Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
The winners of the 2004/2005 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Awards have been announced. The program, established in 2002, was created to encourage American jazz composers to create new works. Composers from throughout the United States ranging in age from 12 to 30 competed for the cash awards. The winning works were selected through a juried national competition.
“The young talents nurtured by this program represent the future of this uniquely American art form,” said ASCAP Foundation President Marilyn Bergman. “We congratulate the recipients and extend thanks to the dedicated panel of ASCAP composers who selected the winners.”
The 2004/2005 ASCAP Foundation Young Jazz Composer Award recipients are: Michael Blanco, 28, Astoria, NY; Robert Borgstede, 25, Troy, IL; Maurice Brown, 24, New Orleans, LA; Patrick Cornelius, 26, Astoria, NY; Zaccai Curtis, 22, Windsor, CT, Jesse Elder, 21, Rochester, MI; Jason Flatley, 23, Baltimore, MD, Quamon Fowler, 24, Lubbock, TX; Jason Goldman, 29, South Pasadena, CA; David Guidi, 26, Austin, TX; Eric Hirsh, 20, Carrboro, NC; Pascal Le Boeuf, 18, Santa Cruz, CA; Remy Le Boeuf, 18, Santa Cruz, CA; Richard K Parker, 26, Greenwich, CT; Christopher Pattishall, 18, Durham, NC; Nate Radley, 29, Astoria, NY; Bob Reynolds, 27, Astoria, NY; Daniel Riera, 17, San Francisco, CA; Sherisse Rogers, 26, Brooklyn, NY; Matt Savage, 12, Francestown, NH; Jeff Schneider, 17, Cos Cob, CT; Joey Schneider, 16, Novato, CA; Jaleel Shaw, 26, Paterson, NJ; and Manuel Valera, 24, Brooklyn, NY.
The following composers were recognized with Honorable Mention: Randy Bauer, 29, Princeton, NJ; Dan Cavanagh, 26, St Paul, MN; Alan Ferber, 30, Brooklyn, NY; Jimmy Greene, 29, Hartford, CT; Alex Heitlinger, 24, Jersey City, NJ; Jeremy Kittel, 20, Ann Arbor, MI; Wade Ridenhour, 17, St. James, MO; Tyson Rogers, 29, Durham, NC; Sam Sadigursky, 25, Brooklyn, NY; Charles Schiermeyer, 23, Redmond, WA; James Westfall, 23, Los Angeles, CA.
The ASCAP composer/judges for the 2004/2005 competition were: John Fedchock, Phil Markowitz and Rufus Reid.
The ASCAP Foundation supports the American composer and the development of American music through educational programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants to young composers, music education programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and music lovers throughout the United States.
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
Bertoncini was a specialist and advocate for the nylon-string acoustic guitar, turning down high-profile opportunities that were unsuited to the sound and techniques that he used with that instrument.
Sep 1, 2026 11:06 AM
Gene Bertoncini, an esteemed jazz guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, died Aug. 29 at the Lillian Booth Actors…
A solo concert by saxophonist Joshua Redman will close the first night of the Hyde Park Jazz Festival on Sept. 26.
Sep 22, 2026 12:26 PM
The Hyde Park Jazz Festival will take place for the 20th time on the final weekend of September 2026. Beginning half…
“It was just that suddenly … I could hear it,” Ravi Coltrane said of an epiphany he experienced during his late teens regarding his father’s music. “And it was almost like a calling, like something saying, ‘Hey, man, come on. It’s time to get serious.’ And the first time you really tune in and dial in and focus like that, it can be very life-changing.”
Sep 22, 2026 1:39 PM
Editor’s Note: Tomorrow, Sept. 23, is the 100th anniversary of John Coltrane’s birth. In honor of the tenor and…
Camille Thurman took to the stage alongside bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Tommy Campbell for a rendition of Johnny Mercer’s “I’m An Old Cowhand” that recalled Rollins’ epochal 1957 trio outing Way Out West.
Oct 6, 2026 1:33 PM
As emcee Mark Ruffin noted at the commencement of an epic tribute to saxophonist Sonny Rollins at the Cathedral of…
