The Palladium Jazz Awards: Celebrating Herb, Kitty, & Majid

The Palladium All-Star group jams in the finale of the awards show with a tribute photo of bassist Billy Pillucere being projected

The Palladium in downtown St Petersburg is the quintessential venue for all things jazz, my favorite music form.  Saturday night they hosted the Jazz Awards celebrating photographer Herb Snitzer, pianist Kitty Daniels, and drummer Majid Shabazz.  They were joined by an all-star cast of jazz greats including James Suggs on trumpet, LaRue Nicholson on guitar, Valerie Gillespie, David Pate, and Jack Wilkins on sax, along with big-time names like vocalist Belinda Womack, bassist John Lamb and organist Shawn Brown. The entire group were all backed by the rhythm of La Lucha, John O’Leary on piano, Alejandra Arenas is on base, and Mark Feinman on drums.

John Lamb, bass, and Belinda Womak grace the audience with a soul filled duet.

Sitting in the audience one could sense being in the company of greatness. The refined artistry was profound. There is no Auto-Tune here, no backing tracks or looping machines. There is just the real, honed from years of practice and playing and grinding and performing that cannot be imitated. 

Shawn Brown brings his sweet Hammond organ and decades of talent to the Palladium Theater for the celebration

One of the nights honorees, Majid Shabazz, plays the drums to back up vocalist Kitty Daniels

For example, legendary bassist Jon Lamb and bass player for La Lucha Alejandro Arenas played a tribute of Amazing Grace to the late Billy Pillucere. Just two stand up basses playing one note at a time, letting two perfectly placed tones caress one another as they reach their listeners ears. The silence in the crowded auditorium told as much of a story as the simple yet refined phrasing of the music. It was indeed one of those had-to-be-there moments. I was so taken I couldn’t raise the camera to get a shot. Whew!

Kitty Daniels, who has collaborated with greats like Etta James, B.B. King, and Dizzie Gillespie, performs while being honored as one of the recipients of the nights honors

Speaking of greatness, one of my photographic heroes was honored at the ceremony. Herb Snitzer has received much acclaim for his images of jazz players in the 1950’s and 60’s including shots of Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong. His images have graced magazine covers, books and have been celebrated throughout the jazz world. Snitzer is now a full-time St Pete resident.

Photographer Herb Snitzer receives a Palladium Jazz Award from Paul Wilborn, Executive Director for The Palladium, for his work in the genre. He is accompanied on stage by his daughter and former USF All Night Jazz host Bob Seymour

My take? There’s just not enough support for jazz in the area. What a fantastic sampling of talent and groove. I just wish more people would tune in and listen. There’s so much talent and so much room for more! Keep an eye on The Palladium. It is the perfect venue for jazz. It is acoustically tight and large enough to host a sizable audience yet still feel intimate. There is an entire season of jazz being played there. And, in this day of no cameras allowed, they still permit photography (thank you)!