Mack Avenue Records Congratulates
2016 NEA Jazz Master Gary Burton on
Receiving the Nation's Highest Honor in Jazz
2016 NEA Jazz Masters to be Honored with
Free Concert at John F. Kennedy Center
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Photo Credit: Jimmy Katz
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The NEA Jazz Masters award is the highest
honor that our nation bestows on a jazz musician and includes a cash
award of $25,000 and an award ceremony and celebratory concert, among
other activities. As part of the National Endowment for the Arts' 50th
anniversary events, the annual NEA Jazz Masters celebration will take place in on April 4, 2016 in the nation's capital in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The National Endowment for the Arts will honor four jazz
leaders with the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters award for their significant
accomplishments in the field. This year's honorees range from fiery
saxophonists who cut their teeth with the legendary John Coltrane, to a
vibraphonist who reshaped the direction of jazz by introducing rock
elements, to one who has dedicated her life to assisting jazz musicians
in need.
Legendary vibraphonist, bandleader and educator, Gary Burton, was one of the progenitors of jazz fusion in the late 1960s. His four-mallet technique
on the vibraphone gave the instrument a new musical vocabulary in jazz
and a fuller, more piano-like sound than the traditional two-mallet
approach. Burton steps into the role alongside the other 2016 honorees:
musician's advocate, Wendy Oxenhorn, and saxophonists/composers Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp.
NEA
Jazz Master awards are bestowed on living individuals on the basis of
nominations from the public including the jazz community. The NEA
encourages nominations of a broad range of men and women who have been
significant to the field of jazz, through vocals, instrumental
performance, creative leadership, and education.
A free concert honoring the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters will be presented at 8:00pm on Monday, April 4, 2016, at the Kennedy Center's Concert Hall and also available in a live video stream at arts.gov, Kennedy-Center.org, and NPR.org/Music.
In addition, as a way of expanding opportunities for the public to
engage with the artists and their music, the celebration will include
other activities April 2-5,
such as moderated panel discussions and listening parties at NPR
headquarters in Washington, DC, and educational opportunities for local
DC students, which will feature some of the 2016 NEA Jazz Masters. More
details on these events, including how to obtain tickets for the April 4 concert, will be announced in early 2016.
For more information on Gary Burton, please visit: GaryBurton.com
For more information on The National Endowment for the Arts, please visit: Arts.org
For media information, please contact:
DL Media · 610-667-0501
Maureen McFadden · maureen@
Serving the Finest in Jazz Since 1988
