New Updates on the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters Events

Washington, DC—As the nation kicks off Jazz Appreciation Month, the National Endowment for the Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts are pleased to announce new details about the upcoming events in honor of the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters—Gary Bartz, Terence Blanchard, Willard Jenkins, and Amina Claudine Myers.

NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert:

NPR Music’s Felix Contreras, co-creator and co-host of the radio show and podcast Alt.Latino, will host the NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert on April 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Kennedy Center (2700 F St., NW, Washington, DC 20566) and online through a live webcast and radio broadcast.

As previously announced, the concert will feature performances by Bartz, Blanchard, and Myers with their bands and the African Rhythms Alumni Quintet in honor of Jenkins. Additionally, the concert will close with a tribute to jazz icon Duke Ellington, who was born 125 years ago in Washington, DC. Performing in the finale will be Lakecia Benjamin, Katie Ernst, Camille Gainer, REDWOOD, and Charenée Wade. More details on all the performers are available on the Kennedy Center’s website.

Ticket update:

A limited number of additional concert tickets are now available to reserve for this free concert (up to two tickets per person) at the Kennedy Center’s Satellite Box Office at Millennium Stage North, at kennedy-center.org, or by dialing 202-467-4600 or 800-444-1324. Reservation confirmations should be printed at home and will be valid until 7:15 p.m. the night of the concert. At 7:15 p.m., all unclaimed seats will be released and distributed through a ticket giveaway line based on availability.

Tickets for walk-up patrons will be available the night of the concert on a first-come, first-served basis to those in a giveaway line based on availability. Patrons who do not reserve tickets in advance are encouraged to arrive from 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. to receive tickets via the giveaway line. 

If you or a member of your party requires accessible locations and/or seating in the sign-interpreted and captioned section, please indicate your needs when making your reservation and upon picking up your tickets. Please contact the Accessibility Office at 202-416-8727 or access@kennedy-center.org if you have any questions or would like to request an accommodation.

Live webcast and radio broadcast details:
The live webcast of the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert will begin on Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. ET at arts.gov and kennedy-center.org. An archive of the webcast will be available following the event at arts.gov. The concert will also be available on additional websites and broadcast on radio stations throughout the country. Visit our press release for full details.

Additional NEA Jazz Masters Events:

What: “Music Careers, Beyond the Bandstand”—A discussion and Q&A with 2024 NEA Jazz Master Willard Jenkins
When: Thursday, April 11, 2024, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. 
Where: Howard University’s Childers Recital Hall, 2455 6th Street NW, Washington, DC 20059  
Tickets: The public is invited to observe and no registration is necessary (seating is first-come, first-served). Media who wish to attend this event should contact Liz Auclair at auclaire@arts.gov.

What: NPR Listening Party with the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters—DC Jazz Festival President & CEO Sunny Sumter will be in conversation with the 2024 NEA Jazz Masters, using music from their careers to tell the stories of their lives.
When: Saturday, April 13, 2024, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Where: NPR headquarters, 1111 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002. 
Tickets: This event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. Reserve your free tickets. Media who wish to attend this event should contact mediarelations@npr.org.

What: Extraordinary Cinema: 120 Wooster Street—A free film screening of a documentary about artist Frederick J. Brown’s Soho loft studio in New York in the 1960s/70s, which served as a gathering place for artists, musicians, writers, dancers and other creative personalities. Featuring a post-screening panel with artist Bentley Brown and NEA Jazz Master Terence Blanchard.
When: Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 3:00 p.m.
Where: Justice Forum at the REACH, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566.
Tickets: This event is free and open to the public but tickets are required. Reserve your free tickets.

About the NEA Jazz Masters

Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 173 fellowships to great figures in jazz, such as Toshiko Akiyoshi, Regina Carter, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Donald Harrison, Jr., Yusef Lateef, Abbey Lincoln, Sue Mingus, Eddie Palmieri, Sonny Rollins, and Wayne Shorter. Explore the NEA’s website for photos and bios of all of the NEA Jazz Masters, as well as archived concerts, video tributes, podcasts, and more than 350 NEA Jazz Moments audio clips. The National Endowment for the Arts has also supported the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program, an effort to document the lives and careers of nearly 100 NEA Jazz Masters.

Nominate an NEA Jazz Master:
The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to living individuals on the basis of nominations from the public including members of the jazz community. NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are up to $25,000 and can be received once in a lifetime. Visit the NEA’s website for detailed information and to submit nominations.