On April 3, 2017, we celebrated the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters — Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ira Gitler, Dave Holland, Dick Hyman, and Dr. Lonnie Smith — in a live concert.

The tribute concert included remarks by the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters (Ira Gitler was represented by his son, Fitz Gitler); as well as Jane Chu, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts; Jason Moran, pianist and Kennedy Center artistic director for Jazz; NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron; pianist Bill Charlap; drummer and composer Terri Lyne Carrington, as well as jazz and film critic Gary Giddins.

The concert also included performances in honor of the 2017 NEA Jazz Masters by Bill Charlap, Theo Croker, Aaron Diehl, Robin Eubanks, James Genus, Donald Harrison, Booker T. Jones, Lee Konitz, Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra, Peter Martin, Mike Moreno, China Moses, Steve Nelson, Kassa Overall, Chris Potter, Dianne Reeves, Nate Smith, Dan Tepfer, and Matthew Whitaker.

Prior to the NEA Jazz Masters Tribute Concert, NEA Jazz Master Paquito D’Rivera added to the jazz celebration by performing a special concert on the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, which is archived on the Kennedy Center's website.

Be sure to check out the issue of NEA Arts featuring NEA Jazz Masters and NEA National Heritage Fellows!

Live captioning | Program Booklet | Playbill