Russian guitarist Evgeny Pobozhiy wins the Hancock

The biggest jazz competition in terms of prestige? Very possibly. It is a career making moment to win the Hancock, formerly the Monk prize. Evgeny Pobozhiy who is 30 from Seversk in Russia came first picking up $30,000 scholarship and a recording …

Published: 4 Dec 2019. Updated: 3 years.

The biggest jazz competition in terms of prestige? Very possibly. It is a career making moment to win the Hancock, formerly the Monk prize.

Evgeny Pobozhiy who is 30 from Seversk in Russia came first picking up $30,000 scholarship and a recording contract with Concord Records.

Some of the greatest jazz guitarists were judges and they were Stanley Jordan, Lionel Loueke, Russell Malone, Pat Metheny, Chico Pinheiro, Lee Ritenour and John Scofield. The competition's climax was held on 3 December at the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater in Washington DC.

According to the Hancock Institute site: ''First place winner Pobozhiy captivated the audience with his performances of “502 Blues” and “Falling Grace.” Second place winner Max Light, 27, of Bethesda, Maryland performed “Hey, It’s Me You’re Talking To” and “Prelude To A Kiss,” and third place winner Cecil Alexander, 25, of Muskegon, Michigan performed “One Finger Snap” and “Infant Eyes.” Pic. Evgeny Pobozhiy Facebook page

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2019 Highlight: Sonero

Sonero is a studio recording made over two days in March this year in Waterford, Connecticut, released on the Miel Music imprint in late-August. The personnel is the classic Miguel Zenón quartet around for years and excellent live. So, Miguel Zenón …

Published: 4 Dec 2019. Updated: 3 years.

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Sonero is a studio recording made over two days in March this year in Waterford, Connecticut, released on the Miel Music imprint in late-August.

The personnel is the classic Miguel Zenón quartet around for years and excellent live. So, Miguel Zenón on alto saxophone is with Luis Perdomo, piano; Hans Glawischnig, double bass; and Henry Cole, drums.

An innovator: Zenón is one of the greatest jazz alto saxophone players and a composer of note who blends bebop with Puerto Rican folk rhythms and traditions – a tonic for both mind and body.

Here the theme is Ismael (“Maelo”) Rivera (1931-1987) who Zenón describes as “… like Bird, Mozart, Einstein, Ali – he was that guy”. All arrangements are by the saxist who also acted as the producer.