June 6, 2014
Darcy J. Argue, John Fedchock and Ingrid Jensen to Judge 15th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition
Press Release
NEW YORK, JUNE 6, 2014 – The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, a noted creative forum for musical exploration and development, will highlight the best new jazz compositions created during the past year at its 26th Annual Summer Showcase Concert. The concert is free to the public, and will be held on Friday, June 27, at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church (120 West 69th Street) at 7:30 p.m. The concert will feature the BMI/New York Jazz Orchestra, a 17-piece modern repertory ensemble made up of leading New York musicians. Seating is first-come, first-served; doors open at 7:00 p.m.
The evening will also feature a competition to choose the winner of the BMI Foundation’s 15th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize, which will be given to the writer of the best new work composed in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop. This year’s judges include Secret Society bandleader and composer Darcy J. Argue; trombonist and GRAMMY-nominated arranger John Fedchock; and trumpet and flugelhorn virtuoso Ingrid Jensen.
The winning composer will receive the $3,000 Manny Albam Commission, named in memory of the Workshop’s co-founder and longtime musical director, to compose a new piece for the following year’s concert. Erica Seguine, last year’s winner, will premiere her commissioned work at this year’s concert.
The BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, led by internationally renowned composer Jim McNeely and pianist, composer, arranger Mike Holober, offers a unique collaborative environment for professional jazz musicians to compose for large jazz (big band) ensembles. McNeely has performed with and written for Chet Baker, Stan Getz, Joe Henderson and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, among others; a nine-time GRAMMY Award nominee, The New York Times has called his writing “exhilarating.” Jim is also Composer-in-Residence with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band. Holober, the Musical Director of the Westchester Jazz Orchestra and the Associate Conductor of the Frankfurt Radio Big Band, can be heard on more than 50 recordings as a sideman. He is also the leader of the Gotham Jazz Orchestra.
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BMI’s impressive roster of jazz artists includes such legends as Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, Lionel Hampton and Charles Mingus, as well as today’s jazz stars like Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Norah Jones, Kevin Eubanks, Joshua Redman, Mark Whitfield and Bobby Watson. Celebrating 75 years of service to songwriters, composers, music publishers and businesses, Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI®) is a global leader in music rights management that represents more than 600,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 8.5 million works. For additional information and the latest BMI news, visit http://www.bmi.com, follow us on Twitter @BMI or stay connected through Broadcast Music, Inc.’s Facebook page.
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The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.
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