2006 JJA Awards

[GA Russell]

This year's JJA Awards were announced Monday. Here's the link:

http://www.jazzhouse.org/winners06.html

Concord/Fantasy was named Label of the Year. Monk with Coltrane at Carnegie Hall was Album of the Year. The Cellar Door Sessions was Box Set of the Year.

[Guy Berger]

Concord/Fantasy was named Label of the Year.

[paul secor]

I wonder if anyone cares about jazz "journalists" except the "journalists" themselves. There was a time when that wasn't the case.

[Chuck Nessa]

I wonder if anyone cares about jazz "journalists" except the "journalists" themselves. There was a time when that wasn't the case.

They vote awards for themselves every year.

[marcello]

Joe Locke receiving the JJA Award for ´Mallet Player of the Year´

June 19, 2006 --- photo © Gene Martin

[Ken Dryden]

Don't most organizations include some awards for its members' contributions?

I don't think that JJA devotes that much time or money to member awards, though I have been reluctant to vote in some of the member categories; for example, I don't listen to jazz radio on-line, as I simply don't have the time. Also picking a "Lifetime Achievement for Jazz Journalism" winner is much easier than "Jazz Journalist of the Year." In fact, a journalist or broadcaster is not required to be a JJA member to be honored with an award.

I'm pretty happy with the way the awards turned out, though Concord is hardly the "Best Jazz Label" nor is James Carter worthy of "Best Baritone Saxophonist," in my opinion. I am very pleased that Doug Ramsey's Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond won "Jazz Book of the Year."

Edited June 22, 2006 by Ken Dryden