This is the fifth in a series of features pointing you to a selection of useful jazz websites and this one explores the world of jazz blogs.

The web has been around since the early 1990s and one of the most significant development in recent years has been the advent of blogs – websites which display content in chronological order, have links to other sites and also forms where readers can leave comments.

As with other types of websites, they can cover all kinds of content. But how does jazz fare in the blogosphere?

A range of different people are blogging about jazz related issues, including established journalists, artists, critics and fans.

One of the advantages of the form is that because they link to other websites, they often introduce you to new voices and content on a regular basis.

The following is a selection of jazz blogs we have recently enjoyed – just click on the title of each one to check it out:

• 100 Greatest Jazz Albums: This comprehensive site is a feast for jazz fans with entries on the greatest jazz albums ever, new releases, re-releases, podcasts and gigs.
• Wynton Marsalis: One of the world’s foremost jazz musicians is the trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and his official website is run on blogging software. The various sections include: a discography, sheet music, a forum, podcast, tour dates and a Flickr account where he posts photos.
• Jazz at The Guardian: The UK newspaper has two sections on its website which feature jazz on a regular basis. The jazz section includes news items, editors picks, album and concert reviews as well as regular blogs from contributors. (You can subscribe to their RSS feed here). John Fordham is their respected jazz critic and he has his own section which features regular updates (you can subscribe to his RSS feed here.)
• Jazz at Alltop: Alltop is kind of a blog aggregator, that is a site which collects headlines from different sites and reposts them on one page. Their jazz section is always a useful read as it links to different blogs and jazz news sites – a very handy way of keeping up with the latest jazz news.
• Rifftides: Doug Ramsey is an experienced jazz writer, having written for a slew of publications including Jazz Times, Down Beat and The Dallas Morning News. He is also the 2008 winner of the lifetime achievement award of the Jazz Journalists Association and the author of Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond and Jazz Matters:Reflections on the Music and Some of its Makers. Recently his blog has included posts on The Portland Jazz Festival, the death of drummer Louie Bellson and Thelonious Monk. A highly informative resource for serious jazz lovers.
• The Jazz.com Blog: The blog section of the jazz.com website is always worth a look as it has reviews, interviews, historical overviews and also encourages visitors to share their expertise and opinions on their Forums. They have an interesting Encyclopedia of Jazz Musicians section.
• London Jazz: A blog run by musician and writer Scott Scotney which recommends jazz events in London throughout the year. Recent articles have focused on French jazz week at the new Kings Place concert hall by Kings Cross station, the 22nd British Jazz Awards as well as some handy links to the official websites of notable London jazz venues such as Ronnie Scott’s, The Vortex and 606 Club. (You can subscribe to his RSS feed here).
• Do The Math: This blog is written by Ethan Iverson, the pianist for a jazz trio called The Bad Plus and features in-depth interviews with jazz musicians, composers and critics. Posts worth checking out are an interview with Wynton Marsalis, an analysis of 90s jazz and a list of jazz records from 1973-1990.
• Straight No Chaser: US based blogger Jeffrey Siegel regularly writes about jazz and often includes interesting links to old recordings. he also produces a weekly podcast that introduces readers and listeners to new artists and lesser-known tracks from popular performers.
• Destination Out: A blog which focuses on rare or out-of-print jazz music. A very useful place for discovering new and old music and the sidebar links are extensive, to say the least.
• Swing Jazz and Blues:  Henrik Eriksson is a DJ in Sweden who plays swing, jazz and blues and posts regular cd reviews and video clips. He also has an interest in jazz photography and often posts  images to his site.

N.B. An RSS feed is a link which enables you to read a websites like email - subscribing to a feed allows you to see when websites have added new content.

You can read them via sites like Google Reader or Netvibes. For more details check out this explanation from BBC News.

Do you have any jazz blogs that you think we should know about?

Get in touch with us via our contact page and we can include links to them in future posts.

Hour 1
Surface – Dancing on a wire
Unique – What I got is what you need
Tyrone Brunson – The Smurf
Gary’s Gang – Keep on dancing
Lynx – Intuition
Lynx – You’re lyin’
Instant Funk – Got my mind made up
The Time – Jerk out
Commodores – Lady
Commodores – Too hot to trot
Commodores – Flying high
Commodores – Machine gun

Hour 2
Blue Feather – Let’s funk tonight
Bohannon – Let’s start to dance again
Archie Bell – Strategy
Fantastic Aleems – Hooked on your love
Logg – Dancing in the stars
Leroy Burgess – Heavenly
Sly / Family Stone – Dance to the music
Nuyorican Soul – Runaway

Roy Montrell – Mellow Saxophone
Mark Murphy – Saxophone Joe
John Barry – Blues And Out
Antoinette – These Foolish Things
Wynton Marsalis – School Boy
Acker Bilk – Travelling Blues
Duke Ellington – Black & Tan Fantasy
Melody Gardot – Your Heart Is As Black As Night
Professor Longhair – Going To The Mardi Gras
Harry James – The Flight of the Bumblebee
Pearl Bailey – Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet
Eddie Reed – Hollywood Stomp
Hank Jones – Almost Live Being In Love
Joe Williams – Blow Mr Low
Frances Faye – Out Of This World
Fletcher Henderson – When You Do What You Do
Gene Krupa – Tutti Frutti
Thad Jones/Mel Lewis – Cherry Juice
Billie Holiday – Day In Day Out
Dizzy Gillespie – Reminiscing
Mike Westbrook – Metropolis
Slim & Slam – Chinatown, My Chinatown
Ted Heath – June Is Bustin’ Out All Over
The Lascivious Biddies – Odd Bird
Take Six – Straighten Up & Fly Right

HOUR 1
Rod Piazza – Too Tired
Freddie King – You Don’t Have To Go
Ronnie Earl – Sick And Tired
Taj Mahal – Mr Pitiful
Big Daddy Kinsey – Little Red Rooster
John Campelljohn – Non Comformist Blues
Professor Longhair – Willie Mae
Dave Acari – Homesick And Blue
Jeff Healey – It’s Only Money
Kim Wilson – Ain’t Gonna Do It
Cow Cow Davenport – Cow Cow Blues (recording)
Cow Cow Davenport – Cow Cow Blues (Piano roll)
Sleepy John Estes – Stop That Thing
Duke Robillard – You’re The One That I Adore

HOUR 2
Eugene Hideaway Bridges – Somebody Loves You
Homesick James – Somebody Been Talkin’
Jimmy Reed – Shame Shame Shame
Ike Turner – Prancin
Bob Brozman – One Of Us Was Wrong
Sonny Boy Williamson – Help Me
Otis Spann/Muddy Waters – Youre Going To Need My Help
Roy Buchanan – Pete’s Blues
Anson Funderburgh/Sam Myers – That’s What They Want
Hubert Sumlin – Come Back Little Girl
Furry Lewis – I Will Turn Your Money Green
Lazy Lester – Alligator Shuffle

HOUR 3
Luther Allison – Sweet Home Chicago
Joe Bonamassa – Jelly Roll
John Martyn – Fishin’ Blues
Davy Graham – Cocaine Blues
Bobby Radcliff – Hard Road To Travel
Marc Ford – Go Too Soon
Canned Heat – Rockin With The King
Sherman Robertson – Linda Lou
Ruthie Foster – Joy On The Other Side
Eric Bibb – Shingle By Shingle
Alexis Korner – She Fooled Me
Allman Brothers – Statesboro Blues

1/ Nuyorican Soul – Shoshana – S/T
2/ Orlando Poleo – Recordando – El Buen Camino
3/ Jose Lugo Orchestra – Alivia mis Penas – Guasabara
4/ Bobby Valentin – Keep the Faith – Let’s Turn On
5/ Joe Cuba Sextet – Arinanara – Diggin’ the Most
6/ The Latin Giants of Jazz – Cuando Suenan Los Cueros – Ven Baila Conmigo
7/ Rudy Calzado & Cubarama – La Jicara – A Tribute to Mario Bauza
8/ Sabrina Malheiros – Brisa Mar – New Morning
9/ Flora Purim – Open Your Eyes You Can Fly – T.T.
10/ Joao Bosco – Incompatibilidade de Genios – Galos de Briga
11/ Leo Gandelman – Bananeira
12/ Rumba Caliente – Papa Fue (demo)
13/ Gendickson Mena Diaz – Afro Funky – My Groove
14/ Fabio Nobile – Didn’t You Know (Gerardo frisina rmx) – Always Love
15/ Gilberto “Pulpo” Colon Jr – Porque te Empenas – Hot Bread
16/ Ritmo 3D de Vida – Que Siga la Rumba – T.T.
17/ Ricky Gonzalez – Timbalero – Oasis
18/ Sivuca – Ain’t No Sunshine
19/ Osmar Milito – Canteloupe Island – E Deixa Relogio Andar
20/ Os Novos Crioulos – Mar Afunda – Brazilian beats Brooklyn
21/ Dori Caymmi – Forever Lover and Friend – Kicking Cans

Jazz album titles often reveal the link between music and comedy.

Who can forget Humph and Helen Shapiro pictured by a broken-down car on the cover of “I Can’t Get Started”?

Okay, bad example – but there are so many cases of jokey names that it’s hard to tell the real ones from those made up by, say, me…or is it?

See if you can spot the odd one out in my bogus Top 5:

1. AIR MILES – Mr Davis with some inflight entertainment.
2. KITCHEN DINAH – La Washington turns celebrity chef.
3. MESSY BESSIE – The Empress of the Blues fails to do the housework again.
4. SUMMER HOLIDAY – Lady Day and Cliff: the forgotten collaboration.
5. TRANE CANCELLATION – the gig John Coltrane never played, due to the wrong type of snow (it was Hank Snow).

Join me on Jazz FM this Saturday (28/2 from 1pm) when I might actually play one of the above.

On this week’s show:

More great vocal versions of original instrumental jazz classics. Including Chaka Khan, Mark Murphy, Marlena Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, Jon Hendricks and James Brown.

In ‘The Soul Cellar’ after 5.00: A feature on former Motown artists post Motown output. Four Tops, Gladys Knight and The Pips, Mary Wells, Edwin Starr and Holland-Dozier-Holland will all be heard.

Peter Young on Jazz FM Saturday 3-6pm.