National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2009-2010
NEA Jazz Masters Live Grants

		Contact: Liz Stark 202.682.5744 starke@arts.gov

Unique opportunities to engage with more than 25 NEA Jazz Masters

July 27, 2009

Washington, DC -- For the second year, the National Endowment for the Arts will bring outstanding jazz musicians, writers, producers, and scholars to communities across the nation through NEA Jazz Masters Live. For the 2009-10 season, 12 organizations will receive grants totaling $250,000 through the program to support multi-event, extended engagements, featuring many jazz greats who have received an NEA Jazz Masters Award, the nation’s highest honor in jazz. Managed by Arts Midwest, the program offers audiences the unique opportunity to enter into a deeply creative and ultimately personal dialogue with these renowned artists.

Among the more than 25 NEA Jazz Masters participating in NEA Jazz Masters Live events are Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Jimmy Heath, Ahmad Jamal, and Hank Jones, as well as jazz historian and educator Dan Morgenstern and festival producer and pianist George Wein. The 12 grant recipients include venues such as the Detroit International Jazz Festival and the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.

Jimmy Heath, Chick Corea, Paquito D’Rivera, and James Moody at the NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony & Concert on January 10, 2006. Photo by Tom Pich.  Enlarge      Download hi-res image

"Jazz artists have wonderful music to share and fascinating stories to tell."  said Acting NEA Chair Patrice Walker Powell.  "We are fortunate to have among our NEA Jazz Masters many of the artists who have been on the forefront of change and NEA Jazz Masters Live provides audiences with invaluable access to both their music and their stories."

Through NEA Jazz Masters Live, the Masters share their expertise in performances, master classes, clinics, lectures, and short term residencies. The majority of the grantees will present several NEA Jazz Masters. For instance, as part of the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in Vermont, the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts will feature three NEA Jazz Masters in residence: saxophonist and composer Sonny Rollins, guitarist and composer Jim Hall, and critic, journalist, and record producer Nat Hentoff.

During the first year of NEA Jazz Masters Live in 2007-2008, 28 Masters participated in engagements such as:

• NEA Jazz Masters Week that included a moderated "sound table" discussion with Nancy Wilson and John Levy was presented by the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild.
• The Detroit International Jazz Festival presented twelve different events, featuring eight NEA Jazz Masters, included "talking tent" sessions with the artists and performances by student ensembles under the direction of Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath.

Organizations chosen for the 2009-2010 NEA Jazz Masters Live are:

About the NEA Jazz Masters Program

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 event engagements in selected communities, featuring NEA Jazz Masters; radio programming featuring NEA Jazz Masters; educational resources through the NEA Jazz in the Schools program; publications and reports. Please see complete information on the website.

About the National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the Arts Endowment is the largest annual national funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities, and military bases. Please visit the NEA website.

About Arts Midwest

Arts Midwest connects people throughout the Midwest and the world to meaningful arts opportunities, sharing creativity, knowledge, and understanding across boundaries. Arts Midwest connects the arts to audiences throughout the nine-state region of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. One of six non-profit regional arts organizations in the United States, Arts Midwest’s history spans more than 25 years. Please visit the for Arts Midwest websitemore information.

National Endowment for the Arts · an independent federal agency
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