Every year the Jazz Journalists Association recognizes two dozen individuals who have made a lifetime contribution to the support and continuation of jazz in their particular sphere of influence, whether as presenters, music educators, and providers of financial, logistical, media, and moral support. These “Jazz Heroes” will be honored during Jazz Appreciation Month, during which time JJA acknowledges significant achievements in jazz music and journalism.
Lew Shaw warrants inclusion in the pantheon of Jazz Heroes. His journalistic efforts on behalf of the furtherance of jazz have been nothing less than heroic over the past several decades.
Lew is a native of Springfield, MA, a World War Two Navy veteran, and a graduate of Brown University. In his long professional career, he has worked as a sportswriter, an editor of a weekly newspaper, and a public relations and advertising specialist.
In the world of jazz, Lew was first a publicist for the Berkshire Music Barn in Lenox, MA. Since moving to Arizona, he has written for The West Coast Rag (1989-1995), The American Rag (1995-2015), and his work has graced the pages of The Syncopated Times since our first issue in February 2016.
Lew is very much a force in the local jazz community, acting from his home base in Scottsdale, AZ. He is a co-founder of the Arizona Classic Jazz Society, a director of the Arizona Classic Jazz Festival, past president of the International Association of Dixieland Festivals, and director/past president of the American Federation of Jazz Societies.
Lew Shaw is still working indefatigably at age 90 for the promotion and betterment of jazz. Nominations for the 2017 awards are open, and should be submitted via email: jazzawards@jazzjournalists.org.
This campaign was successful and Lew did receive his Jazz Hero recognition. Read about it here: Lew Shaw Named 2017 JJA Jazz Hero
