2017 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert to Stream Live This Week

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) honors the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters at a tribute concert held in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, hosted by Jason Moran.

The concert will be webcast live at live at arts.gov, Kennedy-Center.org, and NPR.org/Music.

The 2017 NEA Jazz Masters are:

· Dee Dee Bridgewater - Vocalist, Producer, Broadcaster

· Ira Gitler - Author, Editor, Producer, Educator (2017 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy)

· Dave Holland - Bassist, Cellist, Composer, Bandleader

· Dick Hyman - Keyboardist, Composer, Arranger

· Dr. Lonnie Smith - Organist, Composer

The tribute concert will include remarks by the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters (representing Ira Gitler will be his son, Fitz Gitler); as well as Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Deborah F. Rutter, president of the Kennedy Center; Jason Moran, pianist and Kennedy Center artistic director for Jazz; NEA Jazz Masters Dan Morgenstern and Kenny Barron; and jazz and film critic Gary Giddins. The concert will include performances by NEA Jazz Masters Paquito D'Rivera and Lee Konitz, as well as Bill Charlap, Theo Croker, Aaron Diehl, Robin Eubanks, James Genus, Donald Harrison, Booker T. Jones, Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, Peter Martin, Mike Moreno, China Moses, Steve Nelson, Kassa Overall, Chris Potter, Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith, Dan Tepfer, and Matthew Whitaker.

More information about the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters events is available here. The concert will be streamed live at arts.gov, Kennedy-Center.org, and NPR.org/Music.

The NEA has developed Jazz Moments, short audio clips featuring musical excerpts and interviews with and about NEA Jazz Masters. There are more than 200 Jazz Moments, including ones about the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters. In addition, the NEA has podcasts about NEA Jazz Masters, including Dr. Lonnie Smith and Dee Dee Bridgewater. NEA podcasts and Jazz Moments are available for radio stations to use free of charge via iTunesU and PRX.