New York Press Conference on Elimination of Latin Jazz Grammy - May 22, 2011

On Sunday, May 22nd at 1 pm, world-renowned artists, celebrities, writers, activists and members of the media will gather at the world-famous Nuyorican Poets' Café, in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, to voice their opposition to the recent announcement by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) eliminating Latin Jazz, as well as 30 other styles of music representative of the diversity of the American musical landscape, from Grammy consideration

Nuyorican Poets Cafe
236 East 3rd Street
between Avenues B & C
New York City
(212) 780.9386

Panelists and guests will deliver brief remarks in support of the reinstatement of the eliminated fields. A Q&A will follow for the press and the public. Some of the distinguished panelists and guests from the various music communities affected by this decision who will participate are:

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, LARAS Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, former NARAS Board of Governors member, responsible for getting Latin music 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, May 22nd press-conference moderator;
René Lopez—Grammy-winning producer, Latin-music historian, advisor to Jazz at Lincoln Center;
Cándido Camero—Legendary conguero, NEA Jazz Master;
Ben Lapidus—Critically acclaimed guitarist, tresero, author of Origins of Cuban Music and Dance: Changüi, Professor of ethnomusicology at John Jay College, NYC
Ned Sublette—N.Y. Times bestselling author of Cuba And Its Music: From The First Drums To The Mambo and The Year Before The Flood: A Story of New Orleans; President, QBA Disc Records;
T.J. English—N.Y.Times bestselling author of The Westies: Inside New York's Irish Mob, Havana Nocturne: How the Mob Owned Cuba And Then Lost It To The Revolution, and The Savage City: Race, Murder, And A Generation On The Edge;
Chris Washburne—Trombonist, Professor of Ethnomusicology at Columbia University, Director of Jazz Studies; Columbia University
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;
Felipe Luciano—Original Last Poet, activist, writer
Brian Lynch—Grammy-winning trumpeter, educator;
Rachel Z—Multiple-Grammy-winning pianist, educator;
Brenda Feliciano—Critically acclaimed classical vocalist;
Pat and Ettore Phillips—Stratta Phillips Classical Music Productions
Ricky Gordon—Renowned Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, Jazz, World musician
Dario Tejeda— Executive Director Congreso De Jazz En El Caribe Centro Leon, Dominican Republic

The ill-advised April 6th announcement by NARAS to cut thirty-one categories from the celebrated Grammy awards has been met with shock and loud protests nationally and internationally. Latin Jazz, Contemporary Jazz, Cajun, Zydeco, Hawaiian, Polka, Traditional World, Classical, and certain Gospel, Blues, R&B, and Mexican categories, among others, have all been unceremoniously erased.

At various regional chapter meetings, NARAS has defended the cuts as being fair and well thought out, although they were made behind closed doors with absolutely no input from the membership nor the respective boards of governors of the regional chapters. This action clearly caters to the established pop and commercial styles that have always dominated the Awards and the controversial annual TV show and sends out the message that NARAS does not care about musical and cultural diversity.

As the grassroots movement from the public sector is going viral, and the unrest and distrust from within the NARAS membership has skyrocketed from coast to coast, NARAS' stock responses have done little to quell the groundswell of questions about their motives.

The May 22nd press conference In NYC comes on the heels of the May 9th press event at Yoshi's in Oakland, CA, where considerable opposition to this unprecedented decision, considered culturally insensitive and non-supportive of musical diversity by all present, was shown by leading musicians including 5X Grammy nominee John Santos; Grammy-nominated vocalist Sandy Cressman; members of the Carlos Santana band; Grammy-nominated trombonist Wayne Wallace; Randall Kline, head of the SF Jazz Fest; Peter Williams of Yoshi's and many more.

For related background info, articles, letters to and from NARAS, a growing petition, Carlos Santana's statement, etc., please visit www.GrammyWatch.info

Don't let this attack on Latin Jazz go unnoticed—send your e-mail in support of the Latin Jazz Grammy today. You can start with a message to NARAS President and CEO Neil Portnow, his e-mail address is: [email protected] Make sure that you sign the petition to get the Latin Jazz Grammy reinstated—you can find it HERE. Get additional information and updates on LJC's Support Page For The Latin Jazz Grammy.