Jazz News: Javon Jackson nominated, Nocturne noticed, Hazel Miller inducted

Denver-raised saxophonist Javon Jackson was nominated for an NAACP Image award for his jazz, gospel and poetry project called “The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni.”

Other nominees in the “Outstanding Jazz Album – Instrumental” category are Henry Franklin’s Jazz is Dead 14 project, Ragan Whiteside, Kaelin Ellis and Boney James.

Nominees in the Jazz Vocal category are The Baylor Project, Samara Joy, Aimee Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Adam Blackstone.

Winners are determined by public votes on the NAACP Image Awards website.

The Image Awards celebrate outstanding achievements and performances in the arts, as well as individuals and groups who promote social justice through their creative endeavors. BET carries the awards live on Saturday, February 25th from Pasadena.

By the way, Jackson and Giovanni go back to the studio next month to record their next album, Javon & Nikki, to be released in June 2023 on the Solid Jackson Record Label.

(SOURCE: NAACP Image Awards)

The jazz supper club Nocturne got noticed by United Airlines’ Hemispheres in-flight magazine in their January issue. The cover story “Three Perfect Days in Denver,” written by Ali Wunderman, closes Day One at Nocturne, quoting here, “I slip into the dimly lit venue, order a dirty martini, and melt into the sultry tones of a night out in Denver.” Photos by Aaron Colussi caught the Tom Gershwin Quintet in action, with Gershwin at trumpet, Sam Williams at tenor, Jean-Luc Davis at bass, Kevin Matthews at drums, and Annie Booth at piano.

(SOURCE: Hemispheres Magazine)

R&B vocalist Hazel Miller, along with frequent collaborators, Big Head Todd and The Monsters will be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame at Todd’s annual Red Rocks show this coming June 10th.

Hazel Miller, who has her own flourishing career as a Blues and R-n-B soloist, has been performing and touring with Big Head Todd since the band’s earliest days. These days, she is seen around town and at concerts and festivals as Hazel Miller & The Collective.

Another well-deserved accolade for our friend and sister Hazel Miller!

(SOURCE: Colorado Music Hall of Fame)

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