BWW Reviews: NJ PAC's 'Sassy' Awards Celebrate Female Jazz Vocalists

Five talented young women competed on Sunday, November 10th at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJ PAC)in the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition: The Sassy Awards. This was the second year of the prestigious competition. The contest was judged by a famous group of judges; Al Jarreau, Larry Rosen, Janis Siegel, Gary Walker, and Gretchen Parlato.

Rhonda Hamilton of WBGO/Jazz 88.3 FM hosted the event. In her opening remarks, she pointed out that the talents of female jazz vocalists will flourish for many years to come as a result of the competition.

This was the second year of the contest and it drew nearly 1,000 submissions from around the world. Five finalists and a "Rising Star" were chosen by online voters who submitted to the contest over 100,000 times. The finalists competed to win The Sassy Award of $5,000.00. The first runner up received $1,500.00 and the second runner up received $500.00.

Producer Larry Rosen said, "I love the idea of this competition." He further stated, "Part of the mission is to spread the word about jazz, the music of America."

The finalists were Teira Church of Los Angeles, Lydia Harrell of Boston, Jazzmeia Horn of New York City, Barbra Lica of Toronto, and Camille Thurman of New York City. All five of the contestants acknowledged that Sarah Vaughan was a great inspiration to them in their musical careers.

Sarah Vaughan, known as one of the most famous female jazz vocalists of all time, was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. It was fitting that Sunday's competition celebrated her talent in an event that was a highlight of the James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival at NJ PAC; the festival was held at the center from November 4th through the 10th and received major sponsorship from TD Bank.

In the first round of the contest, each singer presented two numbers. The judges conferred during intermission and three performers were selected for the final round when they each performed one song. The three finalists were Barbra Lica, Camille Thurman and Jazzmeia Horn. The final judging was done while the audience delighted to the music of the Michael Renzi Trio that also accompanied all of the competitors.

The winner of the competition was Jazzmeia Horn, whose showmanship, energy and versatility wowed the audience. Her final selection, East of the Sun, West of the Moon displayed the full range of talent of this gifted 22 year old. After the competition, she said that she was "relieved," and stated, "I really don't like the pressure of competition. I can give more to my audiences when I am performing." She believes that the win is a "springboard" into the future. In the near future, she has plans to perform at The Kennedy Center in Washington DC and with Winard Harper at New York City's, Jazz Standard.

The judges commented on the experience after the competition. Janis Siegel, nine times Grammy Award winner and a force in the success of the Manhattan Transfer's diverse musical catalog said, "I am totally delighted with the very high caliper of performances at this competition."

Al Jarreau, the famous vocalist whose unique musical style is known worldwide stated the importance of the arts for youth. He said, "Part of our humanity is to be self-expressive. Our young people need to learn to be creative. The arts are so important; they bring universal happiness."

Gretchen Parlato whose latest release, The Lost and Found topped charts worldwide was delighted to be part of the judging. Parlato said, "It is an honor to judge." She said by participating herself in vocal competitions, she takes the role very seriously and was happy to be included.

NJ PAC's President and CEO, John Schreiber, discussed importance of NJ PAC's role in arts education and announced that it will continue the Sarah Vaughan Vocal Scholarship Residency, the six-week program at Newark's Arts High School where sixteen vocal scholars will have the opportunity to conduct an in-depth study of Vaughan's talent and style through vocal technique, interpretation, and piano. The residency will include exploration of jazz history as well.

As a final tribute to Sarah Vaughan, the five finalists, along with the Kate Davis, the "Rising Star Award" winner, sang a beautiful medley of Vaughan's well known musical hits.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center is an ideal destination for jazz enthusiasts. It is conveniently located in the Arts District of Newark and very accessible by car and mass transit. The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival is an annual event and NJ PAC has a wide selection of musical performances throughout the year. For more information on upcoming events at New Jersey Performing Arts Center, visit their web site at www.njpac.org or call their box office at 1-888-GO-NJPAC.

Photo Credit: Steve Hockstein

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