ARSC Election 2015
Candidate Biographies and Vision Statements
Blue Ribbon Awards Committee
Judges-at-Large
CARY GINELL
Biographical Note
Cary is a music historian, discographer, and author of eight books on American music. He is a five-time winner of the
ARSC Award for Excellence; a Grammy nominee, and recipient of the ASCAP/Deems Taylor Award. Aside from
earning these wall-hangers, he works as a publishing administrator for Megatrax Production Music. In what little
spare time has, Cary plays flute and directs the Sedalia Ragtime Orchestra, and gives talks on jazz aboard riverboats
for American Cruise Lines. In addition to co-owning the Origin Jazz Library record label, he has written liner notes for
many other record labels since 1980, and was a contributing writer for the Country Music Hall of Fame’s
Encyclopedia of Country Music. His latest book is The Evolution of Mann, a biography of jazz flutist, Herbie Mann. An
ARSC member since 2002, Cary has just completed two years as ARSC’s 2nd Vice President/Program Chair, for the
annual ARSC Conference.
Vision Statement
Traditionally, ARSC has been an organization that has been valuable in bringing together collectors, both private as
well as institutional, for the common cause of preserving recorded sounds from past generations. What it hasn’t
been able to do yet is provide assistance and resources to help collectors not only preserve these sounds for future
generations, but to ensure that facilities will be available to house them. Last year’s “What Do I Do with My Stuff?”
session at the 2014 Conference helped address some of the questions regarding the fate of potentially orphaned
collections. It is my hope that the conversation begun last year will result in ARSC helping establish the means by
which collectors will have viable options available to them so that their carefully accumulated research doesn’t get
scattered to the winds, or worse, destroyed, because of lack of interest in them as a whole.
EDWARD KOMARA
Biographical Note
Edward has reviewed books and sound recordings for the ARSC Journal since spring 2002. He holds degrees from the
State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo (MLS, Library Science, 1991; MA, Music History, 1992); St. John’s
College, Annapolis (Liberal Arts, 1988). Since 2001, he has been the Crane (Music) Librarian at SUNY Potsdam;
previously, he was Blues Archivist and Music Librarian at the University of Mississippi. He has received honors from
ARSC, Music Library Association, and the Blues Foundation (Memphis). Among his publications about blues and jazz
are: 100 Books Every Blues Fan Should Own (with Greg Johnson, 2013); The Road to Robert Johnson (2007); the 2
volume Routledge Encyclopedia of the Blues (2006); The Dial Recordings of Charlie Parker (1998); Chasin’ That Devil
(with Gayle Wardlow, 1998).
Vision Statement
The chief service that the ARSC Awards provides is its recognition of permanent merit in books and discographies
that the other professional scholarly music associations tend to ignore or take for granted. The efforts I have put
into my own publications have helped me recognize what is good and, on the other hand, what is less deserving of
attention. The present election will be towards my second two-year term of what has been for me, pleasurable
service.
RICH MARKOW
Biographical Note
According to Rich’s parents, he received a phonograph and records for his 1st birthday, and quickly learned to pick
records by hooking at label colors, markings, and groove areas. He started collecting 78’s at the age of 9, upon
visiting the Musical Museum in Deansboro, N.Y. He saved his allowance and did chores, buying his first cylinder
machine at age 11($20! with horn and records!) Active in home town local radio, and university station radio
programs, he attended Northwestern University, majoring in theatre and minoring in broadcasting; graduating with
a BS in Communication (1970).Worked full time as entertainer from 1970-1977 (Rich Markow and the Living Cartoon
Orchestra),.among other groups. Rich worked in record retail for 10 years, becoming independent label buyer and
assistant manager for large branch of Rose Records. Had weekly program on WBEZ, Chicago Public Radio for 4 years;
also produced concert broadcasts and series, one of which was aired on NPR. He performed often on WFMT.
Kidnapped by Mike Biel, he joined ARSC around 1978. Moved to New York in 1991, and worked in sales and
marketing for DC Comics division of Time Warner. Regularly played washboard and sang with Stanley’s Washboard
Kings (traditional jazz). Now live in San Antonio, where I’m the manager of the San Antonio Breast Cancer
Symposium. I continue to play music occasionally. I collect primarily out of curiosity; my interests are eclectic
including popular and classical vocal music genres. I’m intrigued by evolution of performing practices and styles, as
well as the interaction of aesthetics, technologies and business practices. Other interests are history of film, comic
strips, and animation. I view my collection, both print and recordings, as an active resource for musicians, film and
theatre producers and performers; indeed, anyone interested in learning.
Vision Statement
The ARSC Awards should encourage research and dissemination of knowledge on an international level by
rewarding the accomplishments of not only established professionals, but also up and coming “amateurs”. In all
cases, rigorous attention to accuracy, discipline, clarity and good writing is essential.
DICK SPOTTSWOOD
Biographical Note
Dick holds outdated degrees from the University of Maryland (BA, 1960), and Catholic University (MA Library
Science, 1962). He has been writing about music and producing records since 1963. See:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_K._Spottswood. He’s a contributing editor at Bluegrass Unlimited, and producer/host
of the Dick Spottswood Show (aka the Obsolete Music Hour) at WAMU’s Blue Grass Country, 105.5 FM in
Washington, DC, and streaming elsewhere at www.bluegrasscountry.org. To its host’s astonishment, the radio show
will celebrate its first thirty years in July. Dick is a founding member of ARSC and has been on the Awards Committee
since its inception.
Vision Statement
After almost fifty years, ARSC must be doing something right, or it wouldn’t have grown and prospered. Advances on
the education and preservation fronts; active promoting of appreciation for, and access to, historic national sound
recordings, tell us we’ve become an organization of conscience and consequence. Though we’ve come a long way
since 1967, sound recordings still don’t command the cultural prestige that print and film enjoy. The need to
preserve, celebrate and disseminate historic recordings will depend on more than YouTube. To the extent that
corporate entitlement claims continue to dictate public policy and limit access to out of print sound recordings,
there’s still major work for ARSC to do.