On Sunday, May 22nd at 1 pm, world-renowned artists, celebrities, writers, activists and members of the media gathered at the world famous Nuyorican Poets’ Café, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
They voiced their opposition to the recent announcement by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) to eliminate Latin Jazz from GRAMMY consideration, as well as other styles of music that are representative of the diversity of the American musical landscape.
Did you miss the press conference? You can find a link to the recorded broadcast below the list of outstanding participants.
Panelists and guests delivered brief remarks in support of the reinstatement of the eliminated categories. A Q&A session followed. Some of the distinguished panelists and guests from various music communities affected by this decision that participated were:
Eddie Palmieri – Legendary pianist, 9-time GRAMMY winner and former NARAS Board of Governors member, responsible for getting Latin jazz recognized as a category;
Larry Harlow – Legendary Salsa pianist/bandleader, former NARAS Board of Governors member, responsible for getting Salsa recognized as a category, 3-time GRAMMY nominee;
David Amram - World-renowned composer of the film score for the Manchurian Candidate, multi-instrumentalist, first composer in residence of the NY Philharmonic;
Arturo O’Farrill – GRAMMY winner, pianist, bandleader, educator;
Bobby Sanabria – Drummer, percussionist, bandleader, educator, 4-time GRAMMY nominee, press-conference moderator;
René Lopez – GRAMMY-winning producer, Latin-music historian, advisor to Jazz at Lincoln Center;
Candido Camero – Legendary conguero, NEA Jazz Master; GRAMMY nominee
Ned Sublette - N.Y. Times bestselling author of Cuba and Its Music: From The First Drums to the Mambo and New Orleans: After The Flood; President, QBA Disc Records;
T.J. English – N.Y.Times bestselling author of The Westies, Havana Nocturne, The Savage City;
Ben Lapidus– Renowned guitarist, Professor of Ethnomusicology at John Jay College, New York City
Chris Washburne – Trombonist, Professor of Ethnomusicology, Director of Jazz Studies; at Columbia University, New York City
Joachim "Jochem" Becker – President of ZOHO Records;
Ivan Acosta – Award-winning film maker, President of Latin Jazz U.S.A., NARAS Committee Member Latin Music;
Randy Klein – President of Jazzheads Records, pianist, composer, 4-time EMMY winner;
Jackie Harris – Executive Director, Louis Armstrong Jazz Camp; New Orleans, Louisiana;
Mercedes Ellington – Executive Director, Essentially Ellington Festival;
Jimmy Sturr – 18-time Polka Music GRAMMY winner;
Brian Lynch – GRAMMY-winning trumpeter, educator;
Rachel Z – Multi-GRAMMY-winning pianist, educator;
Brenda Feliciano – Critically acclaimed classical vocalist;
Pat and Ettore Phillips – Stratta Phillips Classical Music Productions;
And More….
You can click here to listen to yesterday's (22 May 2011) press conference that was broadcast on WBAI.org.
(information from www.GRAMMYwatch.info)