2010 Best Jazz Performer
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40.29% Todd Harrold Band
Others with Votes (more than one):
* On the ballot
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It was a bittersweet occasion for Todd Harrold, who this year received his sixth Whammy Award for the Best Jazz Performer. "I am happy to have won, but really the award this year should have gone to George Ogg. After all the music and commitment he's given to this community, he deserves to have won this year." George Ogg, a Fort Wayne jazz legend, recently passed away, leaving behind a legacy of versatile guitar playing, musicianship and mentoring. "Life happens," said Harrold, who could not be at the award ceremony due to an illness in the family. Speaking to him about the loss of Ogg and the obstacles the music industry creates for artists trying to live out their ambitions was a little like taking a page from the Tao Te Ching: "I still get angry and discouraged sometimes, but we have to focus on the things that are more positive." Maybe that's what makes Harrold's playing so great. He's a balanced person who is always looking for inspiration, not only in music, but through life. "I have my family and baseball ... and as long as I get [inspiration], I don't care where it comes from. I can then use that to inspire my bandmates and really entertain people ... which is really the job ... passing [inspiration] on." Fort Wayne is blessed to have a musician like Harrold in its midst. Bandleader, host of the Burnt Toast Radio Show, teacher of 38 students and father of a two-year-old musician, Harrold, in honor of the legacy of musicians like George Ogg, continues to pass the inspiration on. (Fernando Tarango) |
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