Los Angeles Jazz Society Honors Veteran Pianist
Veteran pianist Gerald Wiggins is the winner of the sixth Annual Tribute Award given each year by the Los Angeles Jazz Society to an outstanding local musician.
Wiggins rose to fame as accompanist for Lena Horne, Kay Starr, Helen Humes and dozens of other singers, in addition to playing with his own groups and with Sweets Edison, Teddy Edwards and many other local bands.
Wiggins’ award was announced Monday at a meeting of the Jazz Society in Hollywood. Other winners this year include Clare Fischer as composer/arranger and Dick Grove as outstanding jazz educator. Eric Reed, 18, a student at Cal State Northridge, won the annual Shelly Manne Memorial Award as the outstanding new talent of the year.
Times jazz critic Leonard Feather is the winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
The winners will be present at a ceremony and concert, organized by the society and open to the public, Sept. 11 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
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