Jazz journalists, not unlike the musicians that they cover, frequently go under appreciated for the great work they do in their chosen field. The JJA Jazz Awards for Jazz Journalism are a valuable reminder of the impressive, ongoing achievements in that arena.
As with the JJA winners for Jazz Performance and Recordings, familiar names and lesser name folks are among the honorees. Here are the 2023 winners:
Ashley Kahn, left, music historian and journalist — Lifetime Achievement in Jazz Journalism & Biography/Autobiography of the Year, for “Saxophone Colossus: The Life and Music of Sonny Rollins” (Hachette Books)
Aidan Levy — Robert Palmer-Helen Oakley Dance Award for Excellence in Writing in 2022
Bob Perkins, WRTI jazz announcer — Marian McPartland-Willis Conover Award for Career Achievement in Broadcasting
Lauren Deutsch — Lona Foote-Bob Parent Award for Career Achievement in Photography & Photo of the Year
DownBeat Magazine — Publication/Website of the Year
Howard Mandel — Blog of the Year, for “Jazz Beyond Jazz”
Willard Jenkins, right — Book of the Year about Jazz: History, Criticism and Culture, for “Ain’t But a Few of Us: Black Music Writers Tell Their Story,” edited by Jenkins (Duke University Press)
“The Buzz: The JJA Podcast” — Podcast of the Year
Emmet Cohen — Live-Stream Producer of the Year, for “Live From Emmet’s Place”
Peter Schnall — Documentary of the Year About Jazz, for “Ron Carter: Finding the Right Notes” (Partisan Pictures)
DM Stith — Album Art of the Year, for Mary Halvorson’s “Amaryllis/Belladonna” (Nonesuch Records)
Jazzlands 