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Continuing its mission to honor “jazz and blues … one musician at a time,” the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) celebrated the legacies of longtime industry executive Clarence Avant, tenor saxophonist Charles Lloyd and pianist-producer-composer Dave Grusin at its annual fundraiser on June 25. The combination dinner, live auction and concert was held at Los Angeles club Vibrato Grill Jazz.

JFA board member Dr. Daveed Frazier kicked off the evening, welcoming an audience that included Bill Withers’ widow Marcia Withers, veteran label executive/manager Phil Quartaro, music supervisor Joel Sill, film composer Richard Baskin, music producer Gregg Field, singer-songwriter Eric Benét and Vibrato Grill Jazz manager Eden Alpert, daughter of its founder and music legend Herb Alpert. After the dinner service, JFA executive director Joe Petrucelli opened the live auction, which saw guests bidding on items such as original art by artist/architect Jim Watt. His pieces were painted in real time in tandem with live music performed by jazz artists the Antoine Drye Quartet and Bill Frisell. The collaboration — launched as a means to benefit jazz musicians during the pandemic — is depicted in the 2021 film project 1000W.

Then it was time to salute JFA’s 2023 lifetime achievement honorees. As Petrucelli noted before the video and live music tributes got underway, “We’re celebrating three singular forces in music. Their collective influence extends across the entire music industry and cultural landscape.”

Avant, aka The Black Godfather, was lauded in his video clip for being a ‘genius at connecting people and forging deals.” Among those deals: Avant signing a yet-unknown Bill Withers to his label, Sussex Records. Kori Withers, the late singer-songwriters daughter delivered an elegant take on two of her father’s classics — “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Grandma’s Hands” — accompanied by a band that included Ray Parker Jr., Dean Parks, Patrice Rushen, Steve Jordan and Alex Al. Accepting the award on Avant’s behalf was Jimmy Jam, one-half of the Grammy-winning songwriting-production duo Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis.

Said Jam of his and Lewis’ longtime relationship with Avant, “He’s truly been a mentor and godfather; there would be no Jam & Lewis if it wasn’t for Clarence. To this day, he continues to teach us.” Jam then brought Marcia Withers onstage. “I’m a cheerleader for Clarence, who deserves every accolade,” she said. “He recognized my husband’s talent when other record labels had turned him down.” 

In paying tribute to Lloyd’s unparalleled versatility, John Densmore noted that the tenor sax guru had recorded with Densmore’s group The Doors. Densmore then brought acclaimed saxophonist/composer Joshua Redmond onstage. With accompaniment from Rushen, Jordan and Al, Redmond delivered a riveting performance of Lloyd’s “Sax/Drums Duet” and “Forest Flower” followed by “Defiant,” which also featured musicians Dean Parks and Greg Leisz.

In addressing why he, a singer-songwriter, was presenting Lloyd’s award, rock icon Jackson Browne said, “I’m of a generation that grew up with jazz being performed at clubs like the Fillmore and at festivals … It’s been an honor and great gift to hear your music for all of these years.” Calling the award “a very touching and great honor,” Lloyd noted to audience laughter, “I never got good enough to quit. But I love music so much; it can change the world. And I believe in that.”

Rushen, Michael Bearden, David Paich and Jeff Babko were the featured keyboardists who performed a medley saluting Oscar- and 10-time Grammy winner Dave Grusin’s expansive career that includes scoring for film (The Graduate, On Golden Pond, Tootsie) and TV (The Wild Wild West, Good Times) in addition to recording solo albums and co-founding legendary label GRP Records. Guitarist Lee Ritenour, a frequent Grusin collaborator, also performed music from another Grusin-scored film, Three Days of the Condor, with musicians John Beasley, Tom Scott, Melvin Lee Davis and Wesley Ritenour. 

Capping the Grusin tribute was a surprise performance by the man himself. Calling the evening “such a gas” for getting the chance to see “old friends from all the years of trying to do this stuff,” a spry and humorous Grusin (“I better do this now before I totally drop off to sleep”) sat at the piano and beautifully played two of his songs, including the Oscar-nominated hit from the Tootsie soundtrack “It Might Be You,” whose lyrics were co-written by Alan Bergman and his late wife Marilyn. Bergman was also on hand to present Grusin’s award. 

In his emotional remarks about his friend and collaborator, Bergman said, “There are some people in life who transcend the friend category and become family. Not only is Dave an inspiring melody writer, he’s an intelligent and discerning [writing] partner; a unique man. The moment he puts his hands on the keys, you know it’s Grusin.”