2024 – NEW YEAR - NEW AWARDS PROCESS!
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See Awards Page for Details
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Honoring the memory of John Stites and his passion for jazz music
Posted April 10, 2024
John Stites Jazz Awards in partnership with the Gilmore is sponsoring legendary jazz pianist Kenny Barron at the 2024 Festival. Named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master in 2010, nominated for 12 Grammys, and inducted into Downbeat’s Jazz Hall of Fame in 2022, Kenny Barron has repeatedly been recognized for his lyricism and his elegant style. The names of those he credits as influencing his career reads like a “who’s who” of jazz – Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Yusef Lateef, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Buddy Rich, Dave Holland, and many others. With such diverse influences, it is no wonder that his 40 plus albums have been characterized as everything from classical jazz, hard bop, and swing to “bluesy”, Brazilian and Afro Cuban. He has also performed as a sideman on at least 500 additional recordings, and most jazz aficionados have at least one album in their collection that demonstrates his virtuosity. His latest album The Source (released in 2023) is his first solo album since 1981 and shows his appreciation for the work of Thelonious Monk.
In a 2022 Downbeat interview, Barron said that he tries to reach his audience on an “emotional level” because “music comes through you not from you… you are just a vessel”. John Stites shared Kenny Barron’s philosophy and was adamant about the need for the artists he recorded in his studio to connect with their audience by letting the music speak. The John Stites Jazz Awards hopes that you will join us at 6:00 pm on May 4 at the Shaw Theatre on the WMU campus and let Kenny Barron’s music speak to you! Tickets for the performance are available at the Gilmore website.
John recorded decades of live and studio performances with a master’s touch. His legacy is vast, and I am in awe of the man and his work.
Cara Lieurance
The John Stites Jazz Awards (JSJA) are funded by the John Stites Jazz Artist Organization.
The organization funds advanced studies for emerging and established professional jazz musicians, as well as personal development projects which enhance their career opportunities.