“Thank you very much for this award, thank you for all of the time spent in nightclubs, concert halls, and the like in pursuit of the essence of jazz, which is the feeling itself. As a young man many years ago, I had the opportunity to hear the Coltrane quartet, sometimes from close up and sometimes from far away. There was more often than not an empty chair on the bandstand, and the impact the music had on me was so deeply personal that I felt as though I was a part of the band, in that very chair. To be included in the distinguished company of the other jazz people who have been so honored leaves me, almost, speechless.” — Stanley Crouch

Stanley Crouch is the author of eight critically acclaimed books and of hundreds of uncollected articles, essays, album liner notes, and reviews on jazz that have influenced the music and championed it for the general public. He also co-founded and served as artistic consultant for Jazz at Lincoln Center, playing an integral role in the institution’s repertoire and often writing notes and essays for concert programs. More... Don't forget to join us Monday, April 15 as we celebrate all of the 2019 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters at a Tribute Concert at Washington, DC's Kennedy Center. Watch live on arts.gov starting at 8:00pm ET!