I was unaware until yesterday that a Jazz Hall of Fame existed, and was astounded to learn that it just opened last year. I am thrilled to see that the giants of the art form are being recognized with their own Hall of Fame, even if belatedly.
NEW YORK (AP) - Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald and Benny Goodman head this year's class of 12 inductees to the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame, which opened last fall at Jazz at Lincoln Center's new home in the Time Warner Center.
The other 2005 inductees, announced Monday, include trumpeter Roy Eldridge, pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Basie band drummer Jo "Papa Jo" Jones, bassist-bandleader-composer Charles Mingus, cornetist Joe "King" Oliver, who brought Louis Armstrong north to Chicago from New Orleans in 1922, and Thomas "Fats" Waller, the stride pianist and singer who wrote hit tunes such as "Ain't Misbehavin" and "Honeysuckle Rose."
Pioneering bebop drummer Max Roach and tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins became the first living inductees. The Jazz Hall of Fame is named after the Turkish-born Ertegun, who played a key role in developing the catalog of jazz, R&B and rock albums at Atlantic Records, the label founded by his brother Ahmet.
The inductees were chosen by a 58-member panel of jazz musicians, educators and scholars from 17 countries.
An induction ceremony will be held Sept. 8 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
"These great jazz musicians set new standards for instrumental and vocal performance in the 20th century," said trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, JALC's artistic director, in a statement. "Their work stands as a testament to the creative power of jazz."
Last year's inaugural inductees:
Louis Armstrong
Sidney Bechet
Bix Beiderbecke
John Coltrane
Miles Davis
Duke Ellington
Dizzy Gillespie
Coleman Hawkins
Billie Holiday
Thelonious Monk
Jelly Roll Morton
Charlie Parker
Art Tatum
Lester Young
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
thanks Tal and great to see you back!
2 - Aaman
I could think of a few dozen folks they could stack into the Jazz Hall of Fame and still have room left over.
3 - Taloran
Aaman, if it were up to you, which twelve to fourteen would you put in in 2006? I'd love to see your list.
My fourteen would be:
George Gershwin *
Ira Gershwin *
Charlie Christian
Wes Montgomery
Django Reinhardt
Sarah Vaughan
Glenn Miller
Fletcher Henderson
Tommy Dorsey
Dave Brubeck
Oscar Peterson
Lionel Hampton
Joe Pass
Stephane Grappelli
* remove the Gershwins if the Hall is limited to performers only.
4 - Shark
I was lucky enough to see Ella in concert.
...and just a note: Earl Fatha Hines played piano with various incarnations of Louis Armstrongs Hot Five, Seven, etc. He was great!
Shark's Nominee:
Fletcher Henderson
5 - Taloran
Missed Ella, but I got to see Lena Horne on Broadway many years ago.
Lena might make my nominee list for the 2007 induction.
6 - Triniman
Really, you could any number of the stars you listed for 2006. And others, too.