BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, New York 2005/07/21

NEW YORK -- The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop will premiere the "best of the best" jazz compositions created during the past year at its annual summer showcase concert. The free performance will take place: Thursday, July 21 at Merkin Concert Hall - (Abraham Goodman House at 129 West 67th Street), NYC at 8:00pm, featuring the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra ­ a 16-piece modern repertory ensemble made up of leading Workshop members. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis; doors open at 7:30pm. 

A highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the winner of the 6th annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, given to the writer of the best new work composed in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. The winning composer will receive a cash award and the $3000 Manny Albam Commission to compose a new piece for the following year's concert. Named in memory of the Workshop's co-founder and longtime musical director, previous winners of the Manny Albam Commission include Rufus Reid, Jamie Begian, Noriko Ueda and last year's top composer, Darcy Argue, who will premiere his commissioned piece entitled "Desolation Sound." 

The judges for this year's Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize competition are Dan Morgenstern, eminent jazz historian and director of the Institute for Jazz Studies at Rutgers University; Dave Douglas, virtuoso trumpet player, improviser, composer and bandleader; and Maria Schneider, Grammy Award-winning composer, arranger and bandleader. The winner will be announced from the stage from among the three finalists: Sherisse Rogers ("The Slippery Slope"), Ann Belmont ("Home [As Night Falls]") and Volker Goetze ("Tree"). 

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop is led by internationally-renowned composers Jim McNeely and Michael Abene and offers a unique collaborative environment for professional jazz musicians with an emphasis on composition for the large jazz ensemble. 

Now marking its 65th year in business, BMI is an American performing rights organization that represents more than 300,000 songwriters, composers and publishers in all genres of music. With a repertoire of more than 6.5 million musical works from around the world, the non-profit-making corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

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BMI Jazz Composers Workshop "Best of the Best" Concert

ABOUT THE BMI JAZZ COMPOSERS WORKSHOP 

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, now in its second decade, was formed to provide an environment where the composer has the freedom to explore new avenues in the creative process, while at the same time honing and solidifying his or her skills. 

The workshop is led by acclaimed composers and educators who act as its musical directors: Jim McNeely and Michael Abene. They understand the current state of jazz composition and have a strong sense of what can be accomplished through such an undertaking. The workshop was founded by acclaimed trombonist Bob Brookmeyer, composer/educator Manny Albam, and author and jazz authority Burt Korall. 

The workshop faculty and guest lecturers are a very specific breed. They began and have roots “in the street,” where much memorable jazz to comes to life and takes on a particular sense of identity. 

The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop stresses exploration, ranging from the traditional to the new. The primary emphasis is placed on the individual and ideas, along with the acquisition and understanding of techniques that make possible for the composer the execution of thoughts and the development of personal language within the big band setting. Experimentation with form, harmony and orchestration, the solving of performance problems and the need to produce lasting, excellent work are also concerns of the workshop directors.