This week at the DC Jazz Festival’s concert at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, the National Endowment for the Arts announced the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in jazz. These five individuals—four musicians and one advocate—are recognized for their lifetime achievements and exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. Each will receive a $25,000 award and be honored at a tribute concert on Monday, April 3, 2017, produced in collaboration with the Kennedy Center.
The 2017 NEA Jazz Masters are:
- Dee Dee Bridgewater – Vocalist, Producer, Broadcaste
- Ira Gitler – Author, Editor, Producer, Educator
- Dave Holland – Bassist, Cellist, Composer, Bandleader
- Dick Hyman – Keyboardist, Composer, Arranger
- Dr. Lonnie Smith – Organist, Composer
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