Congratulations to all of the 2018 winners for Jazz Performances and Recordings of the 23rd annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards listed below. Professional journalist members of the JJA made open nominations in a first-selection round; those who received the most nominations advanced to the finalists’ ballot, and JJA’s professional members voted on them to arrive at these honorees.
Our congratulations, as well, to all the 2018 Nominees for Performance Performance & Recording in all categories. And please click the photos to expand them — some wonderful images here reward much larger presentation.
Lifetime Achievement Award in Jazz
BENNY GOLSON
Tenor saxophonist, composer, arranger
Antonio Porcar Cano
Nominees: Ahmad Jamal, Charles Lloyd
Musician of the Year
MATT WILSON
Jazz Drummer
John Abbot
Nominees: Nicole Mitchell, Tyshawn Sorey
Up & Coming Musician of the Year
JAZZMEIA HORN
Jazz singer, songwriter
Emmanuel Afolabi
Nominees: Jaimie Branch, Maria Grand
Composer of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER
NEA Jazz Master, composer, orchestra leader
Nominees: Ben Allison, Darcy James Argue, Roscoe Mitchell, Tyshawn Sorey
Arranger of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER
NEA Jazz Master, composer, orchestra leader
Nominees: John Beasley, Alan Broadbent, Vince Mendoza
Record of the Year
HONEY AND SALT: MUSIC INSPIRED BY THE POETRY OF CARL SANDBURG
Matt Wilson (Palmetto)
Nominees: Passin’ Thru, by Charles Lloyd New Quartet (Blue Note); Bells for the South Side, by Rosco Mitchell (ECM); Morphogenesis, by Steve Coleman (Pi)
Historical Record of the Year
LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES
1960 Thelonious Monk (Sam/Saga)
Nominees: Bill Evans, Another Time (The Hilversum Concert) (Resonance); Wynton Kelly Trio/West Montgomery, Smokin’ in Seattle: Live at the Penthouse (Resonance Records), Jaco Pastorius, Truth, Liberty & Soul (Live in NYC) (Resonance)
Record Label of the Year
RESONANCE RECORDS
Nominees: ECM Records, Motema Music, Pi Recordings, Sunnyside Records
Male Vocalist of the Year
KURT ELLING
Jazz vocalist, songwriter
Photo by Anna Webber
Nominees: Giacomo Gates, José James, Gregory Porter
Female Vocalist of the Year
CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT
Vocalist, composer, visual artist
Photo by Mark Fitton
Nominees: Jazzmeia Horn, René Marie
Large Ensemble of the Year
MARIA SCHNEIDER ORCHESTRA
Nominees: Christian McBride Big Band, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
Mid-Size Ensemble of the Year
VIJAY IYER SEXTET
Vijay Iyer: piano, Fender Rhodes; Graham Haynes: cornet, flugelhorn, electronics; Steve Lehman: alto saxophone; Mark Shim: tenor saxophone/ Stephan Crump: double-bass; Tyshawn Sorey: drums
Nominees: Miguel Zenón Quartet, Steve Coleman and Five Elements, John McLaughlin and 4th Dimension
Trumpeter of the Year
TOM HARRELL
Jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, arranger
Photo by Salvatore Corso/span>
Nominees: Wynton Marsalis, Christian Scott aTunde Adjah, Wadada Leo Smith
Trombonist of the Year
WYCLIFFE GORDON
Jazz trombonist, arranger, composer, band leader, and educator
Nominees: Michael Dease, Ryan Keberle, Roswell Rudd
Multiple Reeds Player of the Year
ROSCOE MITCHELL
NEA Jazz Master, saxophonist, clarinetist, flutist, composer, educator
Photo by Paul Natkin
Nominees: Scott Robinson, Mars Williams
Alto Saxophonist of the Year
MIGUEL ZENÓN
Saxophonist, composer, band leader, producer, and educator
Photo by Jimmy Katz
Nominees: Steve Coleman, Rudresh Mahanthappa
Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
CHRIS POTTER
Saxophonist, composer, and multi-instrumentalist
Photo by Dave Stapleton
Nominees: Harry Allen, Charles Lloyd, Joe Lovano, Houston Person
Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
CLAIRE DALY
Baritone saxophonist, composer
Paul Sharp
Nominees: Ronnie Cuber, Gary Smulyan
Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
JANE IRA BLOOM
Jazz saxophonist, composer
Photo by Bridget Lacombe
Nominees: Dave Liebman, Sam Newsome
Flutist of the Year
NICOLE MITCHELL
Jazz flutiest, composer, educator
Nominees: Jamie Baum, Nicole Elena Pinderhughes
Clarinetist of the Year
ANAT COHEN
Jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, bandleader
Photo by Jimmy Katz
Nominees: Evan Christopher, Ken Peplowski
Guitarist of the Year
MARY HALVORSON
Jazz guitarist
Peter Gannushkin
Nominees: Bill Frisell, Julian Lage, John McLaughlin
Pianist of the Year
FRED HERSCH
Jazz, pianist, composter, educator
Peter Gannushkin
Nominees: Vijay Iyer, Myra Melford
Keyboardist of the Year
DR. LONNIE SMITH
Jazz Hammond B3 organist
Photo by Mathieu Bitton
Nominees: Brian Charette, Gary Versace
Bassist of the Year
LINDA MAY HAN OH
Bassist, composer
Nominees: Dave Holland, Christian McBride, Thomas Morgan
Strings Player of the Year
TOMEKA REID
Jazz cellist, composer, educator
Photo by Jeff Sciortino
Nominees: Sarah Caswell, Akua Dixon
Percussionist of the Year
ZAKIR HUSSAIN
Percussionist, tabla player, composer, producer, actor
Photo by Jim McGuire
Nominees: Rogerio Boccato, Pedrito Martinez
Mallet Player of the Year
JOE LOCKE
Jazz vibraphonist
Joseph Boggess
Nominees: Steve Nelson, Warren Wolf
Drummer of the Year
JACK DEJOHNETTE
NEA Jazz Master, drummer, composer, pianist
Nominees: Brian Blade, Eric Harland, Matt Wilson
Player of Rare Instruments in Jazz
GARY VERSACE
Jazz pianist, organist, accordionist
Nominees: Jose Davila (tuba); Grégoire Maret (harmonica); Scott Robinson (various); Jason Stein (bass clarinet)
2018 Winners for Journalism & Media
2018 Winners in Jazz Journalism
Congratulations to all of the 2018 Winners for Jazz Journalism, chosen by professional member of the Jazz Journalists Association.
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