In keeping with a tradition dating back to the 10th edition and repeated every fifth year with the addition of a new prize, the Festival International de Jazz de Montral marks its 30th anniversary with the creation of the Bruce Lundvall Award, to be presented annually to a non-musician who has left a mark on the world of jazz or contributed to the development of music, through media, concert or record industries. And who is better to be the first recipient of this prestigious distinction than Bruce Lundvall himself, president of legendary EMI Music label Blue Note! The prize will be presented to him by Alain Simard, founder and president of the Festival, and Andr Mnard, artistic director and co-founder of the Festival, at a press conference which will be held this morning at 11 a.m. in the Press Room of Maison du Festival Rio Tinto Alcan (2nd floor).
Bruce Lundvall has nothing but friends in the world of jazz. An astute administrator gifted with a pair of ears directly connected to his heart, he has reached universal respect, from his peers as much as the innumerable musicians and journalists he’s met or collaborated with. In lengthy stints at Columbia, in the ’60s and ’70s, and at the head of Blue Note for over a quarter century, he has cultivated a singular passion for the music he loves. Throughout this journey, he’s shared personal favourites with the entire world, bringing us some of the greatest musical moments in the careers of artists including Willie Nelson, Weather Report, Bobby McFerrin, Norah Jones, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba (whom he discovered in Montreal), Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano… a comprehensive list would run off the end of this page. This exceptional man has the honour of being the first recipient of the award that will bear his name. Bruce Lundvall, we congratulate you!
The Bruce Lundvall Award is added to the other prestigious awards presented by the Festival, including the Oscar Peterson Award (created for the 10th anniversary), the Miles Davis Award (15th), the Ella Fitzgerald Award (20th) and the Antonio Carlos Jobim Award (25th).
Bruce Lundvall has nothing but friends in the world of jazz. An astute administrator gifted with a pair of ears directly connected to his heart, he has reached universal respect, from his peers as much as the innumerable musicians and journalists he’s met or collaborated with. In lengthy stints at Columbia, in the ’60s and ’70s, and at the head of Blue Note for over a quarter century, he has cultivated a singular passion for the music he loves. Throughout this journey, he’s shared personal favourites with the entire world, bringing us some of the greatest musical moments in the careers of artists including Willie Nelson, Weather Report, Bobby McFerrin, Norah Jones, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba (whom he discovered in Montreal), Wynton Marsalis, Joe Lovano… a comprehensive list would run off the end of this page. This exceptional man has the honour of being the first recipient of the award that will bear his name. Bruce Lundvall, we congratulate you!
The Bruce Lundvall Award is added to the other prestigious awards presented by the Festival, including the Oscar Peterson Award (created for the 10th anniversary), the Miles Davis Award (15th), the Ella Fitzgerald Award (20th) and the Antonio Carlos Jobim Award (25th).
