Jazzpar Prize Awarded to Bobby Hutcherson and Paquito

[Lois Gilbert]

At the 2003 Copenhagen Prize Concert, The International JAZZPAR Prize Committee announced the five nominees for the 15th JAZZPAR Prize, the world's largest award of its kind. Due to practical circumstances the final winner will be proclaimed later this year. The following names are presented in alphabetical order:

Paquito D'Rivera
American/Cuban alto saxophonist born in Havana, June 4 1948.


Bobby (Robert) Hutcherson
American vibraphonist born in Los Angeles, January 27 1941.

Marc (Alan) Johnson
American double bass player born in Omaha, October 21 1953.


Steve (Stephen Lewis) Kuhn
American pianist born in New York,
March 24 1938.


Aldo Romano
Italian drummer born in Belluno,
January 16 1941.





The international Prize Committee
The panel of acknowledged jazz authorities headed by its non-voting chairman, Cim Meyer (Denmark), had the following members in 2003: Dan Morgenstern (USA), Brian Priestley (Great Britain), Alex Dutilh (France), Filippo Bianchi (Italy) plus Boris Rabinowitsch and Peter H. Larsen (Denmark).

The JAZZPAR Prize Criteria
Many candidates are discussed every year. To reach its decisions The Committee has only a few predetermined criteria or rather guidelines to follow, the most important being that The Prize can be awarded only to an internationally known and fully active jazz artist who is specially deserving of further acclaim. A great number of jazz musicians fully satisfy such criteria.

Openness a keyword
It has never been the intention of JAZZPAR that The Winners should represent a special artistic approach, style or line. On the contrary, it has always been essential for The Committee to manifest openness. The aim is not to bestow still another honor on those already firmly established in Easy Street - but as occasion requires to broaden the scope, to stimulate and facilitate the activity of choice artists. The quality of the music and the situation in which it is created are the decisive factors. The long-term vision is that society some day and to the full extent will acknowledge jazz as one of the important art forms of our time.

The JAZZPAR Concerts
At the 2003 Copenhagen JAZZPAR Prize Concert in TIVOLI the American composer, pianist and band leader Andrew Hill was awarded The JAZZPAR Prize. In return Andrew Hill's JAZZPAR Nonet specially assembled for the JAZZPAR Project 2003, played a sterling concert that gave ample proof of his extraordinary powers as a musician.
The first part of the JAZZPAR Concerts had the Danish band leader, composer and saxophone player Lars Møller leading a JAZZPAR Combo featuring Geri Allen, Buster Williams and Billy Hart.
Complete live-recorded versions of the Prize Winner's music as well as the Danish band leader's music, will be released 2004.
Commencing in 1990 this was the fourteenth JAZZPAR Event. Every year The Prize Concerts in the Danish capital is preceded by provincial appearances – in 2003 also in Sweden.

The JAZZPAR Prize
This Prize - managed by Jazzkontakten - is the world's largest international jazz award of its kind, presented every year solely by people from the jazz world. Along with the honor and a bronze statuette by the distinguished Danish artist Jørgen Haugen Sørensen, it carries a financial reward of Danish Kroner 200,000 (approx. USD 29,000).

Former JAZZPAR Winners
Muhal Richard Abrams (1990), David Murray (1991), Lee Konitz (1992), Tommy Flanagan (1993), Roy Haynes (1994), Tony Coe (1995), Geri Allen (1996), Django Bates (1997), Jim Hall (1998), Martial Solal (1999), Chris Potter (2000), Marilyn Mazur (2001), Enrico Rava (2002) and Andrew Hill (2003).

The Exclusive JAZZPAR Sponsor
Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (Scandinavian Tobacco Company) is the holding company of a number of companies within the manufacturing and/or wholesale of tobacco as well as a number of other consumer goods. ST has from the very first planning in 1988 been involved in creating and organizing The JAZZPAR Prize and Activities. Still, the company's principle - never as a sponsor to exert any influence on the artistic intentions of the sponsored party - has in no case been violated.

The next Prize Presentation
The JAZZPAR Gala Concert will take place in Denmark April 2004. The JAZZPAR Project continues to include a number of activities: rehearsals, a prize concert tour, radio and television broadcasts, recordings for CD releases, etc.

Latest JAZZPAR CD releases
Enrico Rava JAZZPAR Sextet: HAPPINESS IS... (Stunt)
Thomas Agergaard JAZZPAR Octet: LITTLE MACHINES (Stunt