2009 MacArthurs Announced, Jazz Gets Bupkis
The 2009 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced the 2009 recipients of their $500,000 “genius” grants today, with nary a jazz or jazz-like musician among them. Let’s hope this isn’t the beginning of a trend.
Could it be that Stephen Colbert has subverted the process?
Who would your recipient be? If one was given to a jazz artist?
Comment by Lyn Horton — September 22, 2009 @ 7:54 amI think Connie Crothers would be an excellent choice.
Comment by admin — September 22, 2009 @ 7:56 amNo musicians at all, actually, so I doubt that jazz was singled out.
Comment by JD Considine — September 22, 2009 @ 11:35 amYeah, the MacArthurs have traditionally been very friendly to jazz, so I’ll cut ‘em some slack …
Comment by admin — September 22, 2009 @ 11:41 amAccording to http://www.macfound.org (to which you helpfully provided a link), MacArthur recipients “may use their fellowship to advance their expertise, engage in bold new work, or, if they wish, to change fields or alter the direction of their careers.” Considering jazz’s current economic outlook, if a jazz artist were to be awarded such a grant, perhaps the latter choice would be wisest. But let’s assume that a jazz fellow obstinately refused to change fields. In that case, my question is: WHY ON EARTH DOES A JAZZ ARTIST NEED $500,000, paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years? Checking online today, I found that a box of 10 La Voz alto sax reeds (medium) has a list price of $40.75, but can be purchased from Amazon.com for $17.65. At that cost, over the course of his or her grant, our jazzy MacArthur fellow could purchase 284,091 reeds. How many choruses of “Now’s the Time” would that cover, Chris?
Comment by Alan Kurtz — September 22, 2009 @ 12:32 pmLOL! You are truly a wise man, Colonel!
Comment by admin — September 22, 2009 @ 12:40 pmNo jazz musicians, no musicians, no vocalists, no composers, no conductors, no instrument makers.
Comment by Pamela Espeland — September 23, 2009 @ 3:30 am