The Jazz Journalists Association yesterday announced the winners of the 2008 Jazz Awards, the non-profit professional organization’s 12th annual celebration of excellence in jazz and jazz journalism, and induction of an “A Team” of activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz. The Jazz Awards are engraved statuettes, handed to attending recipients by jazz journalists and their supporters at a barbeque and beer lunch at the New York club the Jazz Standard.
Maria Schneider (pictured, at awards ceremony), whose Sky Blue was a critics’ favorite last year, took home the most awards, four, including Record of the Year. Marian McPartland was given a JJA’s Lifetime Achievement award. Among the other winners was JazzTimes, winning in the category of Best Periodical Covering Jazz.
Attendees were also treated to a three-song mini-set by saxophonist Joe Lovano and pianist Hank Jones, who won for Pianist of the Year.
The full list of winners follows:
JAZZ JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION JAZZ AWARDS 2008
Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Marian McPartland
Musician of the Year
Herbie Hancock
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
Lionel Loueke
Record of the Year
Sky Blue: Maria Schneider Orchestra (ArtistShare)
Reissue/Historical Release of the Year
Cornell 1964: Charles Mingus Sextet (Blue Note)
Reissue/Historical Box Set of the Year
A Life In Time: The Roy Haynes Story (Dreyfus Jazz)
Record Label of the Year
Blue Note Records
Composer of the Year
Maria Schneider
Arranger of the Year
Maria Schneider
Male Singer of the Year
Andy Bey
Female Singer of the Year
Abbey Lincoln
Latin Jazz Album of the Year
Big Band Urban Folktales: Bobby Sanabria (Jazzheads)
Small Ensemble of the Year
Ornette Coleman Quartet/Quintet
Large Ensemble of the Year
Maria Schneider Orchestra
Trumpeter of the Year
Terence Blanchard
Trombonist of the Year
Wycliffe Gordon
Player of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Scott Robinson, reeds/brass/antiques
Alto Sax Player of the Year
Ornette Coleman
Tenor Sax Player of the Year
Sonny Rollins
Soprano Sax Player of the Year
Jane Ira Bloom
Baritone Sax Player of the Year
James Carter
Clarinetist of the Year
Anat Cohen
Flutist of the Year
Nicole Mitchell
Pianist of the Year
Hank Jones
Organ-Keyboards of the Year
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Guitarist of the Year
Bill Frisell
Bassist of the Year
Christian McBride
Electric Bassist of the Year
Steve Swallow
Strings Player of the Year
Regina Carter
Mallets Player of the Year
Joe Locke
Percussionist of the Year
Candido Camero
Drummer of the Year
Roy Haynes
Events Producer of the Year
Patricia Nicholson-Parker, Arts for Art, RUCMA, Vision Festival
Jazz Journalism Lifetime Achievement Award
Doug Ramsey, author, biographer, blogger
Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Broadcasting Award
Nancy Wilson, for Jazz Profiles, National Public Radio
Helen Dance-Robert Palmer Feature & Review Writing Award
Nate Chinen, New York Times, JazzTimes
Best Periodical Covering Jazz
JazzTimes
Best Website on Jazz
AllAboutJazz.com
Best Book about Jazz
Playing the Changes: Milt Hinton’s Life in Stories and Photographs, by Milt Hinton, David G. Berger and Holly Maxson (Vanderbilt University Press)
Lona Foote-Bob Parent Photography Award
Milt Hinton (1910-2000)
Jazz Photo of the Year
“Time Stood Still for Andrew Hill,” by Laurence Donohue-Greene (Jazzhouse.org)
The Jazz Journalists Association 2008 Award for the
‘A Team’ Activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz
Dr. Valerie Capers, pianist, composer, emeritus chair of City University of New York Department of Music and Art at Bronx Community College
Dana Gioia, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts
Lauren Deutsch, photographer and executive director of the Jazz Institute of Chicago
Susan Muscarella, pianist-composer-arranger-educator, founder of JazzSchool (Berkeley)
Phil Nimmons, clarinetist, improviser, father of Canadian jazz education
George Russell, conceptualist, composer, orchestra leader, educator (New England Conservatory)
Dick Wang, musician, educator (Univ. of Illinois-Chicago), mentor, historian, archivist, co-founder, past president and current board member of the Jazz Institute of Chicago
Dr. Herb Wong, founder of the Palo Alto Jazz Alliance and Berkeley public school jazz programs, broadcaster, record producer and annotator, past-president of the International Association of Jazz Educators, spirit of the Monterey Jazz Festival
Wendy Oxenhorn, executive director of the Jazz Foundation of America, founder of Street News, blues harmonica player
For further information about the Jazz Awards and Jazz Journalists Association, visit Jazzhouse.org.
Maria Schneider photo by Jeff Tamarkin
