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| Wayne Shorter receives the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award from Herbie Hancock surrounded by Wayne's band members Brian Blade, John Patitucci, Danilo Perez, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and members of the band Take 6. (PRNewsFoto/Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz) |
The 2013 Thelonious
Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition and All-Star Gala Concert came to
a close with roaring applause as first place winner Melissa Aldana traded
choruses with saxophone great Jimmy Heath and joined an all-star cast in a
finale featuring Heath's classic composition "Gingerbread Boy."
Presented by the
world-renowned Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in partnership with Cadillac,
this year's Presenting Sponsor, the stellar event featured the finals of the
Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition with performances by
first place winner Melissa Aldana, 24 of Santiago, Chile; Tivon Pennicott, 27,
of Marietta, Georgia; and Godwin Louis, 28, of Harlem, New York. Tivon and Godwin were named second and third
place winners, respectively. At stake was more than $100,000 in scholarships
and prizes, including a $25,000 first place scholarship and guaranteed
recording contract with Concord Music Group. This year's competition judges
included a distinguished panel of saxophonists: Jane Ira Bloom, Jimmy Heath,
Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Bobby Watson.
First place winner
Melissa Aldana captured the audience's attention with her performances of Jimmy Van Heusen's "I
Thought About You" and her original composition "Free Fall."
Tivon Pennicott performed Sonny Rollins' "Strode Rode" and Charlie
Chaplin's "Smile" and Godwin Louis performed Hoagy Carmichael's
"Skylark" along with his original composition, "Our Father"
inspired by the Lord's Prayer. Each
finalist was accompanied by a dynamic band featuring pianist Reginald
"Reggie" Thomas, bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Carl Allen.
The evening also
featured a star-studded Gala Concert under the musical direction of John
Beasley and with hosts Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Jr. and Billy Dee
Williams. The Gala began with a rousing tribute to the blues featuring Charley
Patton's "Saddle My Pony" and Elmore James' "Please Set a
Date." The outstanding cast included Beasley with Vinnie Colaiuta, Robben
Ford, James Genus, Marcus Miller and Cassandra Wilson.
The Institute
presented the legendary Wayne Shorter with a Lifetime Achievement Award in
recognition of his extraordinary, six-decade career as a saxophonist, educator
and composer. In the Institute's nearly 30-year history, this is only the
second time the award has been presented, the first being to Quincy Jones in
1996. Shorter was presented with the award following remarks by lifelong friend
and musical compatriot Herbie Hancock. A musical tribute to Shorter included
world-renowned artists Gerald Clayton, Kurt Elling, Herbie Hancock, Roy
Hargrove, Jimmy Heath, Branford Marsalis, Marcus Miller and Take 6 performing
some of Shorter's most beloved compositions, including "Black Nile"
from his classic Blue Note solo recordings, "Fall" and
"Footprints" from his time with the Miles Davis Quintet, and
"Palladium" from Weather Report's best-selling Heavy Weather album.
Shorter then took the stage with Brian Blade, John Patitucci and Danilo Perez –
the extraordinary members of his current quartet – to perform his classic
compositions "Over Shadow Hill Way" and "Joy Ryder." Also
performing in the festivities were the Monk Institute's Jazz Performance
Program College Students along with the
2013 edition of the Thelonious Monk Institute National Performing Arts High
School All-Star Jazz Sextet.
The evening
concluded with a heartfelt tribute to the late George Duke, a longtime
Institute collaborator who was to have served as the evening's Musical
Director. Stunning vocalist Ledisi performed "You Never Know" from
DreamWeaver, Duke's final album, released just two months ago. This was
followed by the incomparable a cappella group Take 6 performing a shimmering rendition
of Duke's "Fly Away."
SOURCE Thelonious
Monk Institute of Jazz
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