistent features. Regular columns include a Record Buyers Guide and Musicians Corner, in which a musician is interviewed. Contributors include Gordon Reid, Daniel Halperin, John Merrydown, George Ellis, Eric Gilder, and Steve Race.
With the 7 November 1962 issue, the journal’s title was changed to Jazz News and Review.