Thursday, April 22nd is a big day in the world of jazz – it’s the day on which SFJAZZ collaborates with the National Endowment for the Arts to honor this year’s NEA Jazz Masters in an online celebratory concert.
This year’s honorees are Terri Lyne Carrington – three-time GRAMMY® award-winning drummer, composer, producer and educator; percussionist and educator Albert “Tootie” Heath; saxophonist, flautist and composer Henry Threadgill; and Phil Schaap – archivist, educator, historian and jazz radio host, recipient of the 2021 A B Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy.
This event – co-ordinated by Music Director, composer and saxophonist Miguel Zenón – will be co-hosted by 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater and actor Delroy Lindo, and features recorded performances and tributes from across the world, including venues such as Preservation Hall in New Orleans and The Village Vanguard in New York.
The concert also features performances by NEA Jazz Masters Wynton and Jason Marsalis (2011), and Dianne Reeves (2018), as well as by Obed Calvaire, Avishai Cohen, Roman Filiu, Vince Giordano, Christopher Hoffman, Joe Lovano, Pedrito Martinez, Linda May Han Oh, Dan Nimmer, Danilo Pérez, David Virelles, Lizz Wright and the SFJAZZ High School All Stars.
NEA Jazz Masters Herbie Hancock (2004), Charles Lloyd (2015) and Wayne Shorter (1998) will provide video testimonials, as will Jon Faddis, Michelle Kinney, Jason Moran and James Mtume.
The 2021 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute concert takes place from 5.00 to 6.15 pm (PT) on Thursday, April 22nd, is free to view, and will be available on-demand following the broadcast.
Immediately following the concert, from 6.15 to 7.15 pm (PT), SFJAZZ Founder & Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline is featured in an online discussion with the honorees.
Both the concert and the online discussion can be viewed at sfjazz.org or arts.gov. An archive of the concert will also be available following the event at arts.gov.
Further information on the concert can be found on the SFJAZZ website.
Information sourced from SFJAZZ program notes