Michael Cuscuna: We Need A Book!

[gmonahan]

1 hour ago, bertrand said:

Dan may well be on the committee but I am sure he cannot say so.

That does not guarantee he will know. I doubt Wayne Shorter knows how he became a Jazz Master exactly, just that someone nominated him.

True, though I bet Morganstern has nominated a few.

 

 

[Larry Kart]

Reply from Dan Morgenstern: 

It’s been ages since I’ve had contact with NEA and even then
there was no pro forma nomination way. The one remaining jazz person on NEA
staff is Katja von Schuttenbach 
a good lady
But it was never a “democratic”
Process IMO….
 

[jlhoots]

2 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

Reply from Dan Morgenstern: 

It’s been ages since I’ve had contact with NEA and even then
there was no pro forma nomination way. The one remaining jazz person on NEA
staff is Katja von Schuttenbach 
a good lady
But it was never a “democratic”
Process IMO….
 

What about A. B. Spellman?

[bertrand]

8 hours ago, jlhoots said:

What about A. B. Spellman?

AB retired a long time ago. Katja is moving back to Germany. I assume her job will be open soon.

[jlhoots]

9 hours ago, bertrand said:

AB retired a long time ago. Katja is moving back to Germany. I assume her job will be open soon.

I've seen / heard A.B. interview NEA jazz masters at the New Mexico Jazz Festival many times. Thought he was still active. Didn't realize he's 87 years old.

Edited December 2, 2022 by jlhoots

[AllenLowe]

On 12/1/2022 at 6:26 PM, Larry Kart said:

Reply from Dan Morgenstern: 

It’s been ages since I’ve had contact with NEA and even then
there was no pro forma nomination way. The one remaining jazz person on NEA
staff is Katja von Schuttenbach 
a good lady
But it was never a “democratic”
Process IMO….
 

Katja just announced she's leaving the USA and going back to Berlin.

[Fer Urbina]

Info to submit a NEA Jazz Master nomination: https://www.arts.gov/honors/jazz/make-nomination-nea-jazz-masters

I've done it twice, but didn't work, so I'll excuse myself 😅

But I agree wholeheartedly. In my personal case, just for his work on Blue Note (all the EMI reissues, including Capitol and Pacific Jazz), Impulse (on MCA, then Universal), and Sony (the series of Miles Davis box sets), I'm forever indebted to him. Add to that the Mosaics, and he's done more than anyone else I can think of in terms of providing me with an education in jazz. 

F

[mjzee]

I bought some of the Jazz Icons DVD boxes many years ago when they were rumored to be disappearing, but I never got around to watching them before now.  Tonight, I watched the first disc: Blakey Live in '58 with Morgan and Golson (great performance, btw), and was pleasantly surprised to find it contained a long essay by Cuscuna that was typically him: perceptive, informative, thorough regarding Blakey's career, the circumstances of this band (including an interview with Golson), and info about this '58 tour.

 

[Gheorghe]

25 minutes ago, mjzee said:

I bought some of the Jazz Icons DVD boxes many years ago when they were rumored to be disappearing, but I never got around to watching them before now.  Tonight, I watched the first disc: Blakey Live in '58 with Morgan and Golson (great performance, btw), and was pleasantly surprised to find it contained a long essay by Cuscuna that was typically him: perceptive, informative, thorough regarding Blakey's career, the circumstances of this band (including an interview with Golson), and info about this '58 tour.

 

I think I have the Monk, maybe some other, if there ever was one with Mingus too I must have it.

[mhatta]

Michael Cuscuna was not selected for the NEA Jazz Masters after all (even though he had been fighting an illness for several years and did not suddenly pass away). I am very surprised. 

I hope that a proper biography will be written, including Cuscuna's work outside of jazz (such as producing Bonnie Raitt, which I liked). I feel that only Cuscuna himself could have written such a book.