Jazz Journalists Association Announces Nominees for 16th Annual JJA Jazz Awards

Tags

2012 Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards, African American, Ambrose Akinmusire, Craig Taborn, Eric Harland, Esperanza Spalding, Gary Burton, J.D. Allen, Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Keith Jarrett, Lee Konitz, Mary Halvorson, Pat Metheny, Ron Carter, Roy Haynes, Sonny Rollins, Warren Wolf

Finalist nominees for the 16th annual Jazz Awards presented by the Jazz Journalists Association have been announced at www.JJAJazzAwards.org. The nominations demonstrate the rich diversity of music that may have been overlooked by mainstream media and other music industry-generated Awards programs.

Iconic veteran instrumentalists including Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, Phil Woods Lee Konitz, Gary Burton, Ron Carter, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette, Pat Metheny and John Scofield are among the nominees who will vie for votes with newly emerged talents such as trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, pianist Craig Taborn, tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen, guitarist Mary Halvorson, bassist Esperanza Spalding, vibist Warren Wolf and drummer Eric Harland in some of the 40 categories celebrating excellence in jazz and jazz journalism. Winners of the Jazz Awards will be selected from the nearly 200 nominees through voting by the JJA’s international membership of writers, photographers, broadcasters and new media producers professionally involved with jazz. Awards are for accomplishments and productions from calendar year 2011, except in two categories for Lifetime Achievement.

Lisa Hilton -][- AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS – [Ruby Slippers Productions, 2012] –

Tags

Composer, J.D. Allen, Larry Grenadier, Lisa Hilton, Nasheet Waits, Piano

Lisa Hilton – Piano with Larry Grenadier – Bass, Nasheet Waits – Drums, J.D. Allen – Tenor Sax

Lisa Hilton, American Impressions

Lisa Hilton -][- AMERICAN IMPRESSIONS – [Ruby Slippers Productions, 2012] –

Lisa Hilton is a composer – pianist – bandleader – producer who has been hailed as “One of the major voices in the modern jazz community” (The Jazz Messenger) and is compared to some of the best pianists in history in the book The New Face of Jazz for what Down Beat magazine recently noted: “Hilton clearly has a musical voice.” Hilton is especially recognized for her expressive and impressionistic approach at the keyboard. Although she has been compared to such diverse musicians as Brad Mehldau, Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Erik Satie and even Debussy, Hilton is cited as, “A rarity that she displays a truly original voice,” (The Jazz Messenger).

Motéma Music will release RUFUS REID’S – HUES OF A DIFFERENT BLUE

Tags

African American, Bobby Watson, Duduka Da Fonseca, Freddie Hendrix, J.D. Allen, Jazz, Motéma Music, Rufus Reid, Steve Allee, Toninho Horta

On April 12, 2011 – Motéma Music will release
RUFUS REID’S – HUES OF A DIFFERENT BLUE
The Brilliant Follow Up to Out Front (2010, Motéma Music)

Rufus Reid & Out Front - Hues of a Different Blue

Featuring the Out Front Trio of Reid, Steve Allee (piano) & Duduka Da Fonseca (drums), with very special guests, legendary saxophonist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, saxophonist J.D. Allen & master Brazilian composer/guitarist Toninho Horta

***To view a special, behind-the-scenes video on the making of Hues of a Different Blue (produced by Suzi Reynolds)
please visit http://www.Redcatpublicity.com and click on the “what’s new” page***

“Reid is the man to call for any musical situation that demands both the utmost skill and impeccable taste…his luscious sound and buoyant swing can levitate an ensemble clear off the bandstand.” – The New Yorker

“His work is a virtual catalog of modern bass technique, tempered by his infallible musicianship. The man has taste…he consistently offers up an earthy tone, flawless intonation, and fluid fingerwork. Plus, you can set the clock by his impeccable time.” – DownBeat

“Reid and his colleagues managed an impressive feat: expressing a hard-core blues sensibility while retaining the high tonal sheen that defines this ensemble. The combined eloquence of Reid’s imperturbable bass lines, Allee’s harmonically advanced pianism and Da Fonseca’s multi-layered rhythms on drums made this the high point. The musicians cohered as a trio functioning as a single unit rather than three distinct sources of sound. Reid stands as one of the most versatile bassists in mainstream jazz.” – The Chicago Tribune