The 2006 NEA Jazz Masters

[JPF]

And the 2006 NEA Jazz Masters are...

[Chuck Nessa]

Where's my barf bag?

Once again, thanks america.

No dis meant to the lucky winners.

Geez!

Back to news from New Orleans.

[Kalo]

Anyone else think Tony Bennett is a little out of place as a "Jazz Master"?

[sheldonm]

  Kalo said:

Anyone else think Tony Bennett is a little out of place as a "Jazz Master"?

←

.....me!

[ValerieB]

  Kalo said:

Anyone else think Tony Bennett is a little out of place as a "Jazz Master"?

←

no disrespect to tony and his talent but i think one of the reasons he's being acknowledged in the jazz world these days (he's appearing for the first time at the monterey jazz festival this weekend!) is that there are so few really good male jazz singers left , sad to say!

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Funnily enough, I just read a review of his appearance at UNC-Chapel Hill where a couple in the audience were quoted as saying this:

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"Frank's not around, so there's Tony," said Henry Bell of Apex.

"We were Sinatra fans, and we never got to see him," his wife, Mary Beth Bell,

elaborated. "We said we better see [bennett] while we can, or we'll regret it."

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"Lee's dead and Freddie don't play no more." - oh wait, Freddie's the one getting the award.....

Mike

[md655321]

My problem isnt that Tony isnt really jazz, but the fact that he already has more than enough money. With all the poor jazz musicians, they could have picked a better recipient.

[RDK]

So who's won in the past and who would we nominate (or award) now? Are previous recipients eligible?

[AllenLowe]

if those guys are all jazz masters, than I'm a jazz GOD - bow down before me, subjects-

[ValerieB]

  RDK said:

So who's won in the past and who would we nominate (or award) now?  Are previous recipients eligible?

←

their website answers these questions. i do not believe previous recipients are eliglible. also, the recipient must be living.

[AllenLowe]

it's true - they use the mirror test -

[Ron S]

Then doesn't that disqualify YOU, Allen?

[AllenLowe]

well, I'm not feeling too well today - so they better hurry -

[Kreilly]

  JPF said:

And the 2006 NEA Jazz Masters are...

←

The list of past recipients includes Ornette Coleman and Cecil Taylor among other notables. What is puzzling is that there seems to be a tendency to award people on the basis of past accomplishments rather than present relevance. There are plenty of people who are still currently making important contributions and furthering the traditions. Henry Threadgill, Roscoe Mitchell, Muhal Richard Abrams, Sam Rivers, George Lewis, Myra Melford, Ed Wilkerson, Andrew Hill, the list goes on and on.

Kevin

[RDK]

  AllenLowe said:

if those guys are all jazz masters, than I'm a jazz GOD - bow down before me, subjects-

←

Hmm. Can we really quibble about Corea, DeFranco, Hubbard, and Brookmeyer not being "jazz masters?" That's not a bad list. And they're all still breathing. They may not be cutting edge artists, but they ain't chopped liver. I'm not sure I'm following Chuck's rather negative comment either. They do have a history of awarding to some of the "edgier" artists, and it's not like Wynton's on the list...

[AllenLowe]

I think they should give it to that 13 year old Italian saxophonist -

[AllenLowe]

or at least to one accordion player - I think Myron Floren is dead, however -