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| Image Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash |
By Gary Chapin
Some weeks ago (or months, or days) I read a comment on a colleague's review that essentially criticized him that “all your reviews are five star reviews!” If I could remember which of my colleagues that was, I’m sure I would never presume to speak for him, BUT the criticism did resonate because ALL OF MY REVIEWS ARE FIVE STAR REVIEWS!
What’s that you say? How can I sleep at night?
Let’s establish the foundation.
First, as a human I am not requiredto have an opinion about anything, let alone write about it. Secondly, I don’t like writing bad reviews! Why would I choose to shit in someone’s cornflakes? Because the art they made didn’t trigger my endorphins? Some people really enjoy doing takedowns of what they think is “bad art.” I don’t. I am not that asshole.
Other reviewers (way back in the day) have told me that if I weren’t willing to write a bad review, then they couldn’t trust me when I wrote a good one. You can’t be a gatekeeper unless you’re willing to be part of the fence. I’m not sure why I believed that—it’s not like I was being offered payola—but I did. But I didn’t want to be part of the fence, and I got myself out of the reviewing dodge (that was 2005-ish).
Fifteen years later, I encountered the Free Jazz Blog and here I am, back in the game. What made the difference?
I’m a regular here at the rag, but I feel lucky if I write a dozen reviews a year. Further, the FJB itself generally publishes one review a day (with some variation for Sundays, etc.). We publish somewhat fewer than 350 reviews a year. In 2025 FJB received notice of approximately 1400 new releases that fit within our remit. That’s a big difference! Only 25% of what crosses our transom gets reviewed! How do we decide what to review?
The reviewers themselves decide. I decide what I’m going to review. I go through the many releases and lists we receive, or consult my own sources, and the things that draw my attention, the things that I’m hoping I’ll love, those are the things I reach out for and buy or request. Then, upon listening, the things that really capture me, intrigue me, fascinate me, provoke thought, love and rapture—those are my criteria for five stars—are eligible for me to review. If I want to advocate for a piece of music, or sing its praises to the sky, that’s five stars. Finally, I ask, for which of those recordings do I think I have something interesting to say? And which do I have the time to write (day jobs being what they are).
How do you know you can trust my reviews (i.e., that I am offering my opinions, which you may still disagree with, in honesty and good faith)? Because my goal in this era of my reviewing career is to support great music and bring it to you all. “What makes this great?” is my guiding question, and that’s okay because all of the culling and sorting happened before I even got to the writing. The wheat gets cut from the chaff long before you guys show up to read.
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