6th March 2012: Whirlwind Artists on a Roll!!– Michael Janisch named a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition with 2 original compositions

We’re having a great week here at WWR.  Founder and WWR recording artist Michael Janisch has just received news that not one, but two of his compositions  have been selected as a finalist in this years International Songwriters Competition.  Finalists were chosen from over 16,000 entrants in one of the most competitive years to date musically for ISC, and Michael is the only artist in this years ISC Jazz category to be nominated for two compositions.  Other prominent musicians in this years’ jazz final include the much talked about Gregory Porter and UK pianist Zoe Rahman.

All finalists’ songs get sent to the ISC celebrity judges (McCoy Tyner will be among the jazz judges!!) who then select the winners. The winners will be announced in late April or early May as soon as the results are in. All results will also be posted on the ISC website.  The grand prize is 25,000 US Dollars and there are significant prizes for those who win first place in their own genre category.

You can view Michael in the jazz list, and all the finalists by going to www.songwritingcompetition.com/winners

The two compositions that were nominated by Janisch were ‘Pukl-n-Pappo’ and ‘Shumshi’ from his debut album ‘Purpose Built,’ which was our inaugural release at WWR in 2010 and an album that firmly established Janisch as one of the premier bassist/bandleader/composers of his generation.    Pukl-n-Pappo is a rhythmically and harmonically dense composition that features a labyrinth of angsty harmonies with an angular melody full of dips and spikes, and features the precision trumpet playing of Jason Palmer, Mike Moreno on guitar, Johnathan Blake on drums, and Janisch on acoustic bass.   Here’s a you tube clip of the song and the artist who provides the drawing animation is Alban Low, who submitted this to us after he drew the animations in London’s famous Kew Gardens.

And by clicking HERE you can stream ‘Shumshi’ from ‘Purpose Built’  for free, which features the one and only Walter Smith III on tenor saxophone who takes the listener on an epic journey during his featured improvisation, along with vibraphonist Jim Hart, drummer Johnathan Blake, and Janisch on bass.  This composition was influenced by one of Janisch’s all time musical heroes, the great Charles Mingus.

The people’s Voice for the ISC awards are now open for voting.  If you use Facebook, and want to vote in the People’s Voice portion of the competition.  Click HERE and then follow the instructions for voting.  To vote for Janisch’s compositions, please scroll down to the Jazz category and submit your vote.  Happy Voting again! 🙂

For those of you wondering:

What is the International Songwriting Competition?

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual songwriting and music contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels, and promote excellence in the art of songwriting.   ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting contests and music contests in the world, offering exposure and the opportunity to have your songs heard by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry and give away over 150,000 dollars worth of awards each year.