In addition to the musicians who play it, live jazz depends on many people to thrive in a community. Every year the Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) celebrates individuals from across the United States (and this for a first, London) as “Jazz Heros” in launching their annual Jazz Awards season during Jazz Appreciation Month and, climaxing on International Jazz Day (April 30). Yesterday, the JJA announced the 2026 Jazz Heroes. One of the 34 individuals from 32 cities the JJA is recognizing this year is our own Derrick Lucas, Music Director at WGMC Jazz 90.1, a constant denizen of “Jazz Street” during the Rochester International Jazz Festival and promoter of jazz throughout the Rochester community!
I’ll let you read the JJA’s full post about Derrick, but anyone familiar with the jazz scene in Rochester knows that he is tireless in using jazz to help build a diverse community around the music and its appreciation. I hope to be presenting the award on behalf of the JJA this coming Tuesday night during WGMC’s Jazz at the Beach concert with the Rick Holland Big Band at Tropic Night Club in Charlotte.
Welcome to the “club” of JJA Jazz Heroes, Derrick! You really deserve it and I’m already seeing a chorus of others voicing their approval of the JJA award and your service to jazz in this community!
The Jazz Journalists Association is an international membership organization of traditional and new media professionals covering jazz. Since 2001, it has identified and hailed individuals who go beyond their basic professional responsibilities to sustain and expand on musical activities in their local circumstances and beyond. .
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