Kennedy Center Honors: Where’s Sonny?
If you were to honor one living jazz musician for his lifetime contributions to the music who would it be? To me, the answer is simple: Sonny Rollins. He is one of the all-time greats, a constant innovator, a true master. So I was a bit disappointed again this morning to see that the Kennedy Center, which honors individuals for their contributions to the American performing arts, had once again chosen not to recognize Sonny. They did choose a jazz musician this year, and a deserving one, in Dave Brubeck. But to choose Brubeck over Rollins is, to me, a real stretch. I looked up the list of prior winners and out of 168 previous honorees there were eight who could be considered jazz musicians, or at least jazz-affiliated musicians. The awards were first issued in 1978 and the honoree must be living, so that precluded such likely honorees
as Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong (not to mention Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday, among others, who had passed away decades earlier). So, I will pose two questions for our noble readers:
1. If you could honor one living jazz musician for his (or her) contributions to the music, who would it be?
2. Can you guess the names of any of the previous jazz-related honorees since 1978? You will be surprised at a couple of the names on the list, and a couple not on the list.
1. for me it is Rollins, no doubt. after him: Roy Haynes. Brubeck’s choice is surprising to me.
2. no idea.
3. the value of any of these or similar awards is very relative and dubious
does archie shepp still lives, could be a nice runnerup to sonny.
Art blakey or herbie hancock probably won before..?
agree with Rudolf about the value
One could say that prizes given by fellow mussicians have the most value
Is there a jazzprice like that?
Haven’t got the idee that Brubeck really pushed the boundary’s of jazz, but hey, 60 years of playing jazz for us fans is always worth a reward!
In response to these early comments: Neither Blakey nor Hancock was been honored. I agree to some degree about the dubiousness of these honors, but the nice thing about this is that there is a tribute by peers and national recognition across the entire country — the event is televised and the President of the United States is on hand to honor the winners. It is one of the top awards for performing artists in the U.S. and the honorees are always visibly moved and touched by the performances and performers that honor them — and I’m sure Brubeck will be moved as well, and Sonny, humble as he is, would be honored even moreso.
I’d like to see Horace Silver or Lee Konitz honored.
horace silver I agree,.. he was there in the beginning of ‘modern jazz’ and (allmost)never made a dull record..
I agree on Horace Silver. He would be a great choice — after Rollins. To give a sense of some who weren’t honored in their lifetimes: Miles Davis, Stan Getz.
I think Miles Davis is overlooked because he was the entry point for so many of us that we take him for granted.
My vote’s with Wayne Shorter. Though we might blame him for some pretty awful turns in jazz (I’m thinking the smoother followers of Weather Report) his latest quartet stuff is some of the best music I’ve heard produced in decades.
1. Bob Brookmeyer. High artistic integrity over a very long career. That being said he’s not in Sonny Rollins’ league, but I’d pick him over Brubeck any day. Another thought, Jim Hall.
2. Ella Fitzgerald? Did Art Pepper died after 78′? Loved to have seen Reagan giving him the award.
Personally, I feel it was a wise move on the part of the Kennedy Center to choose Dave over Sonny this year… Reason being, I had the opportunity to met with Dave after his show at the Montreal Jazz Festival this year and he’s looking a bit frail these days. Despite this fact, he still plays on and tours relentlessly, so it is probably better that he get the honors sooner than later just in case. Sonny, on the other hand is in great shape these days and I can’t think of a better way to help honor him on his 80th birthday than receiving this award (“dubious” as it may be…) next year on such a milestone. It’s all about phrasing & timing for our man Sonny here people !
p.s. – If he doesn’t get the honors next year, that’s another story !
Not forgetting Ornette Coleman, still blowing strong. Amazing that Miles was overlooked. To choose Brubeck over any of these guys mentioned above is beyond elasticity. I imagine that those that did make it to the list had some success commercially & are reasonably well known beyond the jazz community. How about Nina Simone? I really hope it’s not people like David Sanborn getting the kudos.
Yes, Geraint, it is people who had a lot of success commercially and are well known beyond the jazz community. Not Nina Simone and certainly not David Sanborn. Think a lot bigger than that in terms of popular culture in America.
To Ian Thomas: Ella, yes. She was the first of the jazz artists honored and was honored in the second year of the award. — al
I’m not really in touch with American popular culture – how widely known were Count Basie, Oscar Peterson & Buddy Rich (he did appear on the Muppet Show!)?
Is it just performers who are acknowledged? Norman Granz, Alfred Lion, Bob Weinstock, etc made huge ‘contributions to the American performing arts’ – we wouldn’t be on this forum without them! (but I’d be very surprised if they’ve been recognised)
OH!!! DIZZY?? He lived into the 90’s didn’t he?
I go for:
Sharkey Bonano
Al Hirt
Billy May
They brought the gospel to millions of Americans and they, more than anyone else, deserve the award for their never lasting efforts to bring decent music to decent people.
Forget about Lee Konitz and Sonny. Their followers are a weird group extremists. Dangerous people, to be avoided at all price.
Attaboy Rudolph.
Lest we forgot Herb Alpert…
OK — here’s the actual list:
Ella Fitzgerald
Count Basie
Benny Goodman
Ray Charles
Dizzy Gillespie
Lionel Hampton
Benny Carter
Quincy Jones
Dave Brubeck
You can quibble with Ray Charles as a jazzman and Quincy gets it for his producing, I guess. I’m trying to figure where Benny Carter fits in on that list.
One last thing to point out… It’s also the 50th Anniversary of Dave Brubeck’s Time Out. One of the most influential / well-known Jazz albums of all time, next to Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue. (I suspect this along with my other comments above played a small part in the decision this year.) year.)
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In a bit late on this but the big miss it seems to me is Thelonius Monk who died in 1982. Also Mel Torme, who passed in 1999.