(PNAN-DC) – “Jazz at Lincoln Center is honored to once again produce the concert to celebrate the great American Jazz Masters with the National Endowment for the Arts,” said Adrian Ellis, Executive Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “The 2011 NEA Jazz Masters have made invaluable contributions to America’s first art form and we hope that jazz fans and newcomers alike will join us in celebrating their dedication to its legacy.”
On Tuesday, January 11, 2011, the NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony & Concert will take place at 7:30 pm in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall. Free tickets can be reserved online at www.jalc.orgconcerts or in person at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office. There is a limit of two tickets per person.
The 2011 NEA Jazz Masters are: Hubert Laws, David Liebman, Johnny Mandel, and the Marsalis Family: Ellis Jr., Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason. The 2011 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy is awarded to Orrin Keepnews.
In addition to the awards ceremony and concert, on Monday, January 10 at 7:00 pm in the Varis-Leichtman Studio at Jazz at Lincoln Center, there will be a panel discussion exploring the honoree’s careers, moderated by A. B. Spellman. The event is free and seating is open to the public on a first come, first served basis.
“Jazz only exists in the interactions between musicians and audiences,” said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “I am thrilled that we are able to present a free evening—both for our live audience and for the public tuning in to our broadcast—to connect these Americans legends with the broad audiences they deserve.”
For those unable to attend in person, the awards ceremony and concert will be broadcast live on WBGO Jazz 88.3FM based in Newark, New Jersey, and Sirius/XM Satellite Radio’s Real Jazz Channel 70.
About – NEA Jazz Masters are selected from nominations submitted by the public and receive a one-time fellowship award of $25,000, are honored at a public awards ceremony, and may participate in NEA-sponsored promotional, performance, and educational activities. Only living musicians or jazz advocates may be nominated for the NEA Jazz Masters honor. The National Endowment for the Arts has supported jazz artists and organizations since 1969, providing millions of dollars in grants and awards. In 2004, the NEA significantly expanded its NEA Jazz Masters program and in 2005 created the NEA Jazz Masters Initiative, a comprehensive program of jazz support that includes the NEA Jazz Masters Award; NEA Jazz Masters Live, a series of multiple performance and educational engagements in selected communities, featuring NEA Jazz Masters; radio programming featuring NEA Jazz Masters; educational resources through the NEA Jazz in the Schools program produced by the Arts Endowment in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center; and publications and reports.