Friday 13th August, 2004

Largest arts prize awarded Ornette Coleman
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Big News Network.com Friday 13th August, 2004

Jazz composer and saxophonist Ornette Coleman Thursday won the largest prize
in the arts field, the $250,000 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize.

The prize, established by the late actress Lillian Gish in memory of her
actress sister, Dorothy, will be presented to Coleman at an awards ceremony
Oct. 14 at the Hudson Theater on Broadway. According to the Gish Prize Trust
committee announcement, Coleman is being honored for ushering in a new era
for jazz with his harmolodic concept that broke music away from prevailing
conventions of harmony, rhythm and melody.

The 2004 prize was selected by a committee of judges from several fields of
the arts without any application process or competition.

I am so happy for this recognition and for the light it shines on the world
of jazz and all musicians working hard to be heard, said Coleman in a
statement accompanying the announcement.

Previous winners of the Gish Prize have been choreographer Bill T. Jones,
theater director Lloyd Richards, songwriter Bob Dylan, playwright Arthur
Miller, author Isabelle Allende and architect Frank Gehry

Maybe now he could release some material from his new quartet and some of the older material that never made it to CD?

He IS showing up at U T Austin for the FIRST time in November; they've been trying for years and years to get him and this is the first time that he has agreed with their offering. . . . Coincidence? Good news about the award!

Yes, I know. . . and I'm happy about it.

Well, I've been told that it is scheduled for Sunday Nov. 4, at Bass Concert Hall, 7:00 pm. No mention anwhere that I've found of the size or nature of his accompaniment. Tickets are supposed to go on sale the 22 or 23 of this month; I'm going to be out of town but have a friend getting tickets for me. (Literally, as a birthday gift!)

Lord knows the man deserves this kind of recognition.

But what I want to know is who he had pushing for him through the whole political process that surely accompanied this award, and how llong the whole process took. They don't just pull names out of a hat for these things you know...

http://www.utpac.org/2004/november.php#137

See you there, Lon!

I'll be seeing him in Newport this weekend.

I guess Ornette will finally be able to afford to eat, now.

Weather permitting, Ornette will take the stage down the street tomorrow in Newport. This is good news. Sounds like a nice prize.

I saw him at Newport. Uh...it was good. All the songs sounded the same, but he was wearing what looked like an electric blue suit. It was him, Denardo, & 2 bass players. I heard an old guy said it sounded like mice running around on the floor. I only recognized one song, but can't remember the title, mid to late '60s. I don't quite know what else to say about it except I'm glad I saw him.

"Artists" are often able to lead a different life than mere "musicians". The options are many, if not always "blue collar". There's a sucker, no..., a bitch, no..., a.............. patron, yes, that's the word I'm looking for, PATRON, for everybody, some legitimate, and some, uh, sucker-bitches! The one thing they have in common, though, i$....

It's a whole 'nother world, dude....