Every year, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation awards Fellowships to 20 to 30 individuals in the arts and sciences. These so-called "Genius Grants" take the form of five years of quartetly, unrestricted cash payments totaling $500,000. I've personally known one (well-deserved) musician recipient and can attest that it made a tremendous difference in his ability to pursue his art, and he put it to very, very good use.

I was delighted to hear this afternoon to two quite different jazz musicans are recipients this year, violinist Regina Carter and often forum favorite John Zorn.

Both are, I think, worthy recipients of this remarkable honor and I look forward to how they will use it to further their work.

Now Playing: "Saving Grace" Tom Petty Highway Companion <-- I don't believe any rockers have received one yet, it's probably long past time they started awarding a few to that end of the musical spectrum!

A hearty congrats to Regina Carter; the award is well deserved. But giving a "Genius Award" to a clown like John Zorn leaves me scratching my head. I hope Zorn uses his new-found largesse to hire a competent saxophone teacher so he finally learns how to play.

Heh, no matter how far we range in opposite directions on this music, CfA, I love the fact that we meet in the middle.

Ironically, when interviewed about her grant by NPR, Carter said the first thing she was considering was going back to school!

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