Ornette Coleman (pictured) will take two honors home from the 2004 New York NightLife Awards ceremony, to be held on January 12 at Town Hall in New York City. The saxophonist has been announced the winner of the outstanding jazz soloist award and his quartet has won the outstanding jazz combo performance award.
The NightLife Awards were designed as a way to honor jazz musicians, cabaret singers and comedians-Big Apple entertainers who don’t work on Broadway but in the city’s many cabarets and nightclubs. Winners are chosen by those loveable New York entertainment critics, who also picked singer Allan Harris as their favorite male jazz vocalist. Dianne Reeves and Paula West tied in the female category. The vague, “unique jazz performance” award will go to trumpeter Gerald Wilson. And singer Annie Ross, formerly of the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, has won the living legend of jazz award. Ross will sing at the awards ceremony, as the winners of these awards are asked to perform at the event. You’re invited to attend, but you might want to call and make sure all of these jazz stars will in fact be performing that night; at press time the list of confirmed performing jazz artists included only Harris and Ross. But Sandy Duncan will be there for sure!
Once again, the Nightlife Awards take place on January 12. Showtime is 7 p.m. Tickets range from $25 to $75 and may be purchased at the Town Hall Box office at 123 West 43rd St. in New York City, or by calling Ticketmaster at (212) 307-4100. Tickets to the post-show party are also available at $50 by calling 212-752-4119 or by e-mailing [email protected].
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