Old Wine, New Glasses - Bob Blumenthal with authors and scholars Ricky Riccardi and Fumi Tomita

This conversation between JJA members Bob Blumenthal, Ricky Ricciardi, and Fumi Tomita explores how jazz research has evolved through digital transformation.

Ricciardi describes his journey researching Louis Armstrong's career, moving from physical archives and interviews for his first book to primarily digital resources like newspaper databases, digitized periodicals, and ancestry records for subsequent works.

Tomita discusses researching early jazz by using both traditional sources and digital archives, explaining how this allowed him to rediscover overlooked musicians and challenge established narratives.

Both authors share their detective work in reconciling conflicting historical accounts and discuss the revelations that emerged during their research—Ricciardi finding consistency in Armstrong's artistic approach throughout his career, and Tomita discovering early jazz's experimental nature and influence on free jazz.

The conversation highlights valuable resources for jazz researchers, including newspaper and periodical databases, digitized oral histories from various institutions, and Archive.org's extensive collection. The guests discuss areas needing fresh research and emphasize how digital access has democratized jazz research, allowing deeper investigation into the music's complex evolution without leaving one's home.

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Eight nominees for our 2025 Book of the Year Awards, and 15 Honorable Mentions, are posted at https://www.JJANews.org, along with other articles from our international membership. Please also take a look at The Jazz Omnibus: 21st Century Photos and Writings by Members of the Jazz Journalists Association, available online and wherever books are sold.

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For more from the Jazz Journalists Association, go to https://www.JJANews.org.