Mike Cornette already had plans to be at the JazzWeek awards in San Jose, California this week, but WUSF 89.7 FM's jazz director didn’t expect to be nominated alongside names from Minneapolis (Kevin O’Connor, KBEM), Baltimore (Marcellus Shepard, WEAA) and Rochester (Derrick Lucas, WGMC).
“It’s my first full year of eligibility so I am humbled, honored and, frankly, pleasantly surprised,” Cornette, who also hosts "All Night Jazz," told CL in a message after his name popped up in the nominations for Programmer of the Year (Terrestrial).
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JazzWeek is a 16-year-old national, online radio tracking and networking service created after the Gavin Report nixed its jazz and smooth jazz charts, and Cornette says the organization is highly regarded in the jazz community, which makes the nom extra special.
“It’s national recognition, so I feel that’s significant for WUSF and for All Night Jazz,” he said.
“All of the stations [nominated] are highly respected in the jazz community. Most of these stations program more jazz per week than we do. I’ve met a couple of the folks on the list and they all have vast amounts of experience. A pleasant surprise considering the company.”
We’ll find out of Cornette wins on August 10, and you can see the full list of nominees here. Read our Summer Guide jazz chats with Cornette here and here. You can listen to WUSF via 89.7 FM on the radio dial or online via wusf.org.
