School of Jazz Students, Faculty, and Alumni Honored by JazzTimes and DownBeat
Ranging from a celebrated harmonica player, to an acclaimed soprano saxophonist, to an an all-female vocal group, students, alumni, and faculty from School of Jazz have seen their work recognized by critics from across the country recently
JazzTimes, one of the most influential jazz publications, recognized faculty members Andrew Cyrille and Jane Ira Bloom and alumni Robert Glasper, Mary Halvorson, and Becca Stevens. Harmonicist Grégoire Maret, who recently helped School of Jazz commemorate its 30-year anniversary, won for Instrumenalist of the Year, while Winter JazzFest, which is partly held at The New School, won for Best Jazz Festival. Additionally, The Stone, which is moving to The New School in June, was nominated for Best Jazz Club.
DownBeat, another major publication dedicated to jazz, recognized two student groups for their annual student awards: Reggie Workman’s all-female Improvisation Ensemble, which won Outstanding Performance in the Small Vocal Jazz Ensemble-Undergraduate category, and David Schnitter’s Improvisation Ensemble, which won for Outstanding Performing in Latin Jazz-Undergraduate category.
“I am thrilled to see so many members of our jazz community recognized by our industry’s most important voices,” said Keller Coker, dean of Jazz. “School of Jazz is routinely at the forefront of jazz education, which is highlighted by these prestigious honors for our faculty, students, and alumni.”