Rock critic Greg Kot to bring 'great music writing' to The Coda Collection

Greg Kot

One year after stepping down as the nationally renowned music critic at the Chicago Tribune, Greg Kot is about to help launch an ambitious new multimedia startup billed as "a new way to experience music."

Kot will serve as editorial director of The Coda Collection, which will debut February 18 with a channel on Amazon Prime featuring rare concerts, music documentaries and film premieres. (Here is the link.)

In his new role Kot will oversee all editorial content on the channel's desktop and mobile sites. He will enlist prominent music writers, critics and cultural commentators to provide "deeper context on the artists, the music and the performances," according to Variety, which broke the news. It will include stories, video interviews, original podcasts and curated playlists.

“The Coda Collection will not only be a platform for great music video, but for great music writing,” Kot told me Wednesday. “I’m thrilled to be part of a venture that makes that possible.”

The Coda Collection

Among principals in the enterprise are Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, and Janie Hendrix, sister of Jimi Hendrix. The two co-founded the company with CEO Jim Spinello. Sony Music Entertainment is an equity partner.

Amazon Prime members will have access to 150 titles in The Coda Collection for $4.99 a month, with a free seven-day trial. Content will be updated regularly.

In February 2020 Kot took a buyout from the Tribune after 40 years. At the time he was the highest-profile personality to depart the newspaper under a voluntary buyout plan. Many more have followed since.

A native of Syracuse, New York, and graduate of Marquette University, Kot worked for the Quad City Times in Davenport, Iowa, before joining the Tribune as a copy editor in 1980. Ten years later he was promoted to music critic.

He is the author or co-author of numerous books, including I’ll Take You There: Mavis Staples, the Staple Singers, and the Music That Shaped the Civil Rights Era; Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music and Wilco: Learning How to Die.

Kot continues to co-host “Sound Opinions,” the nationally syndicated rock ‘n’ roll talk show, with Jim DeRogatis.

Wednesday’s comment of the day: Mike Leiderman: There is no one better at his job - or a better person - than Jeff Nuich. I've known him since the day he came to SportsChannel and its derivatives, Fox SportsNet, Comcast SportsNet and NBC Sports Chicago. What's going on over there? NBCSC must have some sort of death wish. Meanwhile, there should be a lineup of firms for Jeff's services, if he wants to go that route. He makes every place and everyone around him better.