IAJE
2007 NYC
New York City was again the gracious host for the
34th Annual IAJE Conference held
January 10 -13, 2007.
The International Association for
Jazz
Education annually provides the largest global jazz gathering –
from 40+ countries and nearly 8000 musicians, jazz educators,
students, media, music industry professionals, and fans.
The Hilton New York and Sheraton New York hotels
were headquarters for this four-day conference that included
over 100 energetic performances. This year’s international
emphasis was on Jazz in France with more than 200 French
performers and guests attending.
Each year, IAJE participants are
immersed in a tightly-packed schedule of well-attended clinics,
workshops, lectures, professional development sessions,
interviews, and performances. A 75,000 square foot music
industry exposition provided a wealth of music information and a
fabulous networking opportunity for colleagues. It is also a top
source for college music program dissemination and recruiting.
Again this year, there was the popular “Ask the
Experts” session where attendees were able to meet with mentors
and receive career feedback. Also, the JJA (Jazz Journalists
Association) again held their “Who Asked you, Anyway?” session
which provided an opportunity for aspiring jazz writers to
submit reviews and receive critiques from a panel of experts.
Annual Jazzoids’ favorites always center around the one on ones
with some of the top icon’s in jazz. This year, these included a
very special conversation between Eddie Palmieri and Ned
Sublette. Eddie’s stories of his experiences and connections
while coming up in the Latin music world of New York City were
charming and compelling. Also very entertaining was “Excuse the
Musical Disruption”, a spirited conversation between Bob
Blumenthal and Christian McBride. The Hank Jones and Joe Lovano
interview session was a delightful glimpse into a rich and warm
collaborative musical relationship.
Another annual favorite is the Downbeat Blindfold Test hosted by
Dan Ouellette which this year required bassist Ron Carter to
identify and discuss a series of recordings and musicians. This
is always a fascinating look into the minds of musicians. Nat
Hentoff presented an enjoyable hour in Old Friends: A
Conversation with newly inducted 2007 NEA Jazz Master and
saxophonist, Phil Woods.
There is a continually increasing emphasis on the technology
track at IAJE and this year’s offerings ranged from uses for
Podcasts, to creating websites and marketing your music on My
Space to demos of ProTools recording software to using
technology to teach improvisation to virtual tours of the
landmarks of jazz beginnings – New York, New Orleans, Chicago,
etc.
The 7th Annual IAJE Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony
kicked off the conference on Wednesday night. Hosted by Nancy
Wilson, the IAJE Presidents Award was given to pianist and
composer Michel Legrand. In accepting the award, Michel Legrand
said, “Let me tell you how deeply I’m touched, how moved I am.”
The IAJE Sisters in Jazz entertained during the gala and
following, there were performances by The John Patitucci Trio
featuring Antonio Sanchez and Adam Rogers, Joey DeFrancesco with
Ron Blake, The Latin Giants of Jazz, and the Sean Jones Quintet.
The Clifford Brown - Stan Getz All-Stars, “The Latin Side of
Miles Davis” featuring Brian Lynch, and Randy Brecker and Bill
Evans Soulbop Band were the Thursday evening highlights.
Trumpeter and Pacific Northwest favorite, Ingrid Jensen, was
among a group of Northwest musicians to be invited to 2007 IAJE.
The word is spreading in the jazz community as to the strength
of the area’s programs – or, as some say – there is something
special in the water. Other local participants included
Seattle’s Roosevelt Vocal Jazz sensation, Sara Gazarek, The
Shorewood High School Jazz Band, King’s Junior High, Central
Washington University, Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra, and Mt.
Hood Community College.
A prime feature of IAJE is the annual induction ceremony for the
current year’s NEA Jazz Masters. The 2007 recipients were Jimmy
Scott, Curtis Fuller, Frank Wess, Phil Woods, Toshiko Akiyoshi,
Ramsey Lewis, and Dan Morgenstern. A discussion panel between
these honorees was followed by the Friday night NEA Jazz Master
Concert which featured The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band,
directed by Slide Hampton, and The Clayton Brothers Quintet.
These were joined by Nancy Wilson, Roberta Gambarini and James
Moody. John Clayton played the bass of his mentor, Ray Brown,
and honored him with a solo of the classic Round Midnight.
The final night of performances brought a variety of French
artists to the stage including Michel Legrand with the National
Superior Conservatory of Music and Dance of Paris, The Richard
Galliano Trio, and The French Elite All Stars with Didier
Lockwood.
The 34th Annual IAJE closed with a series of
Afterglow Concerts. Charles Tolliver’s Big Band was followed by
Avishai Cohen and “Continuo” while at the same time Charlie
Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra “Not In Our Home” dedicated
a last set to the saxophonist, Michael Brecker, and to Alice
Coltrane who had both died the previous day.
2008 will find the 35th Annual International
Association for Jazz Education landing in Toronto, Canada. In
2009 Seattle will host this grand event for the first time and
we are very excited.
