The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced the 2017 Jazz Masters Fellows, recipients of the highest honor in jazz in the U.S., for their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions for the advancement of jazz.
The five recipients are vocalist are vocalist and broadcaster Dee Dee Bridgewater; bassist, cellist composer and bandleader Dave Holland; keyboardist, composer and arranger Dick Hyman; organist and composer Dr. Lonnie Smith; author, editor, producer and educator Ira Gitler. Each one will receive a $25,000 award and will be honored at a tribute concert on April 3.
The free concert will be held at the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall, will be open to the public and available through a live webstream.
For more information, go to https://www.arts.gov/