New York, NY, January 11, 2008: Two jazz works, commissioned by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) to honor the life and work of composer, saxophonist and bandleader, Frank Foster, were premiered on January 10, 2008 at the Metro Toronto Convention Center during the 35th Annual IAJE International Conference in Toronto, Ontario.
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society North performed the new works:
"Box of Cannoli" by Established Composer
Tim Hagans, and
"Vinifera" by Emerging Composer
Ayn Inserto. The composers were awarded $7,500 and $3,000, respectively, as well as monies to prepare the materials for performance.
Hagans and Inserto were introduced to the audience of educators, musicians, industry executives, media and students by Fran Richard, ASCAP's Vice President and Director of Concert Music, who commented: "This is the eleventh year that the ASCAP/IAJE Commissions program has celebrated an ASCAP jazz icon by commissioning two jazz works in their honor. Prior programs have honored Marian McPartland, Louis Armstrong, Benny Carter, Ornette Coleman, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Dr. Billy Taylor and Billy Strayhorn."
Trumpeter
Tim Hagans is one of the most innovative and adventuresome performers and composers in jazz today. In early 1970, Hagans enrolled in Bowling Green University and afterwards played with the Stan Kenton Orchestra from 1974 - 1976. He later performed and recorded with Thad Jones, Ernie Wilkins, Dexter Gordon, Ed Thigpen, Danish Radio Big Band, White Orange, Swedish Radio Jazz Group, and others. Hagans has composed and arranged for Thad Jones Eclipse, Blue Wisp Big Band, the Norbotten Big Band and Chamber Orchestra, as well as the music to Runar Enberg's film
Boogaloo Road. He currently performs with his own ensembles and with Bob Belden, Joe Lovano, Blue Note All-Stars, Bob Mintzer, Gary Peacock, Marc Copeland and Maria Schnieder. Hagans received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album for
Animation/Imagination (Blue Note, 2000) and
Re: Animation (Blue Note, 2001).
Harvey Siders of
JazzTimes has said, "There is an energetic creative force on the horizon named
Ayn Inserto, and based on this debut album, she's Maria Schneider on steroids." Inserto received her master's of music degree in jazz composition from the New England Conservatory where she studied with Bob Brookmeyer. She is a winner of the 2003-04 and 2005-06 ASCAP Young Jazz Composers' Awards, and has received various honors, which include the Concord Pavilion Associates Marian McPartland Award and the 1999 Best Original Composition award at the Billy Higgins Jazz Festival. Her music has been performed at many venues including the Berklee Performance Center, 1999 IAJE Annual Conference, New England Conservatory of Music, Montreux Jazz Festival, Umbria Jazz Festival and most recently, at Jazz at Lincoln Center Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. Inserto resides in Boston, is on the faculty at Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory, Longy School of Music and teaches privately in Massachusetts. She directs her own ensemble, the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra that has performed with Bob Brookmeyer, George Garzone, Frank Tiberi and Joe Lovano. She recently released her first album, Clairvoyance, featuring Bob Brookmeyer and George Garzone, which received rave reviews from
JazzTimes, Cadence magazine and
All About Jazz.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, ASCAP member
Frank Foster is one of those rare triple threats: he's a saxophonist with a big, broad, rangy sound and approach; he's a composer and arranger of both tunes and long-form works; and he's a skilled leader of bands both large and small. As a saxophonist fluent on tenor, soprano and alto, he has been a welcome addition on bandstands and recording studios of vast variety. As a composer and arranger his efforts have run the gamut, from writing such jazz standards as "Shiny Stockings" and "Simone," to his "Lake Placid Suite," commissioned by the 1980 Winter Olympics. As a bandleader he has led everything from quartets to big bands, all with great aplomb and abundant skill.
The 2008 ASCAP/IAJE Commissions will celebrate the life, work and 90th Birthday of
Hank Jones. These works will be premiered at the annual IAJE Conference in Seattle, WA, on January 8, 2009. The deadline for submissions is April 1, 2008.
For more details, click here.
About ASCAP
Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 310,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with over 90 music rights organizations such that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American Performing Rights Organization owned and governed by its writer and publisher members.
www.ascap.com
