JazzTimes Power Index

[Lois Gilbert]

JazzTimes Power Index 2004
more with power to spare

Top 25 from 2004
1. Wynton Marsalis
2. Bruce Lundvall
3. Ted Kurland
4. Bill McFarlin
5. John Phillips
6. Glen Barros
7. Jessica Sendra
8. Ann Marie Wilkins
9. Dave Love
10. Derek Gordon
11. Steve Macklam
12. Mary Ann Topper
13. Jeff Jones
14. Theo Van Den Hoek
15. Ron Goldstein
16. Don Lucoff
17. Randall Kline
18. Tim Jackson
19. Paxton Baker
20. George Wein
21. Steven Scott
22. Maxx Myrick
23. Matt Abramowitz
24. Todd Barkan
25. Suzan Jenkins

As if ranking the top 25 wasn't hard enough, we've picked more folks with more than enough jazz juice than we know what to do with. We've listed them alphabetically.

Marty Ashby, Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
Bob Belden,
Danny Bensusan, the Blue Note
Steve Berkowitz, Sony Legacy
Bob Blumenthal,
Thurston Briscoe, WBGO FM
Wayne Brown, NEA
Darlene Chan, Art Edelstein, Dan Melnick & Rick White, Festival Productions
Joel Chriss, Joel Chriss & Associates
Michael Cuscuna, Mosaic Records
Tom Cole, NPR
Russ Davis, XM Satellite Radio
Russ Eisenman, Tower Records
Kurt Elling, NARAS
Tom Evered, Blue Note
Gary Giddins,
Lois Gilbert, Jazz Corner
Dana Gioia, NEA
Lorraine Gordon, the Village Vanguard
Terry Gross, Fresh Air
Andre Guess, Jazz at Lincoln Center
Herbie Hancock,
Liane Hansen, NPR
Don Heckman, Los Angeles Times
Jim Horowitz, Jazz Aspen
Dave Koz,
Diana Krall,
Marilyn Laverty, Shore Fire Media
Tommy LiPuma, Verve
Frank Malfitano, Syracuse JazzFest/Detroit International Jazz Festival
Howard Mandel, Jazz Journalists Association
Christian McBride,
Richard McDonnell, MaxJazz
Marian McPartland,
Andre Menard, Montreal Jazz Festival
Nick Morrison, KPLU FM
Claude Nobs, Montreux Jazz Festival
Carlo Pagnatta, Umbria Jazz
Danilo Pérez,
Ken Pickering, Coastal Jazz & Blues Society
Ben Ratliff, New York Times
Joshua Redman,
Dianne Reeves,
Michael Ricci, All About Jazz
Bob Rusch, Cadence/North Country
Derek Silvers, CD Baby
Scott Southard, International Music Network
Dr. Billy Taylor,
Peter Williams, Yoshi’s
Francois Zalacain, Sunnyside

[Lois Gilbert]

I know most of you hate this kind of thing, but for some of us who work so hard at promoting and proliferating jazz, this is an acknowledgment from our fellow industry folk.

[Nate Dorward]

I only know a fraction of the names. Shows what I know about where the power is.

[bluenoter]

JazzTimes Power Index 2004

more with power to spare

As if ranking the top 25 wasn't hard enough, we've picked more folks with more than enough jazz juice than we know what to do with. We've listed them alphabetically.

Lois Gilbert, Jazz Corner

Hey, hey, hey! Lois the powerful!

Mazel tov!

[Ron Thorne]

Sorry, but for me the "power" is only in the music.

I guess I don't know what this power index is supposed to represent. Perhaps I'm better off not knowing.

Congratulations for the recognition for what you've contributed however, Lois.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

[Tom Storer]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

I guess I don't know what this power index is supposed to represent.

Influence in the music-biz side of the jazz world, I would guess.

Of the top 25, I recognize four names. Of the others, I recognize a bunch, but I wonder why the musicians among them were named: Bob Belden, Kurt Elling, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall, Chris McBride, Marian McPartland, Danilo Perez, Joshua Redman, Dianne Reeves, Dr. Billy Taylor. Of these McPartland has her radio show, Redman runs some festival in California, and I think Taylor is an educator, no? And I think Belden is a producer. But the others? Hancock and Krall can fill very large venues, but Elling, McBride, Perez, Reeves?

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by Tom Storer

Influence in the music-biz side of the jazz world, I would guess.

That was my guess too, Tom. The inclusion of the word "power" was quite off-putting to me, however.

[Lois Gilbert]

go to jazztimes.com

also a congrats needs to go to our Peter Dubya, Jessica Sendra and Gary Giddins as well as JC Clients Don Lucoff, Suzan Jenkins and Todd Barkan

Originally this was called the movers and shakers in the jazz music industry.
There are link thrus with mini bios of the top 25 if anyone is interested. As I said earlier for me it's an acknowledgement from my peers and is meaningful to me.

[Ron Thorne]

Lois, please don't misunderstand me. I'm very happy for you, personally, and always happy when jazz gets a boost. I'm just not thrilled with some of the hyperbole and attendant language associated with some of these acknowledgements.

[Uli]

Oh please, Kurt Elling but no Reynolds!

[Dr Dave]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Sorry, but for me the "power" is only in the music.

I guess I don't know what this power index is supposed to represent. Perhaps I'm better off not knowing.

Congratulations for the recognition for what you've contributed however, Lois.

Ahem. Thorne, being an intelligent person, will understand when I say the term for his comment is "disingenuous." The music doesn't come out of the Soniferous Aether, man. Somebody has to do the block-and-tackle work so the shows get played and the CDs come out.

Congratulations, Lois! You are the BEST!

[John L]

Originally Posted by Uli

Oh please, Kurt Elling but no Reynolds!

Indeed, Steve has probably affected significant percentages of record sales for some artists. (For example, I remember how fast those Gerry Hemmingway Hathuts went out of print after Steve gave them repeated over-the-top raves on the net.)

[MRS]

Originally Posted by John L

(For example, I remember how fast those Gerry Hemmingway Hathuts went out of print after Steve gave them repeated over-the-top raves on the net.)

. . .deserved over-the-top raves.

[Pete C]

A bunch of the names are artist management, bookers & festival directors.

[Jesse]

Congrats, Lois. If your field is anything like mine, props from peers are generally the only recognition that matters. Nicely done.

Jesse

[chuckyd4]

Congratulations are in order Lois! Well done.

Wasn't Christian McBride just named artistic director of some label program or another? That would probably explain his inclusion on the musician side of things.

[Pete C]

Let's not to forget to congratulate Peter Dubbya.

[Peterdubya]

THANKS PETE!

Congratulations Lois, and everyone else on the list!
EVERYONE on that list has worked hard for the music.

Many of the musicians listed are doing things other than their music. Kurt Elling is heavily involved in NARAS, Danilo Perez books a jazz festival (in Panama?), Herbie Hancock and Diana Krall are very involved in pushing the music to the general public.

It IS great to be recognized by your peers!

[Coda]

I need a bit of an education here. Ted Kurland has an agency in Boston that books many of the higher priced jazz musicians. He has a fine agency and should be commended for his accomplishments. It has me thinking about this power index and the criteria used to create the list. I was surprised to see his name at the #3 position.

I'll be at jazztimes.com for the rest of the afternoon trying to better understand.

Congratulations Lois and well deserved recognition for your work.

[JazzJunkie]

Mucho congrats Lois, Peter! Well deserved for a ton of hard work!

[bluenoter]

Peter--

Mazel tov to you too! Sorry; I didn't make the connection on "who you are."

[bluenoter]

Originally Posted by Coda

Ted Kurland has an agency in Boston that books many of the higher priced jazz musicians. He has a fine agency and should be commended for his accomplishments. It has me thinking about this power index and the criteria used to create the list. I was surprised to see his name at the #3 position.

He was included, but you're complaining about his position on the list? Could it be that in some instances, other people's thoughts don't precisely match yours?

[bluenoter]

D'oh! And Jessica Sendra of the Borders chain's jazz department posts on JC as twisted.

Mazel tov, Jessica!

[RainyDay]

Congrats to Lois and special congrats to Peter Dubya. I've had the pleasure of bending Peter's ear for various and sundry reasons and I can tell you he is a real treasure in the jazz community and also a very decent human being.

[Lois Gilbert]

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

go to jazztimes.com

also a congrats needs to go to our Peter Dubya, Jessica Sendra and Gary Giddins as well as JC Clients Don Lucoff, Suzan Jenkins and Todd Barkan

Originally this was called the movers and shakers in the jazz music industry.
There are link thrus with mini bios of the top 25 if anyone is interested. As I said earlier for me it's an acknowledgement from my peers and is meaningful to me.

I said it first for Peter Dubya - see how I'm handling this new power!

[Ron Thorne]

Originally Posted by Lois Gilbert

I said it first for Peter Dubya - see how I'm handling this new power!

And, more "power" to you, Lois.

My apologies if I unwittingly slighted or insulted anyone with my initial post on this thread. I'm just not a rah-rah kind of person, and am highly suspicious of commercial enterprises who espouse "power".

As always, my utmost respect, support and admiration extends to all jazz musicians, listeners, supporters, endorsers, underwriters, sponsors, club owners, concert producers, etc.



- Father Thorne

[Gary Sisco]

Seems yet again that one of the most active and vibrant New York scenes is invisible, along with its annual artist-organized *jazz festival.*

I know talk about power is inherently political but isn't it about time to give up some props to the Vision Festival crew, for their work year after year after year (and soon, decade after decade)?

Jeez.

[steve(thelil)]

If you just switch Wynton's and Lois's positions on the lists, I would have no quibble with it.

Oh Yeah. And Reynolds's absence does affect the list's creditabiliy.