ASCAP's President Paul Williams commented: "We are honored to present Roscoe Mitchell and Gerald Clayton with awards in celebration of their unique contributions to music. For five decades, Roscoe Mitchell has continuously expanded our ideas of how contemporary music is heard and made, and influenced generations of music creators in the process. Gerald Clayton has become an accomplished ensemble leader, capturing the full spectrum of human emotion through improvisatory composition. Both Roscoe and Gerald have reshaped the pulse behind jazz music, and for that we are forever grateful."
ASCAP President and current Chairman of the Board Paul Williams presented the inaugural ASCAP President's Awardto former ASCAP President Marilyn Bergman for her contributions to ASCAP and for elevating the rights of music creators worldwide, over more than three decades of transformative leadership.
Williams commented: "Marilyn Bergman shaped the legacy of ASCAP with her passionate commitment to championing our music makers and laying the groundwork for the next generation of creatives. She presided over our organization during a time of incredible growth, and reacted to changes in the music landscape with political savvy and acumen. It is an honor to award her with ASCAP's very first President's Award."
Bergman was honored with a performance of "Make Me Rainbows" by Sheléa, accompanied by Katisse Buckingham (saxophone). "Make Me Rainbows" was written by Bergman, her husband Alan Bergman and iconic composer John Williams, and is featured on Sheléa's forthcoming album tribute to the Bergmans, Pretty World.
The audience consisted of jazz notables and VIPs who enjoyed exclusive performances from the honorees alongside some of the extraordinary jazz musicians with whom they have collaborated. Award winners Mitchell, Clayton, Austinand Barson each took the stage, and guest performers included Matt Shipp (piano), Junius Paul (bass), Vincent Davis(drums), Gizel Rodriguez (vocals) and Afro Yaqui Music Collective.
The show also featured two winners of ASCAP Foundation prizes. Trombone and vocal extraordinaire Mariel "Spencer" Austin received The ASCAP Foundation Phoebe Jacobs Award, which is awarded to a female recipient of an ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award to honor the memory and work of Phoebe Jacobs, a long-time jazz advocate and publicist who was also committed to music education and nurturing aspiring composers and musicians. Ben Barson, also an ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composers Award recipient, received TheASCAP Foundation Johnny Mandel Prize, an award made possible by the film & TV composer, arranger and jazz musician Johnny Mandel and his wife Martha, to further the career of an aspiring jazz composer.
View full coverage of the 2018 ASCAP Jazz Awards at http://www.ascap.com/jazzawards18" rel="nofollow - www.ascap.com/jazzawards18 .
from www.prnewswire.com