The Jazz Coalition has announced the first 51 recipients of $1000 grants in its newly created Commission Fund. The fund which was launched in response to the current reality of live performance hiatus due to COVID-19 which has resulted in an immediate need to keep artists in the broad and global jazz community active and compensated to create new work. Commissions should be completed within three (3) months of recipient of the commission. All new commissions should be original works, but a new/unique arrangement of an existing piece will be accepted. Commission recipients are encouraged to consider incorporating themes in their compositions that reflect upon the current crisis affecting us or to pay tribute a jazz artist we recently lost to COVID-19 in their work.
As stated on the Jazz Coalition’s webpage for this initiative:
Artists are nominated by Jazz Coalition members and are selected by a jury of their peers to receive $1000 commission grants to create new work. Commission recipients will be featured on the Jazz Coalition website, social media messaging, and announcements. When public assembly restrictions are lifted commission recipients will premiere their new works at mutually agreed upon Jazz Coalition member venues and their works-in-progress will be streamed in advance. The commissions will become a new canon of music that represents our collective resilience moving us all forward.
According to an additional news report on the WBGO blog, Coalition staff made individual phone calls to each of the winners to inform them that they were chosen.
Below is a list of all 51 recipients:
Aaron Myers
Aaron Parks
Alexa Tarantino
Alfredo Colon
Amir ElSaffar
Amirtha Kidambi
Anthony Wilson
Ashley Henry
Ben Lamar Gay
Ben Williams
Bertha Hope
Brandee Younger
Brandon Ross
Camila Meza
Camille Thurman
Chris Morrissey
Christian Sands
Christine Jensen
David Torkanowsky
Dayme Arocena
DJ Logic
Dred Scott
Elio Villafranca
Greg Ward
Herlin Riley
Jaimie Branch
James Brandon Lewis
James Carter
Jazzmeia Horn
Joel Ross
John Santos
Johnathan Blake
Jon Cowherd
Jon Hassell
Kate Gentile
Lakecia Benjamin
Linda May Han Oh
Melissa Aldana
Mino Cinélu
Monnette Sudler
Nduduzo Makhathini
Orrin Evans
Rio Sakairi, Jazz Gallery
Roy Nathanson
Sara Serpa
Shabaka Hutchings
Tarus Mateen
Tim Berne
Vincent Herring
Wallace Roney Jr.
Wayne Horvitz
