Trumpeter and Bandleader Steven Bernstein to Introduce
Rosenbloom During Keynote Session on January 14, 2016
at Jazz Connect Conference at Saint Peter's Church in NYC
The Jazz Connect Conference has announced the second
recipient of the Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award, created in 2014 in honor of
the esteemed jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many
jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes an
individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in
expanding the audience for jazz and who has made a real difference for the
artists, the music and the audience. The award's first recipient was SFJAZZ
founder and executive director Randall Kline, based not only on his long career
as a jazz presenter and champion, but also on the herculean task of
establishing the SFJAZZ Center in 2013.
Brice Rosenbloom, founder of the BOOM Collective and
organizer of Winter Jazzfest, the Undead Music Festival, the BRIC Jazz Festival
and other innovative live events, as well as music director of Le Poisson
Rouge, will receive the award on the opening day of the Jazz Connect Conference
on Thursday, January 14, 2016, as part of the keynote session.
Rosenbloom, a graduate of Northwestern University, worked
with SF Jazz, Central Park SummerStage, Jazz at Lincoln Center, MAKOR/92nd
Street Y, and the Knitting Factory before launching BOOM Collective (formerly
boomBOOM Presents) in the fall of 2006. The organization brings a broad array
of live music to thousands of New Yorkers every year around the city. BOOM
Collective has been instrumental in programming concerts at various venues and
festivals around the city including NYC Winter Jazzfest, Undead Music Festival,
Jazz & Colors at The Met, Jazz & Colors Central Park, BRIC Jazzfest,
Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Stuytown Music On The Oval Summer Concert Series, The
Town Hall, The Apollo Theater, Celebrate Brooklyn, Central Park SummerStage,
Merkin Concert Hall, Red Bull Music Academy, Hammerstein Ballroom,
Travel+Leisure's Global Bazaar, Drom, The Bell House, Littlefield and at other
NYC venues. In 2008, Rosenbloom was appointed the Music Director at Le Poisson
Rouge and helped launch the programming vision for the new West Village venue
at the site of the former Village Gate. Rosenbloom and BOOM Collective continue
to curate a broad musical vision on additional stages around the city and
beyond.
Peter Gordon, of the Jazz Forward Coalition and one the
event's organizers, said that Rosenbloom's unique approach to presenting jazz
made him an obvious choice for the award. "Brice is the embodiment of a
free thinker who takes action," said Gordon. "The extraordinary
success of Winter Jazzfest has shined a fresh light on the spirit and vigor of
jazz and its reflections cast a glow on the jazz community as a whole."
Fellow conference organizer and JazzTimes publisher Lee
Mergner added that, "Brice has managed to do what other jazz presenters
have talked about doing for the last 25 years--bring a younger audience to the
music without sacrificing its integrity."
Trumpeter and bandleader Steven Bernstein will introduce
Rosenbloom during the keynote session at the Jazz Connect Conference. Bernstein
has known Rosenbloom since he first came on the NYC live music scene in 2006.
"Brice is what I call a true believer," said Bernstein. "I don't
know why else he would be doing what he's doing. His Winter Jazzfest has become
a NYC jazz institution--important socially, musically and economically. What I
really like about him is that I can be brutally honest with him, and we can
still create art and business together. That's the kind of mensch that I'm
always happy to see."
For his part, Rosenbloom says about the award: "It is
an absolute honor to be recognized by my peers, friends and colleagues for
doing what I love by supporting this music. The music has always been an
inspiration for my work, and the musicians that dedicate their lives to
creating and performing are my constant motivation and driving force. I am
humbled to receive an award named after a true champion of this music, Bruce
Lundvall. Like Bruce, I hope to continue to support the music, its audience and
its future."
The Jazz Connect Conference, organized by JazzTimes and the
Jazz Forward Coalition, will be held January 14-15, 2016 at Saint Peter's
Church in New York City and will lead into the annual APAP (Association of
Performing Arts Presenters) Conference as well as Winter Jazzfest. Now in its
fourth year, the conference will continue to focus on vital issues affecting
the jazz community, with a theme of "Fresh Horizons."
Pre-Registration for the Jazz Connect Conference is only
$125, with additional discounts offered to members of various organizations,
such as APAP, JJA, JazzWeek, SESAC, ASCAP, BMI and CMA. Panel and workshop
topics include: social media, jazz in the mainstream media, booking &
touring strategies, streaming and downloading issues, the role of education for
artists & organizations and many other engaging subjects. The lineup of
moderators, panelists and speakers features an impressive cross-section of
artists and professionals from around the world.
To pre-register for the conference, go to the event page. For more information about the Jazz Connect Conference, you
can call (617) 315-9158, e-mail jazzconnectnyc@gmail.com or go to the
conference website.
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