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The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) has announced the list of its 2018 Jazz Heroes – including artists, educators, presenters, journalists, radio programmers, photographers and more. The awards, which were first presented in 1997, recognize members of various local communities who have made a difference for the presence and strength of jazz. The JJA recognized 22 individuals in 20 U.S. cities.
“These Jazz Heroes represent a large coterie of people who bring their devotion and indefatigable energies to the music that excites them, and that they love,” says JJA president Howard Mandel in the press release received by JazzTimes. “The JJA is proud to help shine the light on these people, and we hope regular citizens as well as journalists in all these widespread U.S. communities will join us in hailing their good works.”
Here is the list of the JJA’s 2018 Jazz Heroes:
1. Atlanta: Dr. Dwight Andrews
2. Baltimore: Lea Gilmore
3. Chicago: Margaret Murphy-Webb
4. Detroit: Jim Gallert and Lars Bjorn
5. Denver: Charleszine “Terry” Nelson
6. Hartford: Maurice Robertson
7. Miami: Robert D. Bielecki
8. Minneapolis-St.Paul: Larry Englund
9. New Orleans: Ellis Marsalis Jr.
10. New York City: Bruce Lee Gallanter
11. Philadelphia: Rhenda Fearrington
12. Tucson: Pete Swan
13. Pittsburgh: Roger Humphries
14. Portland (Oregon): Marcia K. Hocker
15. San Diego: Daniel Atkinson
16. Seattle: Karen Caropepe
17. SF Bay Area: Angela Wellman
18. St. Louis: Jim Widner
19. Tallahassee (Florida): Therese & Christopher Seepersaud
20. Washington, D.C.: Larry Appelbaum
You can see their personal portraits and bios, written by someone in their respective community, by clicking on their name above or at JJAJazzAwards.org/Heroes.
