Albert Murray, one of America's most significant writers on the blues, jazz and their influence on American culture, is the recipient of a special "Words and Music" award co-presented by the Jazz Journalists Association and Jazz Foundation of America as part of the 2012 JJA Jazz Awards celebration. The JJA has also announced a second group of 2012 Jazz Heroes; these are "activists, advocates, altruists, aiders and abettors of jazz" being honored by their local jazz communities for their unstinting work over many years.
This group of Jazz Heroes includes Robin Bell-Stevens, the president and CEO of New York City's famous free summer out-of-doors performance series, Jazzmobile, and Adrian Ellis, former executive director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Stevens and Ellis will receive their awards at the June 20 JJA Jazz Awards Party at the Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City. Albert Murray will also be honored at this event, a cocktail party/fundraiser for the JJA. The party is open to the public and tickets are now available.
Two dedicated jazz entrepreneurs who have for years supported the development of this music in their communities --Catalina Popescu, the owner of Catalina's Bar & Grill in Los Angeles, and Bert Dearing, Jr., the owner, since 1968, of a number of successful jazz spots around Detroit--will be honored at Awards parties in those cities.
The names of these additional 2012 Jazz Heroes are being placed on a list that already includes eleven others from around the U.S. as well as Canada and New Zealand.
