McCarthur Genius Grants Announced: Miguel Zenon and Alex Ross

[Robert J]

Right, I know that. The reason private institutions have to do this is because there is no healthy art support from the government.

You should see the boneheaded comments being made by our Prime Minister on the campaign trail, re arts support.

“I think when ordinary working people come home, turn on the TV and see a gala of a bunch of people, you know, at a rich gala all subsidized by taxpayers claiming their subsidies aren't high enough when they know those subsidies have actually gone up, I'm not sure that's something that resonates with ordinary people,” he said during a campaign stop in Saskatoon.

So the ordinary people and the artists are fighting back:

Globe & Mail

[AllenLowe]

seeing your avatar, I should mention that when they started the whole thing I tried, through someone I knew on the committee, to get Barry Harris's name submitted; I got nowhere.

[Robert J]

A damn shame, cause you know he didn't make much at all off the Sidewinder sessions.

[AllenLowe]

and BArry claims (and I believe him) that he wrote the Sidewinder theme -

[Hot Ptah]

and BArry claims (and I believe him) that he wrote the Sidewinder theme -

Just as Roland Hanna wrote "A Child Is Born," which I have heard from Hanna and from another long time member of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis big band.

[Chuck Nessa]

and BArry claims (and I believe him) that he wrote the Sidewinder theme -

More correctly, I think he claimed the piano vamp.

[sheldonm]

hard for me to judge these geniuses due to a personal conflict of interest - I see guys like that and I say to myself "hey, I write and play as well as he does." I do think the McCarthur people, when it comes to a lot of the jazz-related money they award, have not a clue - think Roswell Rudd, for one - still largely un-heralded - and could use the cash - as could Ursula Oppens or Louie Goldstein (non-jazz, but deserving) - hey, Larry Kart deserves it a LOT more than big Stanley -

...should it be awared because someone "could use" the cash? BTW...I do like Roswell.

[AllenLowe]

it's not "needs based," however, this is still the real world - and yes, Roswell would be a perfect choice - as would Randy Sandke, Matt Shipp, and more than a few others - Matt, in particular, would be a good and creative choice because he is so amazingly independent -

[RDK]

For pretty much any and all awards I'm sure we could all come up with someone we feel is more deserving.

[Adam]

It's not "needs" based strictly, but they do have a tendency to give awards to folks who have some larger community or education thing going on that could also use support. I think Zenon is very involved in jazz education.

[Rabshakeh]

Is this the only thread that we have on Zenon?

He's had an hell of a decade and a half. I'd be interested to know whether the slightly lukewarm views of his playing have changed since 2008 when this thread was active.

[ghost of miles]

On 3/12/2022 at 4:50 PM, Rabshakeh said:

Is this the only thread that we have on Zenon?

He's had an hell of a decade and a half. I'd be interested to know whether the slightly lukewarm views of his playing have changed since 2008 when this thread was active.

Saw his quartet last night and it was amazing. I’d previously seen him with Fred Hersch’s trio at the Village Vanguard, but it was great to hear him as a leader. At times there was a classic-Coltrane-quartet level of intensity. Propulsive and full of rhythmic sound of surprise. I need to gain deeper knowledge of the musical and cultural influences that Zenon’s drawing on; I’m sure it would enhance my appreciation of what he’s up to. (Caveat that my enthusiasm may have also been pumped up simply because this was the first indoor jazz show I’d attended in two years.)

[Steve Reynolds]

2 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Saw his quartet last night and it was amazing. I’d previously seen him with Fred Hersch’s trio at the Village Vanguard, but it was great to hear him as a leader. At times there was a classic-Coltrane-quartet level of intensity. Propulsive and full of rhythmic sound of surprise. I need to gain deeper knowledge of the musical and cultural influences that Zenon’s drawing on; I’m sure it would enhance my appreciation of what he’s up to. (Caveat that my enthusiasm may have also been pumped up simply because this was the first indoor jazz show I’d attended in two years.)

Where was the show?

[ghost of miles]

7 hours ago, Steve Reynolds said:

Where was the show?

Buskirk-Chumley Theater in Bloomington, Indiana.