The Jazz Journalists Association celebrates its 2020 Jazz Awards online on Thursday, June 18 at 8 pm ET, with a first of its kind, all-star Jazz Awards Winners Live-Streaming Party.
2020 Awards winners (including Jazz Heroes) and active JJA members are able to register to be on the call on Zoom, while the general public will watch on Hot House Global and the JJA’s Facebook page.
Honorees from the 24th annual JJA celebration of excellence in jazz and jazz media work will interact live, addressing each other, taking questions and observing musical interludes from past Jazz Awards galas by Sheila Jordan, Randy Weston and Sonny Rollins, among others.
Confirmed participants to date include Carla Bley (Lifetime Achievement in Jazz recipient), Lakecia Benjamin (Up and Coming Musician of the Year) Terri Lynne Carrington (Musician of the Year and Drummer of the Year), Nate Chinen (for his personal writing, and the WBGO blog), Kris Davis (Composer of the Year and Pianist of the Year), Male Vocalist of the Year Kurt Elling, Percussionist of the Year Zakir Hussain, and Roscoe Mitchell representing the Art Ensemble of Chicago 50th Anniversary Large Ensemble and Allison Miller for her mid-sized ensemble, Boom Tic Boom. Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism honoree Stanley Crouch, who is ailing, has sent a message to be read.
Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, clarinetist Anat Cohen, guitarist Bill Frisell, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, multi-reeds player Joe Lovano, and flutist Nicole Mitchell, bassist Linda May Han Oh, JazzTimes editor Mac Randall, cellist Tomeka Reid, vibist Joel Ross, author Mark Stryker and alto saxophonist-arranger Miguel Zenón will also speak on the call.
Due to Zoom limits of 100 to a meeting, access to be on the call itself must be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to JJA Jazz Heroes and members. An overflow of would-be viewers will be directed to watch on the other platforms, Hot House Global and the JJA’s Facebook page. The webcast will be recorded for later viewing, on YouTube.
And viewing the party on the free Hot House Global and JJA Facebook platforms is actually an advantage, as pre-recorded bits will only be seen via those streams, not on Zoom itself. The workaround for people on the Zoom call will be to open a second web-browser to watch the pre-recorded music and statements on Hot House Global or Facebook.
