the 2018 nea jazz masters - arts.gov hall monday evening, april 16, 2018, at 8:00 the kennedy center...

CONCERT HALL

Monday Evening, April 16, 2018, at 8:00

The Kennedy Center and the National Endowment for the Artspresent

The 2018 NEA Jazz MastersTribute ConcertHonoring the 2018 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters

TODD BARKAN JOANNE BRACKEENPAT METHENYDIANNE REEVES

Jason Moran is the Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz.

This performance will be livestreamed online, and will be broadcaston Sirius XM Satellite Radio and WPFW 89.3 FM.

Patrons are requested to turn off cell phones and other electronic devices during performances.

The taking of photographs and the use of recording equipment are not allowed in this auditorium.

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing ArtsDAVID M. RUBENSTEIN, Chairman

DEBoRAh F. RUTTER, President

4-16 JAZZ NEA Jazz.qxp_WPAS 4/6/18 10:33 AM

THE 2018 NEA JAZZ MASTERS

TRIBUTE CONCERTHosted byJASON MORAN, Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz

With remarks fromJANE CHU, Chairman of the National Endowment for the ArtsDEBORAH F. RUTTER, President of the John F. Kennedy Center for thePerforming ArtsThe 2018 NEA JAzz MASTERS

Performances by NEA Jazz Master Eddie Palmieri and the Eddie Palmieri Sextet John Benitez Camilo Molina-Gaetán Jonathan Powell Ivan Renta Vicente “Little Johnny” RiveroTerri Lyne CarringtonNir FelderSullivan FortnerJames FranciesPasquale GrassoGilad HekselmanAngélique KidjoChristian McBrideCamila MezaCécile McLorin SalvantAntonio SanchezHelen SungDan Wilson


Muhal Richard AbramsJamey AebersoldToshiko AkiyoshiMose AllisonGeorge AvakianDavid Baker Todd Barkan Danny BarkerRay BarrettoKenny BarronCount Basie Louie Bellson Tony BennettGeorge BensonArt BlakeyCarla BleyJoanne BrackeenAnthony BraxtonDee Dee BridgewaterBob BrookmeyerCleo BrownRay BrownDave BrubeckKenny BurrellGary BurtonDonald ByrdCandido Camero Benny Carter Betty CarterRon CarterKenneth ClarkeBuck ClaytonJimmy CobbGeorge ColemanOrnette ColemanChick CoreaMiles Davis Richard DavisBuddy DeFrancoJack DeJohnetteLou DonaldsonDorothy DoneganPaquito D’RiveraHarry “Sweets” Edison Roy EldridgeGil EvansArt FarmerElla FitzgeraldTommy Flanagan Frank FosterVon FreemanCurtis FullerDizzy Gillespie

Ira GitlerBenny GolsonDexter GordonLorraine GordonCharlie HadenJim Hall Chico HamiltonLionel HamptonSlide HamptonHerbie Hancock Barry HarrisRoy Haynes Jimmy HeathPercy Heath Joe HendersonLuther HendersonJon HendricksNat HentoffBilly HigginsAndrew HillMilt HintonDave HollandBill Holman Shirley HornFreddie HubbardBobby Hutcherson Dick HymanMilt JacksonAhmad JamalKeith JarrettJ.J. JohnsonElvin JonesHank JonesJonathan “Jo” JonesQuincy Jones Sheila JordanOrrin Keepnews Andy KirkLee KonitzHubert LawsYusef Lateef John Levy John Lewis Ramsey Lewis David LiebmanAbbey Lincoln Melba ListonCharles LloydJohnny Mandel The Marsalis Family

(Ellis Jr., Wynton, Delfeayo, Jason, Branford)

Tom McIntosh Jackie McLean Marian McPartlandCarmen McRaeJay McShannPat MethenyJames MoodyDan MorgensternAnita O’Day Jimmy OwensWendy OxenhornEddie PalmieriSun RaDianne ReevesMax RoachSonny RollinsAnnie RossGeorge RussellPharoah SandersGunther SchullerJimmy ScottJoe SegalArtie ShawArchie SheppWayne ShorterHorace SilverJimmy SmithDr. Lonnie SmithBilly TaylorCecil TaylorClark TerryToots ThielemansMcCoy TynerRudy Van Gelder Sarah VaughanCedar WaltonGeorge WeinFrank WessRandy WestonJoe WilderJoe WilliamsGerald WilsonNancy WilsonTeddy WilsonPhil WoodsSnooky Young

NEA JAZZ MASTERS 1982–2018


Jazz impresario ToddBarkan’s name is inextri-cably associated with oneof the nation’s legendaryjazz clubs: the KeystoneKorner, a San Franciscovenue he had opened in1972 and then managedfor more than a decade.

While that alone would make him a significantfigure in the jazz world, he also worked as arecord producer, for labels such asFantasy/Milestone, Concord, 32 Records,and HighNote. His love of jazz, respect for themusic and its practitioners, and knack forcurating exciting live performances served himwell in his subsequent capacity at Jazz atLincoln Center.

Barkan was born in Nebraska, but was raisedand educated in Columbus, Ohio, where hedeveloped an interest in jazz as a teenager. Hetook piano lessons from David Wheeler andDon Patterson, planning on a career in jazz.He also became friends with jazz legendRahsaan Roland Kirk, whom Barkan consid-ered his musical mentor.

Barkan first started producing jazz concerts in1964 while attending Oberlin College in Ohio.By 1968 he had relocated to San Francisco,working by day as a customs broker and bynight as pianist for the Latin jazz band Kwane& The Kwan-Ditos. An inquiry to perform atthe bar and live-music venue Keystone Kornerproved life-changing as Barkan ended upbuying the place and turning it into whatpianist Mary Lou Williams once hailed as “theBirdland of the 70s.” During that time, Barkanpresented artists and produced dozens ofhighly acclaimed live recordings at his club. Inaddition he worked as a booking agent, set-ting up West Coast tours for jazz legends ArtBlakey, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, McCoyTyner, and Phil Woods, among others.

Following the club’s closure in 1983, Barkanrelocated to New York City to work as arecord producer for labels in the U.S. andJapan. During 1985–1990, he was the man-ager of the Boys Choir of Harlem, setting up aprogram that showcased jazz musicians as

guest soloists with the choir. In 2001 Barkanwas hired as Jazz at Lincoln Center’s artisticadministrator by Wynton Marsalis. He stayedwith the organization for more than a decade,serving as programming director and emceefor its Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola venue from2004 to 2012.

In 2013 Barkan co-produced the KeystoneKorner Concert Series at the Iridium as well asWBGO’s jazz series at 54 Below, both clubs inNew York City. In 2014 he helped establish theSea of Jazz Festival in Pompano Beach,Florida. Barkan received a 2015 GrammyAward for Latin Jazz Album of the Year as co-producer of The Offense of the Drum byArturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin JazzOrchestra. To date Barkan has produced hun-dreds of recordings, including artists such asTommy Flanagan, Freddie Hubbard, BobbyHutcherson, Hank Jones, and Jimmy Scott.Barkan continues to work as a lecturer, recordproducer, and curator of live jazz events.

Whatever the musicalsetting—whether solo,duo, trio, quartet, orquintet—pianist JoanneBrackeen’s unique styleof playing commandsattention. In addition toher captivating and com-plex improvisations, she

has written intricate, rhythmically daringcompositions in a wide stylistic range. Sheis a full-time professor at Berklee College ofMusic in Boston, Massachusetts, and aBerklee guest professor at the New Schoolin New York City.

Brackeen was a child prodigy who at age11, learned to play the piano in six monthsby transcribing eight Frankie Carle solos.By 12 she was already performing profes-sionally. Some of her musical constituentsat the time were Art Farmer, DexterGordon, Charlie Haden, Billy Higgins,Bobby Hutcherson, Scott Lafaro, andCharles Lloyd. Simultaneously the LosAngeles Conservatory heard of her musi-cianship and offered her a full scholarship.She attended classes less than one week

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before deciding the bandstand was moresignificant.

Brackeen married and moved her family,including four children, to New York in 1965.She began her career there with such luminar-ies as George Benson, Paul Chambers, LeeKonitz, Sonny Stitt, and Woody Shaw amongothers. She joined Art Blakey’s JazzMessengers in 1969, becoming the first andonly female member of the group, staying until1972. Brackeen then performed extensivelywith Joe Henderson (1972–1975) and StanGetz (1975–1977). After leaving Getz’s quar-tet, she emerged as a leader.

Traveling and performing mainly with her ownband was a delightful and enriching experi-ence for both Brackeen and her band mem-bers, which included Terence Blanchard,Michael Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, JackDeJohnette, Eddie Gomez, Billy Hart, Horace“El Negro” Hernandez, Branford Marsalis,Cecil McBee, John Patitucci, Chris Potter, andGreg Osby. She has recorded more than twodozen recordings as a leader, which include100 of her 300 original compositions. Sheappears on nearly 100 additional recordings.

Sharing her musical knowledge and passingon the tradition have been important parts ofBrackeen’s career. In addition to teaching atBerklee College of Music and the NewSchool, she has led clinics, master classes,and artistic residencies worldwide.

Berklee College of Music has recognizedBrackeen with the following prestigious hon-ors: a Distinguished Professor Award, anOutstanding Achievement in EducationAward, and the Berklee Global Jazz Institute Award. Worldwide she received anOutstanding Educator Award from theInternational Association for Jazz Education,a Living Legend Award from the InternationalWomen in Jazz, and the BNY Mellon Jazz2014 Living Legacy Award. She also receivedtwo National Endowment for the Arts grantsfor commissions and performances andreceived a U.S. Department of State sponsor-ship for a tour of the Middle East and Europein the mid-1980s. She continues to teach and

tour internationally, and to date, she hasplayed in 46 different countries.

Pat Metheny reinventedthe traditional sound ofjazz guitar, bringing a freshsonic potential to theinstrument while offering adeep reservoir of improvi-sational insight and musi-cality. He is one of the fewartists who has achieved

crossover popularity—three of his recordingsachieving gold record status with more than20 million records sold worldwide—and criti-cal acclaim. While his music resists any easydescription, his compositions cover a widerange of settings, from modern jazz to rock tocountry to classical.

Metheny grew up in a musical family, startingon trumpet at the age of eight and switchingto guitar a few years later. By age 15 he wasmentored by and worked regularly with someof the best jazz musicians in Kansas City.Following his graduation from Lee’s SummitHigh School, Metheny very briefly attendedthe University of Miami in Coral Gables,Florida, but he was quickly offered a teachingposition instead. At age 18 he was theyoungest teacher ever at that university.

He then encountered jazz vibraphonist GaryBurton, who enticed him to teach at theBerklee College of Music—where Burton wasteaching as well—and join his band, whichMetheny did from 1974 to 1977. Metheny’s1975 debut album Bright Size Life introducedhis unique sound, reshaping how oneapproached jazz guitar for a new generation ofplayers and fans alike. Throughout his career,Metheny has been innovative in using emerg-ing technologies to expand the palette of hismusic. In addition to being on the cutting edgeof electronics, he has also developed acousticmechanical platforms in his Orchestrion proj-ects as well as a wide array of custom guitars,such as his 42-string Pikasso model.

Having recorded scores of albums under hisown name and as a sideman, Metheny per-formed with many diverse artists, such as

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David Bowie, Ornette Coleman, CharlieHaden, Jim Hall, Herbie Hancock, RoyHaynes, Milton Nacimiento, and Steve Reich.Metheny has also scored numerous moviesoundtracks—the best-known work beingThe Falcon and the Snowman, on which heworked with Bowie. Metheny’s body of workfor acoustic and electric instruments includescompositions for a wide range of performers,including solo guitar, small groups, largeorchestras, and ballet.

To date Metheny has won 20 GrammyAwards, being the only artist to have wonawards in ten different categories. He wasinducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in2013, joining the only other guitarists induct-ed: Wes Montgomery, Charlie Christian, andDjango Reinhardt. He received an honorarydoctorate from the Berklee College of Music in1996. He continues to record and tour in theUnited States and worldwide.

Dianne Reeves can effort-lessly sing in whatever styleshe wants with her far-reaching range, whether it is rhythm-and-blues,gospel, Latin, or pop. Butjazz always was—and con-tinues to be—her musicalfoundation.

Born in Detroit and raised in Denver,Colorado, Reeves became interested in musicas a result of her family’s rich musical atmos-phere and growing up in an era where musicalboundaries were less rigid than they are today.She was introduced to jazz through her uncleCharles Burrell, a classical and jazz bassist,who gave her lots of records including thoseby an early influence, Sarah Vaughan. Shebegan singing and playing piano at age 12under the mentorship of her choir teacherBennie Williams, and became a member ofher high school jazz band. Upon winning anational competition, the band traveled toChicago in 1973 to perform at the National

Association of Jazz Educators Conference,and she came to the attention of Clark Terry,who hired her to sing with him later that year.

In 1977 Reeves moved to Los Angeles to pur-sue a musical career. Founding members ofEarth, Wind & Fire and fellow Denverdenizens, Philip Bailey and Larry Dunn,coaxed Reeves to come to Los Angeleswhere she immediately found a great deal ofsession work waiting for her. She was featuredin the band Caldera with Eduardo del Barrio,co-founded the fusion group Night Flight withBilly Childs, and toured extensively with SergioMendes.

In 1981 she recorded her first album for PaloAlto Records. In 1983 Reeves moved to NewYork after she was invited to tour as the fea-tured principal voice with Harry Belafonte,who presented Reeves to the world. In 1987she was signed to Blue Note Records, where-upon she had her cousin, keyboard pioneerand jazz great George Duke, produce the firstof many of her albums.

Stretching across genres, she performed withChicago Symphony Orchestra under thebaton of Daniel Barenboim as well as with theBerlin Philharmonic conducted by Sir SimonRattle. She has also recorded and performedas featured soloist with Wynton Marsalis andthe Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. In 2002she became the first creative chair for jazz forthe Los Angeles Philharmonic—a positiondesigned to build the organization’s jazz pres-ence in the community in which it has greatlysucceeded. Reeves was also featured inGeorge Clooney’s acclaimed 2005 film GoodNight, and Good Luck, whose soundtrackprovided Reeves with the Grammy Award forBest Jazz Vocal Performance. Reeves haswon five Grammys to date, including theaward for Best Jazz Vocal Performance forthree consecutive recordings. She is the recip-ient of honorary doctorates from the BerkleeCollege of Music and the Juilliard School.

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Grammy Award–winningbassist John Benitez,born in Rio Piedras PuertoRico, started playinggospel music in church atthe age of 13. Already agifted musician, Benitezbegan his formal educa-tion at Escuela Libre de

Musica, followed by study at the University ofPuerto Rico and later the Puerto RicoConservatory of Music with master bassistFederico Silva.

By age 19 Benitez was the first-call bassist inSan Juan’s thriving jazz and Latin musicscenes. He performed with well-known artistssuch as Chick Corea, Lucecita Benitez,Batacumbele, Lalo Rodriguez, Cuco Peña,Roberto Roena, and Justo Betancourt,among others. In 1993 he moved to New Yorkand attended the City College of New Yorkwhere he studied with the legendary acousticbassist Ron Carter and later with the contrabass guitarist Anthony Jackson. Benitezlearned on the bandstand performing withsome of the finest jazz and Latin musiciansincluding Wynton Marsalis, Tito Puente,Michele Camilo, Dave Valentin, Eddie Palmieri,Bobby Watson, David Sanchez, Jeff “Tain”Watts, Roy Hargrove, Antonio Hart, DaniloPerez, Kenny Kirkland, Will Calhoun, VinnyValentino, Chucho Valdez, Don Pullen, DaveSamuels, and Mongo Santamaria, to namejust few.

As a sideman and a featured special guest,Benitez has performed in all of the major jazzfestivals and venues around the world includ-ing Turkey, Jordan (where he played for theroyal family), South America, Canada, Norway,Finland, and all over Europe.

Celebrating 40 years inmusic, three-time Gram-my Award–winning drum-mer/producer/composerTerri Lyne Carringtonstarted her professionalcareer in Massachusetts atten years old when she

became the youngest person to receive aunion card in Boston. After studying under fullscholarship at Berklee College of Music,Carrington moved to New York City in 1983with the encouragement of her mentor JackDeJohnette, and quickly started working withjazz greats Clark Terry, James Moody, LesterBowie, Pharoah Sanders, and Stan Getz. Inthe late 1980s she relocated to Los Angeleswhere she gained recognition on late night TVas the house drummer for both the ArsenioHall Show and Quincy Jones’s Vibe TV show,hosted by Sinbad.

In 1989 Carrington released a Grammy–nom-inated debut CD on Verve Forecast, Real LifeStory featuring Carlos Santana, WayneShorter, John Scofield, Patrice Rushen, andGrover Washington, Jr. Other solo albums ofnote include 2002’s Jazz is a Spirit, 2008’sMore To Say, 2011’s Grammy Award–winningThe Mosaic Project, and 2013’s homage toDuke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and MaxRoach—Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue,which also earned a Grammy Award, estab-lishing her as the first woman ever to win in theBest Jazz Instrumental Album category.

Carrington received an honorary doctoratefrom Berklee College of Music in 2003 andwas appointed professor at the college in2005, where she currently serves as zildjianChair in Performance, Berklee Global JazzInstitute. She is also Artistic Director for theBeantown Jazz Festival, Berklee SummerSessions: Women’s Performance Program,and is co-artistic director of The Carr Center,Detroit, Michigan.

To date Carrington has performed on morethan 100 recordings and has been a rolemodel and advocate for young women andmen internationally through her teaching andtouring careers. She has particularly had along-standing affiliation with jazz icons HerbieHancock and Wayne Shorter. Carrington’s lat-est releases are The Mosaic Project: LOVEand SOUL and Perfection, a co-led projectwith David Murray and Geri Allen. Her currentband Social Science, expects to release theirdebut album in fall 2018.

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Called “the next big jazzguitarist” by NPR, hailedby The New York Timesas a “whiz kid,” anddubbed “incredible” by theMontreal Gazette, NirFelder is a new voice injazz guitar. Growing upright outside New York

City, Felder spent his youth playing in rockbands while learning about jazz at the localrecord store, inspired by icons from JohnColtrane to voodoo-chill Jimi Hendrix. Afterattending Berklee College of Music on a fullscholarship, Felder moved to New York City in2006. He quickly became one of the city’smost highly sought after sideman, performingwith an eclectic group of luminaries in jazz andother genres including Diana Krall, BradMehldau, John Mayer, Chaka Khan, Terri LyneCarrington (with whom he recorded theGrammy–winning “Money Jungle”), Vijay Iyer,Jack DeJohnette, Meshell Ndegeocello,Dianne Reeves, the New York City Opera, andmany others on tour throughout five conti-nents and at venues including Radio CityMusic Hall and the Village Vanguard andnational television stations NBC and FOX.

Seeking a more personal creative outlet,Felder first formed his own quartet in 2010,recording the critically acclaimed debutGolden Age (Sony/OKeh), called “lyrical andlofty” by The New York Times, “mesmerizing”by The Boston Globe, “a melodic triumph” bythe New York City Jazz Record, “mind-bog-gling” by All About Jazz, and “a great record”by DownBeat. Four years after the release ofGolden Age, Felder’s latest project for releasein 2018 is a set of two trio recordings featuringbassist Matt Penman and drummer JimmyMacbride. Using the studio as an instrumentand the latest in sound design technology, theresult is a layered music that blends jazzimprovisation with other genres in new waysand stretches the boundaries of what a jazzrecord is and can be.

Lauded as one of the topjazz pianists of his gener-ation, Sullivan Fortner is recognized for his virtuosic technique andcaptivating performanc-es. The winner of three prestigious awards—a Leonore Annenberg Arts

Fellowship, the 2015 Cole Porter Fellowshipfrom the American Pianists Association, andthe 2016 Lincoln Center Award for EmergingArtists—Fortner’s music embodies theessence of the blues and jazz as he con-nects music of all eras and genres throughhis improvisation.

As a leader the Sullivan Fortner Trio has per-formed on many of the world’s most presti-gious stages including Jazz at the LincolnCenter, Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey JazzFestival, Discover Jazz Festival, Tri-C JazzFestival, Jazz Standard, and the GillmoreKeyboard Festival. Fortner has been heardwith other leading musicians around the worldincluding Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove,Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, John Scofield,Cécile McLorin Salvant, Fred Hersch, SeanJones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, RobertaGambarini, Peter Bernstein, Stefon Harris,Nicholas Peyton, Billy Hart, Dave Liebman,Gary Bartz, Etienne Charles, and ChristianScott.

Fortner brings the same sense of musician-ship to his recordings as he does to his liveperformances. His first album Aria (ImpulseRecords) has garnered acclaim by The NewYork Times and DownBeat Magazine as itshowcases Fortner’s mastery at both render-ing well-chosen standards and composingmemorable melodies. On Aria Fortner leads asplendid ensemble, comprised of drummerJoe Dyson, Jr., bassist Aidan Carroll, andtenor and soprano saxophonist TivonPennicott. Fortner’s highly anticipated sopho-more album as a solo recording artist is slatedto be released in 2018. Fortner can also beheard on the recordings of Etienne Charles’s Kaiso (2011), Donald Harrison’sQuantum Leaps (2010), and Theo Croker’sFundementals (2007). Most recently, he has

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recorded with Grammy Award–winning artistsRoy Hargrove and Cecile McLorin Salvant ontheir highly anticipated albums.

Fortner’s foray into music education has ledhim to lead master classes at today’s mostformidable music institutions including OberlinConservatory of Music, Manhattan School ofMusic, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts(NOCCA), Purdue University, LafayetteSummer Music Workshop, and BelmontUniversity (TN).

A native of New Orleans, Fortner began play-ing the piano at the age of seven and washailed a virtuoso before he was out of highschool. He has a Bachelor of Music degree injazz studies from Oberlin Conservatory and aMaster of Music in jazz performance fromManhattan School of Music.

Even before moving toNew York City in 2013,pianist James Francieshad generated a well-deserved buzz in the jazzarena. He is the youngestrecipient of the AmericanFederation of Musicians(AFM) President’s Youth

Award, DownBeat Magazine awarded himtwice for Composition and Jazz Arrangement,his band opened for the legendary JazzCrusaders reunion, and he performed atMonterey Jazz Festival.

Since he has been in New York City, Francieshas toured and recorded with the likes of withEric Harland, the Roots, Jeff “Tain” Watts, PatMetheny, Chris Potter, Chris Dave, andDrumhedz, and fronts his own band, Kinetic.Francies can often be seen on the TonightShow Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC with theRoots. He is currently in the process ofrecording his debut album for the legendaryBlue Note Record Label and was named oneof Eight Artists You Should Know by thegenre-bending website Revive Music.Francies has also been featured in The NewYork Times, The Wall Street Journal, Uproxx,DownBeat Magazine, and other publications.Francies also works with drummer and

producer Questlove of the Roots on numer-ous projects such as music for commercials,film scores, and singles for different artists.Francies recently was a part of the film scorefor Vincent N’ Roxxy with Questlove that starszoe Kravitz, Emile Hirsch, and Kid Cudi. Thefilm can currently be viewed on Netflix.

Francies’s impressive performance/recordingcredits include the Roots, Pat Metheny, EricHarland, Bilal, Kodak Black, Chris Potter,Robert Glasper, Jeff Tain Watts, Jose James,Chris Dave, and many others. Francies wasalso a part of Chance The Rapper’s hit single“No Problem” which went on to win twoGrammy Awards in 2017. In his high schoolyears, Francies was a member of the GrammyJazz Session Combo, the Thelonious MonkInstitute All-Star Jazz Sextet, the NextGeneration Jazz Orchestra, and the TexasMusic Educators Association’s (TMEA) All-State Jazz Ensemble. Francies has performedand toured extensively throughout five differ-ent continents. Francies graduated from theNew School for Jazz and ContemporaryMusic on full-scholarship. James Francies is aBlue Note Recording Artist, endorsed byYamaha Pianos, Korg Keyboards, and is anIWC Brand Ambassador.

One of the most strikinglyunique artists of his gener-ation, Pasquale Grassohas undoubtedly changedthe way the world viewsjazz guitar. Born in ArianoIrpino, Grasso began play-ing guitar at a very youngage. By the summer of

1997, his parents, who recognized the depthof their young son’s talent, sought out theinstruction of jazz innovator AgostinoDiGiorgio. A former pupil of Chuck Wayne,DiGiorgio immediately took interest in Grasso,whose prodigious aptitude for the instrumentflourished as the young guitarist quicklybecame his closest pupil. From that point itwould not be long before news of this talentspread.

Barry Harris, the world-renowned jazz educa-tor and bebop piano master, became an


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extraordinary influence when Grasso attendedhis jazz workshop in Switzerland during thesummer of 1998. Harris, contemporary ofMiles Davis, Sonny Stitt, and CannonballAdderley, took Pasquale and his brother Luigiunder his wing. Over the span of the next fiveyears, the Grasso brothers became pillars ofHarris’s international workshops and werequickly promoted from mere attendees toinstructors for the other students. Grasso wasnamed Harris’s guitar teaching assistant andfor the last ten years, he has conducted work-shops in Italy, Switzerland, France, Spain,Holland, and Slovenia.

In 2008 Grasso pursued classical guitar stud-ies in the Music Conservatory of Bolognaunder Professor Walter zanetti. During histime at the conservatory, Grasso developed anew approach to the guitar, combining classi-cal tradition with Chuck Wayne’s moderntechnique.

In 2012 he moved to New York City andquickly made a name for himself in the city’svibrant jazz scene. Grasso became part of theAri Roland Quartet and the Chris ByarsQuartet, performing in clubs, music festivals,and recording in the studio regularly. Later thatyear he was named a Jazz Ambassador withthe U.S. Embassy, going on to tour extensive-ly across Europe, Kuwait, Kazakhstan,Cyprus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, among others.

Despite his young age, Grasso has performedwith many leading musicians of the interna-tional jazz scene such as Barry Harris, CharlesDavis, Freddie Redd, Frank Wess, LeroyWilliams, Ray Drummond, Murray Wall, SteveGrossman, Tardo Hammer, JimmyWormworth, John Mosca, Sacha Perry, AriRoland, Luigi Grasso, Chris Byars, zaidNasser, Bucky Pizzarelli, China Moses, HarryAllen Quartet, Grant Stewart, Stepko Gut,Nicolas Dary, Dado Moroni, Agostino DiGiorgio, Michel Pastre Big Band, GianniBasso Big Band, Joe Cohn, Oscar zenari,and Luca Pisani. Grasso’s guitar was expertlycrafted for him by longtime friend and luthierBryant Trenier. Trenier Guitars is located inSuffern, New York.

Gilad Hekselman hasquickly developed a repu-tation as one of the mostpromising guitarists inNew York since his arrivalin 2004. After only a fewyears, this native Israelihas shared the stage withsome of the greatest

artists in the New York City jazz scene includ-ing Chris Potter, Mark Turner, Ben Wendel,Eric Harland, John Scofield, Anat Cohen, AriHoenig, Esperanza Spalding, Jeff Ballard,Gretchen Parlato, Avishai Cohen, Jeff “Tain”Watts, Tigran Hamasyan, Aaron Parks, andGreg Hutchinson.

Hekselman has been performing in all themajor jazz clubs in New York including theVillage Vanguard, the Jazz Standard, BlueNote, Smalls, and more. He has also beentouring the world constantly with his ownbands, gHex Trio and zuperOctave, and as asidemen with some of the most prominent musicians on the scene.

He has released multiple albums as a band-leader to critical acclaim including SplitLife(Smalls Records), Words Unspoken (LateSetRecords) Hearts Wide Open, This Just In, andHomes (Harmonia Mundi). His next record isscheduled to be released in 2018.

Three-time Grammy Aw-ard–winner AngéliqueKidjo is one of the great-est artists in internationalmusic today, a creativeforce with 13 albums toher name. Time Magazinehas called her “Africa’spremier diva.” The BBC

has included her in its list of the continent’s 50most iconic figures, and in 2011 The Guardianlisted her as one of their Top 100 MostInspiring Women in the World. ForbesMagazine has ranked Kidjo as the first womanin their list of the Most Powerful Celebrities inAfrica.

As a performer her striking voice, stage pres-ence, and fluency in multiple cultures and


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languages have won respect from her peersand expanded her following across nationalborders. Kidjo has cross-pollinated the WestAfrican traditions of her childhood in Beninwith elements of American R&B, funk, andjazz, as well as influences from Europe andLatin America.

Her star-studded album Djin Djin won aGrammy Award for Best Contemporary WorldAlbum in 2008, and her album Oyo was nom-inated for the same award in 2011. In January2014 her first book, a memoir titled SpiritRising: My Life, My Music and her 12th album,Eve, were released to critical acclaim. Eve laterwent on to win the Grammy Award for BestWorld Music Album in 2015, and her historic,orchestral album Sings with the OrchestrePhilharmonique Du Luxembourg won aGrammy for Best World Music Album in 2016.

The new year brings us Kidjo’s newest project,her interpretation of The Talking Heads’s clas-sic 1980 album Remain in Light. She recordedher version of the album with superstar pro-ducer Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Jay z,Drake, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, and TaylorSwift), taking classic songs such as“Crosseyed and Painless,” “Once in aLifetime,” and “Born Under Punches (TheHeat Goes On)” and reinterpreting them withelectrifying rhythms, African guitars, and lay-ered backing vocals.

Kidjo also travels the world advocating onbehalf of children in her capacity as a UNICEFand OXFAM Goodwill Ambassador. She cre-ated her own charitable foundation Batonga,dedicated to support the education of younggirls in Africa.

Christian McBride is asix-time Grammy Award–winning bassist/composerwho, since the early1990s, has recorded morethan 300 dates as a side-man and released albumsas a leader since 1995.

Aside from various stints with Sting, ChickCorea, George Duke, Roy Haynes, John

McLaughlin, and Pat Metheny, among others,McBride has been artist-in-residence andartistic director with organizations such asJazz Aspen, Los Angeles Philharmonic, TheJazz Museum in Harlem, Jazz House Kids,and NJPAC (New Jersey Performing ArtsCenter–Newark).

McBride tours consistently with his bandsNew Jawn and Tip City. He also fronts theChristian McBride Big Band, whose MackAvenue Records recording The Good Feelingwon the Grammy Award for Best Large JazzEnsemble Album in 2012—his third win over-all. On September 22, 2017, ChristianMcBride’s Big Band released their sophomorealbum, Bringin’ It. Bringin’ It also won theGrammy Award for Best Large Jazz EnsembleAlbum in 2018.

In addition McBride hosts a show onSirius/XM and DJs at clubs as DJ BrotherMister. McBride was recently named host ofJazz Night in America, a new program fromNPR Music and WBGO that showcasestoday’s thriving jazz scene. While he continueshis role as Artistic Director for the MontclairJazz Festival, 2017 also marked his first yearin the same role for the critically acclaimedNewport Jazz Festival.

During her seven years inthe United States, CamilaMeza has created a bigimpact in the New Yorkjazz scene. She possess-es an innate and rarecombination of qualities asa singer and guitar player,who also writes her own

songs and arrangements. She has a highlyexpressive voice with a unique tamber andway of phrasing, while her sound and accom-paniment on the guitar are equally touchingand soulful. Meza’s music takes us on a joyful-ly energetic and deep journey full of beautyand adventure. Her Latin American roots andprofound connection to jazz combined withthe fusions of contemporary and popularmusic give the music she creates a very spe-cial and appealing sound.

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Meza belongs to a new generation of jazzmusicians that are interested in creating newsounds and allowing diverse influences intotheir music. With love for this exploration,Meza felt right at home in the diverse and cre-ative jazz scene of New York City. She gradu-ated from the New School for Jazz andContemporary Music in 2012 where she hadthe chance to study with masters such asPeter Bernstein, Vic Juris, Sam Yahel, SteveCardenas, and Gil Goldstein, amongst others.But even before working with these masters,she began playing with her peers and othermusicians of New York, quickly becoming partof the New York community.

An artist with an international reputation, shehas already played in festivals and venues allover Europe including Swidnica Jazz Festivalin Poland, Hildener Jazz Festival in Germany,Bergamo Jazz Festival in Italy, BMW JazzCompetition in Munich, Bern Jazz Festival inSwitzerland, and led two nights at thereknowned jazz club in France, Duc deLombards. She has toured as part of singerSachal Vasandani’s Quartet, pianist FabianAlmazan’s project with Strings with whom sherecorded a Blue Note/Artist Share album in2013, and is the lead singer of trombonistRyan Keberle’s band Catharsis, contributingon two critically acclaimed albums: Into theZone and Azul Infinito. Meza has performedwith jazz legends Tom Harrell, Dave Douglas,as a guest in Paquito D’Rivera’s band at thePatagonia Jazz Festival in Chile, and also as aspecial guest of Aaron Goldberg Trio at TheJazz Standard in New York. Her collaborationwith Goldberg led to her first recording in NewYork, a six track (EP) of her arrangements ofstandards, Latin American, and Braziliansongs. Her breakthrough album Traces hadher showcasing her talents as a composer,excelled singer, and guitar player on her debutalbum for the New York-based labelSunnyside Records.

Camilo Molina-Gaetán(Eddie Palmieri Sextet) isan accomplished multi-percussionist from NewYork City and is consid-ered to be one of the mostpromising and versatilepercussionists of his gen-eration. He has a vast

knowledge of music, spanning from jazz tosalsa, as well as the folkloric music of Cuba,Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean. In 2000,Molina-Gaetán was selected as one of tensemifinalists to compete in the TheloniousMonk International Afro-Latin Hand DrumCompetition. He went on to be selected third-place place winner who, at age ten, was theyoungest finalist in the 14-year history of thecompetition. Molina-Gaetán continues tomake a name for himself early in his career,performing with acts varying in musical genresand styles. He is currently a member ofLegendary Pianist Eddie Palmieri’s Orchestrasand has toured, recorded, and performed withartists such as Santana, Tito Puente, EddiePalmieri, Dave Grusin, Giovanni Hidalgo, LosPleneros de la 21, Miguel zenón, TeatroPregones, Viento de Agua, John Santos, TheCurtis Brothers, and many more.

Originally from Largo,Florida, Jonathan Powell(Eddie Palmieri Sextetpicked up the trumpet atthe age of 11 never to lookback. He was inspired bythe great jazz trump-eters Louis Armstrong,Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie

Hubbard, and Miles Davis to name a few. Atthe age of 19 Powell moved to New York Cityto immerse himself in the jazz culture. Thoughjazz was his first and greatest love, he soonbegan incorporating elements of North Indianclassical music, drum ‘n’ bass, Hip Hop,death metal, and 20th-century classical musicinto his original compositions. These influ-ences are heard and felt on his debut albumTranscend, self-released in 2010 and the fol-low up album Beacons of Light, released in2015 on Truth Revolution Records.


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Powell has shared the stage and recordingstudio with world renown musicians andartists like Eddie Palmieri, Blood Sweat andTears, Ricky Martin, Elton John, OMI, Miguelzenon, Henry Cole, Arturo O’Farrill and theAfro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, JT Taylor, LaExcelencia, Sam Rivers, The Pedro GiraudoJazz Orchestra, Q-Tip, Andy Milne, GaryThomas, Lenny White, Reggie Workman, JustBlaze, CL Smooth, Slick Rick, and SnoopDogg, to name a few. Known for his ease ofadaptability to many musical styles, Powellhas earned a name for himself on the Latinmusic scene in New York City by winning theLatin Jazz Corner’s Best Latin Jazz TrumpetPlayer of 2009.

Born in Ponce, PuertoRico, and raised inCoamo, Puerto Rico, IvanRenta, (Eddie PalmieriSextet) has become one ofthe premiere saxophonistsin the jazz, Latin jazz, andLatin music industry. Hisability to adapt to any

musical situation has landed him on stage atmany of the world’s most prestigious venuesand music festivals. His credentials includeperformances and more than 200 recordingswith artists such as Tito Puente, WyntonMarsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colόn, RonCarter, Bobby Valentin, Marc Anthony,Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Heath, Ray Barretto,the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and BeboValdéz, to name a few. Renta has also per-formed with such diverse musical acts as AlJarreau, Tom Odell, Stevie Van Sandt, andHall & Oates.

Renta has collaborated on five GrammyAward–winning recordings. Renta is also anactive music educator and clinician. In 1999Renta moved to New York City to attend theNew School Jazz and Contemporary MusicProgram. While at the New School, Rentastudied with jazz legends such as ReggieWorkman, Gary Dial, George Garzone, BusterWilliams, to name a few. In 2000 Renta got acall to participate on Tito Puente and EddiePalmieri’s recording Masterpiece, the winnerof multiple Grammys and what turned out to

be Puente’s last album. After recordingMasterpiece, Renta became a member ofEddie Palmieri’s Latin Jazz Ensemble andSalsa Band. Renta accepted an invitation in2003 made to him by pianist/composer/arranger Arturo O’Farrill to join Jazz at theLincoln Center’s Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra.After working with Palmieri for approximatelysix years, he proceeded to become, the sax-ophonist for salsa legend Willie Colόn’sOrchestra. He has also collaborated exten-sively with trombonist Luis Bonilla and percus-sionist Chembo Corniel.

He recently released his first project as aleader with pianist Edsel Gomez, bassistRuben Rodriguez, drummer ErnestoSimpson, and percussionist Richie Flores withspecial guests Giovanni Hidalgo, Luis Bonilla,and Nelson “Gazu” Jaime. It was released inSeptember of 2013. In February of 2014,Renta’s lifetime body of work was recognizedby the Puerto Rico House of Representatives.He has performed with his Latin Jazz Quintetat the Ventana al Jazz Fest (2014 and 2016) inPuerto Rico and Humberto Ramirez’s PuertoRico Jazz Jam as well as at various jazz clubsthroughout the New York City area. He contin-ues to work with Arturo O’Farrill and the AfroLatin Jazz Orchestra, where he is a featured soloist, and has traveled to Cubaover the last few years, where they recordedthe Grammy award-winning album Cuba: TheConversation Continues. He has also per-formed and/or recorded with the big bands ofRon Carter, Jimmy Heath, Robin Eubanks,Chris Potter, and Eddie Palmieri.

Cécile McLorin Salvantwas born and raised inMiami, Florida, of a Frenchmother and a Haitianfather. She started classi-cal piano studies at five,and began singing in theMiami Choral Society ateight. Early on she devel-

oped an interest in classical voice, beganstudying with private instructors, and later withEdward Walker, became a vocal teacher atthe University of Miami.


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In 2007 Salvant moved to Aix-en-Provence,France, to study law as well as classical andbaroque voice at the Darius MilhaudConservatory. It was in Aix-en-Provence, withreedist and teacher Jean-François Bonnel,that she started learning about jazz and sangwith her first band. In 2009 after a series ofconcerts in Paris, she recorded her first albumCécile with Jean-François Bonnel’s ParisQuintet. A year later, she won the TheloniousMonk competition in Washington, D.C.

Over the years she has developed a curiosityfor the history of American music, and theconnections between jazz, vaudeville, blues,and folk music. Salvant carefully chooses herrepertoire, oftentimes unearthing rarelyrecorded, forgotten songs, with strong stories.

She enjoys popularity in Europe and in theUnited States, performing in clubs, concerthalls, and festivals. In 2014 her second album,WomanChild (Mack Avenue Records), wasnominated for a Grammy.

Her third album, For One To Love (for MackAvenue Records), was recorded in 2015 withAaron Diehl (piano), Paul Sikivie (bass), andLawrence Leathers (drums). In 2016 For OneTo Love won the Grammy Award for BestJazz Vocal Album. Her fourth album, Dreamsand Daggers, (for Mack Avenue Records),was recorded in part live at the VillageVanguard in 2016 with Aaron Diehl (piano),Paul Sikivie (bass), and Lawrence Leathers(drums), the Catalyst Quartet, and SullivanFortner. In 2017 Dreams and Daggers wasnominated for the 60th Grammy Award forBest Jazz Vocal Album.

Riding the crest of a musi-cal wave that began withhis score for Alejan-dro González Iñárritu’sAcademy Award–winningfilm Birdman or (TheUnexpected Virtue ofIgnorance); followed bysoundtracks composed

for director Fernando León de Aranoa’sPolítica, Manual de Instrucciones; and EPIXnetwork’s Get Shorty, drummer/composerAntonio Sanchez returns with his most per-sonal work to date—Bad Hombre. The albuma socio-political electronica and rhythm epicand was nominated for Best ContemporaryInstrumental Album of 2017.

To date Sanchez has been awarded fiveGrammys, nominations for Golden Globe andBAFTA, World Discovery Award for BestSoundtrack and New Artist Discovery Award,Echo Award, and more.

Bad Hombre crowns an extraordinary periodin the Mexico City-born musician’s life.Following 17 years as one of the most reveredcollaborators of renowned guitarist/composerPat Metheny, he toured the world andappeared on ten recordings with the guitarist’svarious ensembles. He also has collaboratedwith many of today’s most prominent jazzmusicians.

This astonishing run was paved by years ofhard work, which included a recent trio albumturn and one of two albums recorded with hisbrilliant quintet Migration. These remarkablydiverse releases spotlighted Sanchez’s evolu-tion as a composer and bandleader. ThreeTimes Three showcased Sanchez at hisimprovisatory best with three different, butequally iconic all-star trios—pianist BradMehldau and bassist Matt Brewer; guitaristJohn Scofield and bassist Christian McBride;and saxophonist Joe Lovano and bassistJohn Patitucci. The Meridian Suite featured anhour-long electro-acoustic suite penned forMigration.

His journey continues this year with a newrelease of his compositions on a forthcoming


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work Channels of Energy with Vince Mendozaand the WDR Big Band. A new Migrationrecording is also in the pipeline for release laterthis year. Sanchez has made his home in NewYork City since 1999.

Known as one of the finestLatin jazz pianists of thepast 50 years, EddiePalmieri is also known asthe bandleader of bothsalsa and Latin jazzorchestras. His playingskillfully fuses the rhythm ofhis Puerto Rico heritage

with the melody and complexity of his jazzinfluences: his older brother Charlie,Thelonious Monk, Herbie Hancock, andMcCoy Tyner.

Palmieri’s professional career as a pianist tookoff in the early 1950s when he played with var-ious bands—Eddie Forrester’s Orchestra,Johnny Segui’s band, and the Tito RodriguezOrchestra. In 1961 he formed his own band,La Perfecta, which featured an unconventionalfront line of trombones rather than the trum-pets customary in Latin orchestras. This created an innovative sound that mixedAmerican jazz into the Latin performances,surprising critics and fans alike. Palmieri per-fected his arranging skills in the 1970s, releas-ing several impressive records that reflectedhis unorthodox approach to music, such asthe groundbreaking 1970 release HarlemRiver Drive, which merged musical categoriesinto a freeform sound that encompassed ele-ments of salsa, funk, soul, and jazz. In 1975he won the first-ever Grammy Award for BestLatin Recording for his album The Sun of LatinMusic. He has won ten Grammy Awards total,and has received two honorary Doctorate ofMusic degrees from Berklee College of Music(1998) and Lehman College in the Bronx(2017). In 2013 Palmieri was awarded theLifetime Achievement Award from the LatinGrammy’s as well as the honor of NEA JazzMaster.

In 2017 Palmieri released his newest musicalproject, Sabiduría/Wisdom, a fusion of jazz,funk, and Latin fused with Afro-world rhythms.

He has additional projects to be released,seven songs to be included in an interactiveapp, as well as a big band album, entitled MiLuz Mayor, which features guest artists CarlosSantana and Gilberto Santa Rosa.

Vicente “Little Johnny”Rivero (Eddie PalmieriSextet) legendary congero,percussionist, producer,songwriter, and band-leader was born in NewYork City to Puerto Ricanparents. At age 14 Riverojoined Orquesta Colón, the

youngest Latin band in New York City, andrecorded two albums with them. He thenmoved to Puerto Rico with his parents andjoined La Sonora Ponceña. After playing bon-gos with the band for a year and a half, heswitched to congas, which rekindled the loveaffair he had begun with this instrument as asmall child. Over the 16 years Rivero playedwith La Sonora Ponceña, he recorded 18 high-ly respected albums with them.

Currently Rivero is touring the world extensive-ly with the winner of ten Grammy Awards,Eddie Palmieri. In addition Rivero continues towork at studio sessions and perform withmany of the biggest and most respected actsin Latin music including his own band.

Rivero’s first solo effort, Pasos Gigantes, hasbeen very well received by critics and musicfans alike. He also wrote 12 songs and pro-duced this CD, showcasing his compositionaland playing abilities. His second solo album,Music In Me, was also well received in the Latinjazz field in 2016. At the moment, he is workingon his new CD entitled Golpe Duro underUprising Music, Truth Revolution Records, anddistributed by the Ropeadope label.

Rivero's credits include work with EddiePalmieri, Charlie Palmieri, Rubén Blades,Cheo Feliciano, Andy Montañez, IsmaelMiranda, Ismael Quintana, AdalbertoSantiago, Justo Betancourt, Bobby Valentin,Celia Cruz, Giovanni Hidalgo, Ray Barretto,Patato Valdes, Changito, Tata Guines, JohnSantos, Frankie Ruiz, Sergio George,


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Descarga Boricua All Stars, RMM All Stars,Batacumbele, Alfredo De La Fe, VictorManuelle, Domingo Quiñones, Brian Lynch,Conrad Herwig, Dave Valentin, Dr. LonnieSmith, Ray Appleton “Killer”, Harry Allen,Linda Ciofalo, Tim Ries (Rolling Stones)Donald Harrison, Phil Woods, David Sánchez,Miguel zenon, Monty Alexander, Joe Locke,Kenny G, Bebo Valdes, Paquito D’ Rivera,David Murray, Kathy Watson, and many otherartists. Rivero has collaborated musically withthree Grammy winners.

Pianist/composer HelenSung hails from Houston,Texas, where she attendedthe High School for thePerforming & Visual Arts(HSPVA). An aspiring clas-sical pianist before jazzintervened during under-graduate studies at the

University of Texas at Austin, Sung went on tograduate from the Thelonious Monk Instituteof Jazz Performance and win the KennedyCenter’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz PianoCompetition. Now based in New York City,Sung has worked with such luminaries as thelate Clark Terry, Ron Carter, Victor Lewis,Steve Turre, Wayne Shorter, Wynton Marsalis(who named her as one of his Who’s GotNext: Jazz Musicians to Watch!), andMacArthur Fellow Regina Carter.

Sung’s sixth release as leader, Anthem For ANew Day (Concord Jazz), topped jazz radiocharts and garnered a SESAC PerformanceActivity Award. With appearances at majorfestivals/venues including Newport, Monterey,Detroit, SFJAzz, and Carnegie Hall, Sung isalso stepping onto the international stage: herNuGenerations Project toured southern Africa as a U.S. State Department JazzAmbassador, and recent engagementsinclude European tours promoting Anthem,the London Jazz Festival, and Taiwan’sTaichung Jazz Festival. In addition to her ownband, Sung can currently be seen with suchfine ensembles as the Mingus Big Band, TerriLyne Carrington’s Mosaic Project (she alsoperformed on Carrington’s Grammy–winning

album Mosaic Project), and Lea Delaria’sHouse of David project.

An active, commissioned composer, Sungwon a 2014 Chamber Music America/DorisDuke Foundation New Jazz Works Grant,enabling her to create and record Sung WithWords. Scheduled for release in September2018, it is a “music-inspiring-poetry-inspiring-music” collaboration with Dana Gioia, aCalifornia Poet Laureate and former Chairmanof the National Endowment for the Arts.Inspired by her experience at the MonkInstitute, Sung stays involved in music education through residencies and work-shops/clinics, and also serves on the jazz faculties at the Juilliard School and ColumbiaUniversity. In 2017 the College of Fine Arts ofthe University of Texas awarded Sung with itsmost prestigious honor—the E. William DotyDistinguished Alumna Award, and HSPVAinducted her into its Jazz Hall of Fame.

Music has been an integralpart of Dan Wilson’s lifesince his beginnings ingospel music. Upon hear-ing a Wes Montgomeryrecord in a relative’s base-ment, Wilson decided topursue a career as a musi-cian. Since then he has

spent more than a decade honing his craft.

His debut album To Whom It MayConcern was released in 2012 and is a prod-uct of an intense study of many different musi-cal styles and concepts. His most recentalbum, Balancing Act, was recorded live in hishometown of Akron, Ohio.

Wilson has been touring nationally and inter-nationally with three-time Grammy nominatedjazz organ legend Joey DeFrancesco.Wilson’s composition, “Who Shot John,” wasfeatured on DeFrancesco’s 2015 release TripMode. Wilson can also be heard on theGrammy–nominated Project Freedom, byJoey DeFrancesco & The People, released in2017. In April of 2017 Wilson joined legendarybassist Christian McBride’s Tip City.


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Established by Congress in 1965, theNational Endowment for the Arts (NEA) isthe independent federal agency whosefunding and support gives Americans theopportunity to participate in the arts, exer-cise their imaginations, and develop theircreative capacities. Through partnershipswith state arts agencies, local leaders, otherfederal agencies, and the philanthropic sec-tor, the NEA supports arts learning, affirmsand celebrates America’s rich and diversecultural heritage, and extends its work topromote equal access to the arts in everycommunity across America. Visit arts.gov tolearn more about NEA.

From its earliest days, the NationalEndowment for the Arts has funded count-less jazz organizations across the country,making significant investments in support ofjazz concerts, festivals, education activities,and other programs. Initiated in 1982, theNEA Jazz Masters Fellowship is the nation’shighest honor given to those who havedevoted their lives and careers to jazz, an artform uniquely rooted in American historyand culture. Described by the New YorkTimes as a “rare public accolade for jazz,”the recipients represent a panoply of musicaldistinction, from vocalists and percussion-ists to vibraphonists and saxophonists—allof whom have advanced the music throughtheir commitment to jazz. In 2004, the NEAinaugurated the A.B. Spellman NEA JazzMasters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, givento an individual whose passion for jazz and

its artists has been demonstrated throughmajor contributions to the appreciation,knowledge, and advancement of the music.With the 2018 class, the NEA has awarded149 fellowships to great figures in jazz.

Fellowships are awarded to living individualson the basis of nominations from the public,including the jazz community, and eachreceives a one-time fellowship of $25,000.The NEA encourages nominations of abroad range of men and women who havebeen significant to the field of jazz, throughvocals and instrumental performance, cre-ative leadership, and education.

The NEA’s website has numerous resourcesabout the NEA Jazz Masters, including: • Bios and photos of NEA Jazz Masters • Video interviews with the artists • Video from past NEA Jazz Masters

Tribute Concerts • Podcasts with NEA Jazz Masters and

other jazz musicians and writers • Jazz Moments—more than 300 short

audio clips of musical excerpts andinterviews with and about NEA JazzMasters

NEA podcasts and Jazz Moments can befound at arts.gov, iTunes, and PRX.

For more information on the NEA JazzMasters and to make a nomination, visitarts.gov/honors/jazz.

ABoUT ThE NATIoNAl ENDowMENT FoR

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In addition to touring with Joey DeFrancesco,he has enjoyed the honor of sharing the stagewith many jazz greats including EricMarienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann,Christian McBride, and Dave Stryker.

Wilson also teaches jazz guitar and theorythrough private lessons and co-leads a groupof world class musicians, called D.T.C, which

features drummer David Throckmorton andCliff Barnes.

Wilson received his bachelor’s degree inmusic and liberal studies from HiramCollege in 2006. His passion for Brazilianmusic led him to the city of Rio De Janeiroin 2007 to conduct research for his master’sthesis, which he defended successfully atYoungstown State University in 2009.



Ann Meier Baker, Director of Music & OperaElizabeth Auclair, Public Affairs SpecialistDon Ball, Assistant Director of Public Affairs – PublicationsPaulette Beete, Social Media ManagerNatalie Donovan, Assistant Grants Management SpecialistDaniel Fishman, Attorney Advisor Latonca Harris, Contracting OfficerVictoria Hutter, Assistant Director of Public Affairs – PressAdam Kampe, Media SpecialistJennifer Kareliusson, Division CoordinatorDavid Low, Web ManagerBryan McEntire, Assistant Grants Management SpecialistIndia Pinkney, General CounselJosephine Reed, Media ProducerKelli Rogowski, Visual Information SpecialistRebecca Sutton, Writer/EditorKatja von Schuttenbach, Jazz SpecialistSarah Weingast, Assistant General Counsel

The National Endowment for the Arts acknowledges the support of BroadcastMusic, Inc.® (“BMI®”) in sponsoring the NEA Jazz Masters Awards Dinner. Mike O’Neill, President & CEO, BMICharlie Feldman, Vice President, Creative and Industry Relations, BMIDeirdre Chadwick, President, BMI Foundation

FoR ThE NATIoNAl ENDowMENT FoR

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Kennedy Center Jazz, under the leadership of Artistic Director Jason Moran, presents leg-endary artists who have helped shape the art form, artists who are emerging on the jazzscene, and innovative multidisciplinary projects in hundreds of performances a year. The KCJazz Club, launched in 2002 and dubbed “the future of the jazz nightclub” by JazzTimes,hosts many of these artists in an intimate setting. Annual Kennedy Center jazz events includethe professional development residency program for young artists, Betty Carter’s JazzAhead; NPR’s A Jazz Piano Christmas, the Kennedy Center holiday tradition shared by millions around the country via broadcast on NPR; and the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival,created in 1996 by the late Dr. Billy Taylor (Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz, 1994–2010). The Center’s jazz concerts are frequently recorded for future broadcast on NPR.

ABoUT KENNEDY CENTER JAZZ


Upcoming Jazz at the Kennedy Center

May 5, 2018Celebrate Mary Lou Williams

Terrace Theater

May 9, 2018Yissy & Bandancha (part of Artes de Cuba)

Eisenhower Theater

May 10, 2018Yosvany Terry Afro-Cuban Sextet in the

Cubano Club (part of Artes de Cuba)Terrace Gallery

May 11, 2018Zule Guerrra & Quinteto Blues de Habana (part of Artes de Cuba)

Terrace Gallery

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staff for the concert hall*Mary Jo ford, Mariah finkel...............theater ManagersDeborah Glover........................................Box Office TreasurerJerry Cooper ........................................................Head UsherRobert P. Tillett,Paul Farabee, Jr.,Crescenda Ramble,Michael Buchman,William DC Valentine,Arielle Korb ...........................................................Stage Crew

*Represented by ATPAM, the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers

The technicians at the KennedyCenter are represented by

Local #22, Local #772,and Local #798 I.A.T.S.E.

AFL-CIO-CLC, the professionalunion of theatrical technicians.

The box office at the Kennedy Centeris represented by IATSE #868.

Steinway Piano Gallery is the exclusive area representative of Steinway & Sons and Boston pianos, the official pianos

of the Kennedy Center.

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the 2018 nea jazz masters - arts.gov hall monday evening, april 16, 2018, at 8:00 the kennedy center...

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