The Department of Music alumnus Steve Wilson merited #2 Rising Star/Soprano Sax, #6 overall Soprano Sax, #7 Rising Star/Alto Sax, #11 overall Alto Sax, and #12 Rising Star/Flute. Victor Goines placed #6 in the Rising Star/Clarinet category and #12 overall Clarinet. Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, with whom alums Genus and alumnus Clarence Penn often perform, placed #9 in the Female Vocalist category and #3 in Rising Star Female Vocals. Dave Douglas (regularly collaborating with Genus and Penn) was again named Trumpeter of the Year. Violinist Regina Carter, in whose combo our drum alum Alvester Garnett performs, again placed first in the Jazz Violinist category.
Some of VCU Jazz’s recent guests were duly noted. Last April’s guest, Conrad Herwig, merited #3 in Trombone; VCU and CD guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon placed #4; Ray Anderson was #6. Guitarist Anthony Wilson placed #4 in Rising Star Guitar. He tours regularly with vocalist Diana Krall, who placed fifth in the Female Vocals category. Matt Wilson placed in Rising Star Jazz Group, #6 in Rising Star Drums, and #6 in overall Drums. John Hollenbeck won Rising Star Composer and Arranger of the Year, his big band #2 in the Rising Star Big Band; Seamus Blake and Tony Malaby placing in Rising Star Tenor Sax. Violinist Mark Feldman placed #3 in the overall Violin category.
Grammy-winning composer/bandleader Maria Schneider, who spoke this fall for the second time to VCU’s Music Industry class via teleconference, again won in the categories of Big Band, Composer, and Arranger of the Year. (The drummer in her band is VCU alumnus Clarence Penn, and Steve Wilson has also performed and toured with her.) Mat Domber, who assisted in bringing The Statesmen of Jazz to VCU last year, was cited as Producer and Rising Star Producer. The list of yet earlier VCU Jazz guests saluted in this Poll continues to maintain and grow, such as Scott Colley, Drew Gress, Brian Lynch, Bob Cranshaw, Billy Hart, and John Abercrombie.
VCU Jazz continues to bring our students and our community some of the most important artists in jazz. If you’d like to assist that cause, please see information above as to how you can contribute to the VCU Jazz Students Fund.
