2001 Election Details

BOSTON, December 17, 2001 -- In a musical celebration and ceremony before a standing room audience in Boston's Tremont Theater on a Monday night, the New England Jazz Alliance (NEJA) announced the names of the first 10 jazz artists elected to the New England Jazz Hall of Fame.

They are saxophonists Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Paul Gonsalves of the Duke Ellington band, drummers Alan Dawson and Tony Williams, multi-talented Jaki Byard, cornetist/trumpeter Bobby Hackett, Boston pianist/band leader Sabby Lewis, baritone sax man Serge Chaloff, and Sonny Stitt, who was known for his work on alto and tenor saxophones.

As he read the names, jazz writer Bob Blumenthal acknowledged the presence of the wives and families of Dawson and Lewis and also announced that NEJA, in conjunction with the International Society, opened a New England Jazz Hall of Fame exhibit at the Tremont Theater on Monday, April 1, 2002. According to NEJA president Brent Banulis, there was a jazz program for children as well as an evening concert series throughout April. The first week included the Herb Pomeroy Quartet, a tribute to Gonsalves by Andy McGhee, and a Sonny Stitt tribute featuring saxophonists Dick Johnson and Greg Abate. The exhibit included writings by Nat Hentoff, Eric Nisenson, Ernie Santosuosso, Tom Reney, Bob Blumenthal and others, and photography by Jack Bradley, Nick Puopolo, Ken Franckling, Ruth Williams, Vinnie Haynes, Tom Curry and others.

NEJA and the International Society also presented a concert at the Tremont on Monday, Jan. 21 featuring Victor Mendoza’s Latin jazz quintet. Trombonist Tony Lada followed with his quartet on Monday, Feb. 18. The Boston Jazz Repertory Orchestra also continued its series at the Tremont with a Duke Ellington program on Monday, Feb. 11.

The music at Monday night’s Hall of Fame celebration included "Saxophazz" led by Harold "Bunky" Emerson, the Al Vega Trio, and pianist Chris Taylor, bassist Dave Zox, drummer Bobby Ward, trumpeter Mark Greel, and jazz vocalists Mae Arnette, Mabel Robinson Sims, Karin Parker, Eula Lawrence, Lisa Yves and Fulani Haynes.

Structure and Rules for New England Jazz Hall of Fame Voting

The criteria for making the selections was strictly up to the voters, but the nominees list included only deceased artists who were born in New England, relocated to the region, or spent a significant part of their lives here.

Each of the 172 invited voters could cast a total of 20 votes, distributed in any manner, but with a maximum of 10 votes for any one nominee. (For example: Those who felt very strongly about two of the nominees might have cast all 20 of their votes for them, 10 votes each.) The top 10 vote-getters were to be inducted.

Each ballot contained space for voters to suggest additions to next Hall of Fame voting list.

The great majority of Hall of Fame voters were not members of the New England Jazz Alliance, but all were invited to join for the usual membership fees.

The first 10 inductees were announced December 17, 2001.

The first table lists all musicians nominated to the Hall in 2001, and the second lists the Hall voters.

Hall of Fame Nominees in 2001

Irving AshbyBobby HackettDan Nolan
Tommy BallMal HallettRay Perry
Phil (Edmonds) BarbozaJohnny HodgesNat Pierce
John Benson BrooksMajor HolleyJohnny (Pompao) Rae
Jaki ByardClifford JarvisShorty Rogers
Harry CarneyHilton JeffersonSal Salvador
Serge ChaloffJabbo JenkinsPreston Sandy Sandiford
Bill ChaseLennie JohnsonGladstone Scott
Dave ChestnutEddie JonesWalter Sisco
Tasker CrossenMax KaminskySonny Stitt
Wendell CulleyArthur Artie KarleJames Buster Tolliver
Alan DawsonTeddi KingErnie Trotman
Eddie DeasTeddy KotickStanley Trotman
Jimmy DerbaDic LaFaveSonny Truitt
Gene DiStasioDave LambertDick Twardzik
Bob DonaldsonGeorge LatimerJimmy Tyler
Carlton Blondey DonaldsonJack LawlorGeorge Tynes
Buzzy DrootinSabby LewisJoe Viola
Don FagerquistJimmy MartinBenny Waters
Jimmy FalzoneHal McIntyreFrances Wayne
Nick FatoolMakanda Ken McIntyreEvelyn White
Paul GonsalvesJimmy MosherMilt Gump Whitman
Joe GordonBoots MussulliTony Williams
Arthur Brad GowansJohn NevesGordon Wohley
Conrad GozzoFrankie Newton Jimmy Zitano
Jerry (Graziano) Gray

Voters Casting Ballots in 2001

Greg AbateTom EverettEric Nisenson
Forrest AdamsRich FalcoRod Nordell
Tony AgnostinelliHarry FerruoloStretch Norton
Nancy AlimanskyKen FrancklingChuck Obuchowski
Ezra (Speed) AndersonRon GillKarin Parker
Margie AndersonJimmy GiuffreRebecca Parris
Frank AndradeEmil HaddadTed Pease
Bobb AngelFrank HaighDon Pendleton
Mae ArnetteRick HammettBey Perry
Carl AtkinsJake HannaPhil Person
Andy BaerGeorge HarganBruce Peters
Craig BallCharlie HarrisCathy Pierce
Ray BarronMark HarveyMark Pinto
Artie BarsamianVinnie HaynesHerb Pomeroy
Ted BelastockNeal HeftiBob Porter
Bill BerryNat HentoffJoel Press
Bill BeuttlerCalvin HicksRitchee Price
Bob BlumenthalGreg HopkinsNick Puopolo
Fred BouchardJoe HostetterJoe Riddick
Jack BradleyAndy JaffeSam Rivers
Ruby BraffDick JohnsonMabel Robinson
Ed BrideBill (Sonny) JonesPaul Roy
Paul BroadnaxAl JulianBill Russo
Leonard BrownMickey JulianErnie Santosuosso
Whit BrowneLloyd KaplanSteve Schwartz
Dave BrubeckEd KeaneMaggie Scott
Bill BuchananLloyd KingJack Senier
Fred BudaDaniel P. KochakianHorace Silver
Ralph BurnsArnie KrakowskiDorothy Sloan
Gary BurtonTony LadaCarol Sloane
Jim CalogeroCharlie LakeDaniel Ian Smith
Nick CapezutoDave LandoniLennie Sogoloff
Frankie CappJohn LaPortaJ.O. Spaak
Paul CardozaEula LawrenceJackie Stevens
Pete CarrollHarold LayneJeff Stout
Ted CasherMelvin LevineDon Stratton
Tony CennamoEddie LoganJan Strickland
Dave ChapmanEverett LongstrethMike Turk
Steve CharbonneauEmilio LyonsStu Vandermark
Alan ChaseRon MahdiAl Vega
Joe CiavardoniCharlie MarianoSteve Voce
John L. ClarkSteve MarvinElynor L. Walcott
Lou ColumboAndy McGheeBurt Walker
Paul CombsDave McKennaCurtis Warner
Leo CurranDick MeldonianSalim Washington
Tom CurryLeon MerianSonny Watson
Mike CuscunaEd MitchellGeorge Wein
Ron Della ChiesaShawnn MonteiroKen Wenzel
Leo dEntremontGeorge MorteEd Williams
Eddie DeraedtPaul MotianFred Williams
John DoughertyDick NashJames Williams
Bob DrinkwaterTed NashRuth Williams
Dean EarlAlbert NataleChet Williamson
Jerry EdwardsJimmy NeilPhil Wilson
Harold EmersonJen Karpin NemeyerJack Woker
Liz EnglishChris NevilleMarshall Wood
Marce EnrightFrank Nicastro John Worsley
Bob Eshback