The International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) returns to New York City for its 34th Annual Conference from January
10-13, 2007. The Hilton New York and Sheraton New York hotels will serve as the headquarters for the largest annual gathering
of the global jazz community. Upwards of 8,000 educators, musicians, industry executives, media and students from 45 countries
are slated to attend.
The four-day conference will feature a 75,000 square-foot music industry exposition, commission premieres, technology presentations,
research papers, award ceremonies, and performances by over 500 of the world’s most respected professional jazz groups
and musicians. In addition, a number of top school groups from France, Denmark, Australia, United Kingdom, Israel, Kazakhstan,
Canada, and the United States are scheduled to perform.
"The IAJE Conference always takes on a special energy when we meet in New York," said IAJE Executive Director Bill McFarlin.
"It’s exciting to see the city, already credited as the epicenter of the jazz universe, explode with thousands of jazz
professionals and educators, many of whom can be found patronizing New York’s jazz clubs and live music venues throughout
the week.”
Pre-conference Activities and Gala Dinner
Kicking off the conference on Wednesday, January 10, is an
afternoon session titled Envisioning the Future of Jazz, an interactive program that will highlight the necessary
tools for success in jazz education, business and performance, and how IAJE can assist its membership in providing them. The
session will be followed by a special performance from the LaGuardia High School Jazz Combo.
That evening, the 7th Annual IAJE Gala Dinner will be held in the Trianon Ballroom of the Hilton New York. Past IAJE President
David Baker is set to receive the Lawrence Berk Leadership Award, and the 2007 IAJE President’s Award will honor epic
French composer Michel Legrand. Hosted by Nancy Wilson, the proceeds from the ticketed event will benefit the IAJE Campaign
for Jazz, a landmark $12 million dollar initiative, which will provide a permanent funding base for IAJE’s education
programs and support for the advocacy initiatives of IAJE subsidiary Jazz Alliance International (JAI). For more information
about the Campaign for Jazz, log on to www.campaignforjazz.org.
NEA Jazz Masters Concert
On Friday, January 12, the IAJE Conference will host the 2007 National Endowment
for the Arts Jazz Masters Awards Concert. Each year since 1982, the Arts Endowment has conferred the NEA Jazz Masters Award
on a handful of living legends who have made major contributions to jazz. Recognized as the nation’s highest honor for
the field of jazz, the award to date has been given to 87 great figures in American music. In addition to the coveted designation,
each NEA Jazz Master will receive a $25,000 honorarium and special recognition from the White House. The seven new NEA Jazz
Masters are: bandleader Toshiko Akiyoshi; trombonist Curtis Fuller; pianist Ramsey Lewis; vocalist Jimmy Scott; flutist Frank
Wess; and alto saxophonist Phil Woods. In addition, the A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy is being given
to jazz historian and writer Dan Morgenstern. The awards concert will feature performances by The Dizzy Gillespie All Star
Band, under the direction of Slide Hampton, and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. The concert and ceremony will be open to all
registered attendees.
Special Focus on France
France, a country whose connection to jazz is well documented throughout the
20th century, is the region selected for special focus during the 2007 conference. Presented in partnership with the Cultural
Services of the French Embassy in the United States, CulturesFrance, the French Ministry of Culture, SACEM, and the Paris
Conservatory of Music (among others), a series of performances and presentations along with a French fête marketplace in the
conference exposition hall are among the scheduled activities.
“We are honored to welcome French Ambassador to the United States Jean David Levitte, who, along with Michel Legrand,
will host an evening of French jazz on Saturday, January 13 featuring the Richard Galliano Trio and the French Elite All Stars:
violinist Didier Lockwood, guitarist Sylvain Luc, harmonica player Olivier Ker Ourio, bassist Remi Vignolo and drummer Stephane
Huchard. During the concert, special recognition will be given to the French government for their response to the New Orleans
musician community following hurricane Katrina,” said IAJE President, Chuck Owen.
Other French artists scheduled to appear during the conference include Mina Agossi, Anne Ducros, Orchestre National de
Jazz (ONJ) with Louis Winsberg, and Pierrick Pedron.
Awards and Performances
The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) will also be honored during the conference
for its response to hurricane Katrina, including relief and housing to hundreds of displaced musicians and their families.
JFA was the first organization to focus on putting people back to work, employing hundreds of displaced musicians in 8 states
through their Jazz in the Schools program and distributed over $250,000 in new instruments to the musician community.
IAJE estimates that its members collectively provided over $10 million dollars in support to victims of Katrina throughout
the Gulf Region. The IAJE annual conference will return to New Orleans in January 2011.
Other artists scheduled to perform at the 2007 IAJE Conference include: Avishai Cohen Continuo; Charles Tolliver Big Band;
Charlie Haden and the Liberation Music Orchestra; David Liebman Group; Fred Hess Band; George Robert Quartet with Phil Woods;
Henry Mancini Institute Big Band; Ingrid Jensen; JoAnne Brackeen Quartet; Joey DeFrancesco Trio featuring Ron Blake; John
Fedchock New York Big Band; John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble featuring Theo Bleckmann and Gary Versace; John Patitucci Trio;
Juilliard Jazz Quintet; Kate McGarry Trio; Kevin Hays Trio; Latin Giants Of Jazz; Luis Perdomo Trio; Doc Severinsen; Marcus
Strickland/“Twi-Life” Group; Marvin Stamm Quartet; Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts; Miles Griffith and New
Ting; Moncef Genoud; NeuHat Ensemble; NewYorkestra; One For All; Peter Apfelbaum & the New York Hieroglyphics; Pittsburgh
Collective; The Randy Brecker/Bill Evans Soulbop Band; Rebecca Parris with the George Mesterhazy Trio; Rhiannon; Sara Gazarek;
Sean Jones Quintet; Tineke Postma Quartet; UMO Jazz Orchestra; The United States Air Force Academy Band Falconaires; Will
Calhoun and the “Native Lands Experience”; Ximo Tebar & Fourlights; Double Image with Dave Samuels and David
Friedman; Marcus Miller; and Taylor Eigsti Quartet featuring Julian Lage. Also performing, Conrad Herwig and Brian Lynch present
The Latin Side of Miles Davis.
The IJFO International Jazz Award for New Talent will be presented to Norwegian trumpeter and band leader Mathias Eick.
Presented by the International Jazz Festivals Organization in partnership with IAJE, the award is intended to provide a catalyst
for the recipient’s career and includes a fully funded international tour. The member festivals of IJFO are: JazzFest
Wein (Austria), Pori Jazz Festival (Finland), Jazz Á Vienne (France), North Sea Jazz Festival (Holland), Umbria Jazz Festival
(Italy), Molde International Jazz Festival (Norway), Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gastiez (Spain), Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland),
International Istanbul Jazz Festival (Turkey), Festival International de Jazz de Montreal (Canada), Vancouver International
Jazz Festival (Canada), Monterey Jazz Festival (USA), Ravinia Festival (USA), and the London Jazz Festival (UK).
Jazz Alliance International Industry Track
The 2007 IAJE Conference Industry Track, under the auspices
of Jazz Alliance International (JAI), will focus on career development, new media, the recording industry, and personalized
consultation. These insightful and sometimes controversial panels and workshops are geared to members of the jazz recording,
journalism, presenting, performing, retail, and radio industry. With sponsorship and support from JazzTimes, Jazziz, Down
Beat, JazzWeek, NARAS, the Jazz Journalists Association, Billboard Magazine, and DL Media, the Industry Track
will provide an opportunity for industry members, jazz educators, and musicians to interact with each other in a series of
sessions that encourage the honest exchange of ideas and strategies for the future. Among the Industry Track highlights, exclusive
one-on-one interviews with Ornette Coleman, Joe Lovano, Eddie Palmieri and NEA Jazz Masters Hank Jones, Phil Woods and Randy
Weston.
The IAJE Conference host radio stations WBGO Jazz 88 FM and XM Satellite Radio will broadcast daily from a special booth
in the lobby of the New York Hilton Hotel. A new addition to the conference is the IAJE Health Fair. Presented by JAI, MusiCares
and St. Vincent’s Midtown Hospital, this free service will offer blood pressure checks, diabetes and cholesterol screenings,
and lung capacity testing to all conferees.
Other conference highlights include the world premiere of commissions by 2006 IAJE Gil Evans Fellowship recipient Sherrisse
Rogers, 2006 ASCAP/IAJE Commission Established Composer Rufus Reid and Emerging Composer Oscar Perez; 2006 SOCAN/IAJE Commission
Established Composer Ian McDougall and Emerging Composer Michael McClennen; performances by the 2007 Sisters in Jazz Collegiate
All-Stars, the 2007 Clifford Brown/Stan Getz Fellowship All-Stars, the 2007 Community College All-Star Student Big Band, 2007
AAJC/HBCU Student All-Star Big Band, and the winners of the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival competition.
Additional awards to be presented during the IAJE Conference include the IAJE Jazz Education Hall of Fame Award to the
late pianist and composer Frank Mantooth, IAJE Humanitarian Award to Sheila Jordan, and the second annual IAJE Jazz Ambassador
Award to the executive director of IAJE Canada, Brent Campbell. The inaugural Jazz Educator of the Year award, named in memory
of jazz education pioneer John LaPorta and underwritten in part by Berklee College of Music, will be presented to Milton Academy
Director of Jazz Bob Sinicrope. The award includes a $5,000 honorarium and a package of equipment and music for the recipient’s
school music program.
How to Attend
The deadline for the advance full conference registration fee of $340 U.S., which includes
a one-year IAJE membership, is Friday, December 15. After December 15, the full registration fee will be $375 U.S. Current
IAJE members can deduct $70 U.S. The conference registration fee covers all sessions and activities except the IAJE Gala.
All working press interested in attending the IAJE conference must send a letter of request for credentials by Friday, December
22 that details the nature of pre, post or combined conference coverage.
