BMI jazz composers took home the lion’s share of the awards at the 11th annual Jazz Journalists Association Jazz Awards, held June 28 at the Jazz Standard Club in New York City.
The event’s top honoree was pianist Andrew Hill, who passed away on April 20 of this year. He received the Lifetime Achievement in Jazz, Composer of the Year and Pianist of the Year, with his widow, Joanne Robinson Hill, accepting the awards in his name. Marc Ostrow, President of Boosey & Hawkes and the publisher of Hill’s compositions, was present for the recognition. Hill wrote and recorded a number of extraordinary albums for Blue Note Records between 1963 and 1969 that are known for their challenging compositions and compelling improvisational energy. Some of the most noted musicians of the time participated, including Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson and Freddie Hubbard, and critics consider the work amongst the best of the decade. Hill later became a teacher at Portland State University in Oregon, and returned triumphantly to the New York scene in the 1990s. His 2000 release, Dusk, was named Album of the Year by Down Beat and Jazz Times.
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