Left to right: Archie Shepp (photo by Monette Berthommier), Gary Burton (photo by Bill Gallery), Wendy Oxenhorn (photo by Francesco Pini), and Pharoah Sanders (photo by Quentin Leboucher).
The National Endowment for the Arts will honor the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters at a tribute concert, held in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, on Monday, April 4, 2016 at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington, DC. Taking place during Jazz Appreciation Month, the concert will honor four individuals whose creativity, passion, and hard work have contributed to the continuing vibrancy of jazz.
Part of the NEA’s 50th anniversary celebrations, this concert will feature world-renowned and emerging musicians performing in honor of the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters, recipients of our nation's highest honor in jazz. The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters tribute concert will also be streamed live and broadcast on SiriusXM. While in Washington, DC, the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters also will participate in a listening party at NPR’s headquarters on Sunday, April 3, and a master class at Duke Ellington School of the Arts on Tuesday, April 5. More details about all of the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters events are below.
The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters are:
- Gary Burton—Vibraphonist, Bandleader, Educator
- Wendy Oxenhorn*—Musicians’ Advocate
- Pharoah Sanders—Saxophonist, Composer
- Archie Shepp—Saxophonist, Composer, Educator
* Wendy Oxenhorn is the recipient of the 2016 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy, which is bestowed upon an individual who has contributed significantly to the appreciation, knowledge, and advancement of the art form of jazz.
NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert—April 4
The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters tribute concert will take place on Monday, April 4 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall at 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20566. It will be hosted by Jason Moran, pianist and Kennedy Center artistic director for Jazz, and include remarks by Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center; as well as the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters. The concert will feature performances by NEA Jazz Masters Randy Weston and Jimmy Heath, as well as Ambrose Akinmusire, Lakecia Benjamin, Stefon Harris, Justin Kauflin, Rudresh Mahanthappa, Jason Moran, Linda Oh, and Roswell Rudd. Additional performers will be announced at a later date.
Live concert webcast
The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters tribute concert will be video-streamed live at arts.gov, Kennedy-Center.org, and NPR.org/Music. An archive of the webcast will be available following the event.
NPR Listening Party with 2016 NEA Jazz Masters—April 3
On Sunday, April 3, at 2:00 p.m. NPR will host a listening party in honor of the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters at their headquarters at 1111 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC, 20002. Hosted by Jason Moran, this event will include conversation with the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters, using music from their careers to tell the story of their lives. The 2016 NEA Jazz Masters will be joined by other musicians whose lives they have influenced. This event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. Reserve your tickets here. Media who wish to attend this event should contact Hugo Rojo with NPR at mediarelations@npr.org
While this great moment arrives we invite you to enjoy the following video, where duo Gary Burton and Makoto Ozone for 2002 were presented at Montreux Jazz Fest playing the "Afro Blue":¡¡Amor y Jazz!!
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