The Jazz Journalists Association has announced winners in the 49 categories of excellence in music and journalism of the 31st annual JJA Jazz Awards. Pianist Kenny Barron is recognized for his Lifetime Achievement In Jazz, and writer-musician Zan Stewart receives the Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism.
Bassist Christian McBride is voted Musician of the Year, and saxophonist Nicole Glover named Up and Coming Musician of the Year. Belonging, by the Branford Marsalis Quartet on Blue Note Records, is named Record of the Year. Marsalis also wins for Soprano Saxophonist of the Year.
Recipients have been determined by a two-stage voting process involving professional members of the JJA, a non-profit organization of writers, photographers, broadcasters and others covering jazz in media.
Among other journalism and media winners: Nate Chinen’s Substack “The Gig” is voted Blog of the Year;WWUH’s “Out Here and Beyond” host Chuck Obuchowski wins the Marian McPartland-Willis Conover Award for Career Achievement in Broadcasting; Mark Sheldon wins the Lona Foote-Bob Parent Award for Career Excellence in Photographl; :Bill Milkowski wins the Robert Palmer-Helen Oakley Dance Award for Excellence in Writing.
Several musical artists have won in multiple categories. Maria Schneider is voted both Composer of the Year and Arranger of the Year. Cécile McLorin Salvant is named Female Vocalist of the Year, and Sullivan Fortner is voted Pianist of the Year. Together, they are also awarded Duo of the Year.
Billy Hart is named Traps Drummer of the Year, and his book Oceans of Time: The Musical Autobiography of Billy Hart (Cymbal Press) as told to Ethan Iverson is named Book of the Year, Biography or Autobiography. Matthew Shipp’s Black Mystery School Pianists And Other Writings (Autonomedia) is Book of the Year about Jazz: History, Criticism and Culture.
Blue Note Records is acknowledged as Label of the Year, and Zev Feldman named Record Producer of the Year. Feldman is one of the four producers of the Historical Record award winner by McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson, Forces of Nature: Live at Slugs’ (Blue Note Records).
For a complete list of award winners, please see: www.JJAJazzAwards.org. For further information on the JJA Jazz Awards or the JJA itself, email Admin@jazzjournalists.org
