Charles Mingus

BMI Celebrates Jazz Visionary

2008-05-04T21:40:00-05:00

Jazz visionary and multi-talented BMI songwriter, bassist, composer and bandleader Avishai Cohen brought the Avishai Cohen Trio to London’s world renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club on April 29. The performance was in celebration of their latest release, Gently Disturbed, on Cohen’s own Razdaz Recordz.

Cohen was declared one of the 100 Most Influential Bass Players of the 20th Century by Bass Player magazine. Cohen is not only renowned around the world as an influential double bassist and profound composer, but also as a visionary bandleader who is following in the footsteps of Charles Mingus, Dave Holland, Jaco Pastorius, Ray Brown, Charlie Haden, Stanley Clarke, and Sting. The New Yorker says of Cohen, “…one of the most gifted bassists of his generation is finding his own voice as a composer.”

Max Roach, Lauded Jazz Percussionist, Dies at 83

2007-08-17T18:52:00-05:00

Max Roach, the musical genius who helped create modern jazz and is considered to be one of the most important drummers in the genre’s history, died August 16 in New York City. He was 83. His cause of death was undisclosed.

Roach, a BMI affiliate since 1961, was born Jan. 10, 1924 in New Land, N.C., but later moved to the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn where he began playing drums at the age of 10. As a teenager, Roach worked with composer Duke Ellington and jammed with saxophonist Charlie Parker, which led to his contribution to bebop, a jagged and unpredictable jazz styling. Roach recorded over 70 albums, paired with such legends as Dinah Washington, Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins. Money Jungle, with Mingus and Ellington, is regarded as one of the finest trio albums recorded.

In 1952, Roach co-founded Debut Records and released Jazz at Massey Hall, and the bass-and-drum improvisation Percussion Discussion. Roach’s advocacy for civil rights was heard through his music with We Insist! - Freedom Now and a recorded duet including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s, “I Have a Dream” oration. He received eight honorary doctoral degrees and a MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant, cited as a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France. He also served as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts.

Roach is survived by five children: sons Daryl and Raoul, and daughters Maxine, Ayl and Dara.

BMI Jazz Composers Sweep 2007 Jazz Journalists Association Awards

2007-07-02T17:33:00-05:00

BMI jazz composers took home the lion’s share of the awards at the 11th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards, held June 28 at the Jazz Standard Club in New York City.

The event’s top honoree was pianist Andrew Hill, who passed away on April 20 of this year. He received the Lifetime Achievement in Jazz, Composer of the Year and Pianist of the Year, with his widow, Joanne Robinson Hill, accepting the awards in his name. Marc Ostrow, President of Boosey & Hawkes and the publisher of Hill’s compositions, was present for the recognition. Hill wrote and recorded a number of extraordinary albums for Blue Note Records between 1963 and 1969 that are known for their challenging compositions and compelling improvisational energy. Some of the most noted musicians of the time participated, including Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard, and critics consider the work amongst the best of the decade. Hill later became a teacher at Portland State University in Oregon, and returned triumphantly to the New York scene in the 1990s. His 2000 release, Dusk, was named Album of the Year by Down Beat and Jazz Times.

Other instrumental winners at the ceremony include the legendary Sonny Rollins for Tenor Saxophonist of the Year and multi-award winner Dave Douglas for Trumpeter of the Year. Dave Liebman was honored as Soprano Saxophonist of the Year, and Gary Smulyan as Baritone Saxophonist of the Year. Frank Wess won as Flutist of the Year, while Scott Robinson’s expertise on a multitude of reeds brought him the Player of the Year of Instruments Rare in Jazz award.

Other instrumental award-winners include celebrated BMI jazz composers: Pat Metheny for Guitarist of the Year; Dave Holland for Acoustic Bassist of the Year; Steve Swallow for Electric Bassist of the Year; Bobby Hutcherson for Mallets Player of the Year; Roy Haynes for Drummer of the Year; and Cyro Baptista for Percussionist of the Year.

Both of the vocalist awards went to BMI songwriters: Kurt Elling for Male Singer of the Year and Roberta Gambarini for Female Singer of the Year. The Large Ensemble of the Year was won by the Charles Tolliver Big Band, and the Latin Jazz Album of the Year by Brian Lynch & Eddie Palmieri’s Simpatico.

The work of celebrated BMI jazz masters was recognized in the reissue categories as well. The Single CD Reissue of the Year went to Charles Mingus’s Music Written for Monterey 1965 Not Heard: At UCLA 1965 and The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings of Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane.

Finally, one of the A Team Awards, which recognize extraordinary efforts by individuals in support of jazz, went to BMI composer Donald Harrison in his role as the artistic director of the New Orleans-based Tipitina’s Foundation.

The Jazz Journalists Association is a non-for-profit organization dedicated to bringing news and views of jazz to the general public. They sponsor panel discussions at festivals and conventions and organize workshops and mentoring programs. Information on the organization can be found at www.Jazzhouse.org in addition to their quarterly journal “Jazz Notes.”

A complete list of the BMI winners of the Jazz Journalists Association 2007 Jazz Awards follows:

Andrew Hill
Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Composer of the Year
Pianist of the Year

Reissue of the Year, single CD
Charles Mingus, Music Written for Monterey 1965 Not Hear: At UCLA 1965

Reissue of the Year, boxed set
Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings

Male Singer of the Year
Kurt Elling

Female Singer of the Year
Robert Gambarini

Latin Jazz Album of the Year
Brian Lynch & Eddie Palmieri: Simpatico

Large Ensemble of the Year:
Charles Tolliver Big Band

Trumpeter of the Year
Dave Douglas

Player of the Year of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Scott Robinson

Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
Sonny Rollins

Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
Dave Liebman

Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
Gary Smulyan

Flutist of the Year
Frank Wess

Guitarist of the Year
Pat Metheny

Acoustic Bassist of the Year
Dave Holland

Electric Bassist of the Year
Steve Swallow

Mallets Player of the Year
Bobby Hutcherson

Percussionist of the Year
Cyro Baptista

Drummer of the Year
Roy Haynes

For a complete list of the awards, consult www.Jazzhouse.org

Ray Davies: BMI Icon

2006-10-03T17:48:01-05:00

It’s been more than 40 years since Ray Davies and the Kinks burst onto the pop music scene with “You Really Got Me.” The No. 1 English hit remains one of rock’s most primal songs, even credited by some as the first salvo of punk. He remains as vital as ever on his official solo debut, Other People’s Lives, which was hailed as “bloody brilliant” by Harp magazine.
The Kinks followed that first hit with a string of distinctive songs like “All Day and All of The Night,” “Tired of Waiting For You,” “See My Friends,” “Till the End of the Day,” “A Well Respected Man,” “Sunny Afternoon,” “Dedicated Follower of Fashion” and “Lola,” to name but a few of the songs written by Davies that formed a major part of the cultural soundtrack of the 1960s. By the end of that decade, he had begun composing conceptual albums like Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire), Preservation and Soap Opera, incorporating the inherent theatricality in his songs into the Kinks’ stage show. During the 1980s, the Kinks solidified their stature as rock elder statesmen with hits like “Come Dancing.”
Davies has also continued to explore a variety of modes for expressing his considerable creativity, including a 1995 “unauthorized biography,” “X-Ray,” written as a semi-fictional (yet still revelatory) life story penned sometime in the future by an eager young journalist, and a book of short stories, “Waterloo Sunset.” Readings from“X-Ray” became part of his “Storyteller” tour and album in which he revisited some of his finest moments with the Kinks, introducing new material that suggested his continued excellence. as a songwriter outside his legendary band. Davies has also directed films (Return to Waterloo and Weird Nightmare, the latter a portrait of Charles Mingus) and written works for the theatre like Chorus Girls and 80 Days with Snoo Wilson.
When the Kinks were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, Davies was hailed as “almost indisputably rock’s most literate, witty and insightful songwriter.” He is also acknowledged for the quintessential sense of Englishness that can be found in many of his songs and his gift for telling character studies. In addition to being named a BMI Icon at the organization’s 2006 London Awards, he has also been awarded Commander of the British Empire honors by Queen Elizabeth II alongside the induction of the Kinks into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame.
Davies’s influence on other artists began with his peer Pete Townshend and has continued over the years with acts like Paul Weller, Oasis, Blur and, lately,the Hives, the Vines, the Libertines and others. Bands like Van Halen, the Jam and the Pretenders have enjoyed hits with his songs. Once called “the greatest humanist in rock,” Davies continues to compose songs marked by heart, humor, empathy, pungent details and unforgettable melodies, and record and perform them with classic showmanship.

Jazz Composers Workshop to Showcase New Works at Annual Concert July 6

2006-06-01T18:00:00-05:00

The highly lauded BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, now in its second decade, will highlight the best of new jazz compositions created during the last year at its 18th Annual Summer Showcase Concert. The concert is free to the public, and will be held on Thursday, July 6 at Merkin Concert Hall (Abraham Goodman House at 129 West 67th Street) at 8:00 p.m. The concert will feature the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra - a 16-piece modern repertory ensemble made up of leading Workshop members. Seating is first-come, first-served; doors open at 7:30 p.m.

The evening will also announce the winner of the BMI Foundation's seventh annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, given to the writer of the best new work composed in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. This year's judges include jazz virtuosos Robin Eubanks and Joe Lovano, and noted jazz authority Dan Morgenstern.

The winning composer will receive a cash award and the $3000 Manny Albam Commission to compose a new piece for the following year's concert. Named in memory of the Workshop's co-founder and longtime musical director, last year's Manny Albam Commission winner, Sherisse Rogers, will premiere her commissioned work during the showcase.

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop is led by internationally renowned composers Jim McNeely and Michael Abene, and offers a unique collaborative environment for professional jazz musicians with an emphasis on composition for the large jazz (big band) ensemble. The Workshop - a well-known forum for creative excellence - provides an environment where composers are free to explore new avenues in the creative process, while at the same time honing their skills. McNeely has performed with and written for Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, among others, and is a six-time Grammy Award nominee. Abene is the Dean of the Manhattan School of Music, and has composed and arranged for Dizzy Gillespie, Buddy Rich, Chick Corea and others; he is also a well-known record producer.

BMI's impressive roster of jazz artists includes such legends as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton and Charles Mingus, as well as today's new jazz stars like Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones, Kevin Eubanks, Joshua Redman, Mark Whitfield and Bobby Watson.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

5th Annual JAM Celebration Honors Jazz Pioneers

2006-04-27T18:00:01-05:00

Jazz Appreciation Month, or JAM for short, kicked off this April with a special fifth anniversary ceremony held at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by BMI and presented by the Smithsonian, the annual, month-long celebration pays tribute to this living art form by raising awareness of jazz and its history through performances, dance, film, programs and displays at the museum.

Donors gather with representatives of the national JAM partner, sponsor, and collaborator organizations. Back row: Jean Banks, BMI; Gale Monk; Thelonious Monk, Jr.; Dan Schuman, U.S. State Department; John Stevenson, Voice of America; Wayne Brown, National Endowment for the Humanities; Sandra Gibson, Association of Performing Arts Presenters; Mara Walker, Americans for the Arts; Cynthia Minnick, U.S. Department of Defense; Dwan Reese, National Endowment for the Humanities; Jennifer Adams, PBS; Barry Robinson, representing IAJE; Kristin Wilson, Association of Public Television Stations; Carol Sue Fromboluti, U.S. Department of Education; Patricia May, American Library Association. Front row: Dr. John Edward Hasse, National Museum of American History; Dr. Brent Glass, National Museum of American History; Fran Morris Rosman, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation; Dr. Jonathan D. Katz, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies; Roger Whitworth, representing the American Federation of Musicians and the Music Performance Fund; Herman Leonard; Paul Kerlin, MENC; Bill Pace, Chamber Music America; Cheryl Davis; Vince Wilburn, Jr.; Vince Wilburn, Sr. Smithsonian. Photo by Hugh Talman

On hand were the families of legendary BMI jazz artists Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk who donated objects and manuscripts from their estates. Jazz photographer Herman Leonard also donated some of his photographs.

"Jazz is truly an American form of music that has played and continues to play an important role in our history from its birth in the South in the late 1800s and early 1900s to its later fusion with other forms of popular music," said Brent D. Glass, Director of the National Museum of American History. "Through the museum's Jazz Appreciation Month activities, we highlight jazz and its significant history, while exposing audiences to this significant piece of American culture."

Miles Davis (1926-1991), a trumpeter and composer, helped pioneer a wide variety of jazz music from cool jazz to hard-pop to jazz-rock fusion, while becoming the most dominant figure in jazz during the second half of the 20th century. The seven-time Grammy award-winning artist began his career playing with jazz greats such as Charlie Parker, Benny Carter and Billy Eckstine, but he would go on to create his own distinct lyrical style that was often lonely and introspective. Davis recorded the best-selling jazz album in history, Kind of Blue (1959). Donations from the Davis family included a Versace suit that Davis wore during the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1991; a sheaf of parts for "Summertime," arranged for Davis by Gil Evans based on George Gershwin's "Porgy & Bess"; and an electronic wind instrument used by Davis.

Thelonious Monk (1917-1982) is often regarded as one of the greatest composers in jazz history, creating such classics as "Round Midnight," "Blue Monk" and "Criss Cross." Credited with helping pioneer bebop as a form of jazz, he was also an accomplished pianist who created an iconic sound through unorthodox voicings and an unusual approach to rhythm. In 1964, Monk was featured on the cover of Time magazine-one of five jazz musicians to ever make the cover. He recently received a special posthumous citation from the Pulitzer Prize board. Donations from the Monk family included one of his iconic skull caps; a handwritten manuscript for "Four in One," which was first recorded in 1951; and other articles of clothing worn by Monk, including a jacket, vest and ties.

Jazz photographer Herman Leonard began his career in the 1940s in the jazz clubs of Broadway, 52nd Street and Harlem, N.Y. Throughout the years he developed relationships with and photographed many jazz greats, including Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington. Leonard's extensive portfolio extends beyond jazz, though, as he has photographed other American icons like Albert Einstein, Harry S. Truman, Clark Gable and Marlon Brando. Leonard's donation consists of 20 black-and-white photographs, including images of Louis Armstrong, Holiday, Gillespie, Lena Horne and Tony Bennett.

The donated items join the museum's collection of memorabilia from other jazz musicians, including Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Artie Shaw and Ellington, and are showcased in a special display "Miles & Monk: New Jazz Acquisitions," which opened March 30.

April was chosen for JAM to honor the birthdays of such jazz legends as Ellington, Fitzgerald, Puente, Charles Mingus and Gerry Mulligan. Throughout the entire month, the museum highlights jazz music through concerts, programs and displays. Schools, colleges, museums, concert halls, libraries and public broadcasters are encouraged to offer special programs of their own every April.

The Smithsonian operates the world's most comprehensive set of jazz programs, including Jazz Appreciation Month. It collects jazz artifacts, documents, recordings and oral histories; curates exhibitions and traveling exhibitions; operates its own big band, the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra; publishes books and recordings on jazz; offers fellowships for research in its collections; and offers concerts, educational workshops, master classes, lectures, seminars and symposia.

With an impressive roster of jazz legends that includes Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton and Charles Mingus, as well as today's new jazz stars like Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones, Kevin Eubanks, Joshua Redman, Mark Whitfield and Bobby Watson, BMI has supported jazz from the start and continues today with programs such as the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, the BMI Foundation's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize and the BMI/Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Composers Competition.