The most important article by far in the Jazz Times Education Guide was the one about the threat posed by loud music to our hearing--all of our hearing, including listeners, bartenders in noisy clubs, and musicians. And yet, the online version of the Guide on this website doesn't even include that article.
If it were any other industry, OSHA inspectors would be dropping by clubs and other venues to see if sound levels exceeded those mentioned in the article. If they did, hearing protection would be required for the workers--that's the musicians, folks, among others.
As a lifelong music listener and amateur musician, I fail to understand why music needs to be so loud it crosses the pain threshold for those with normal hearing. For this reason I have attended my first and last B.B. King concert, for example. Clearly many professional musicians and sound technicians have already experienced significant hearing loss and no longer know when loud is too loud. It's well past time for the rest of us to take steps to enjoy music while preserving our hearing. Turn it down!