At the NEA’s Jazz Masters Ball

The Kennedy Center was filled Monday night with VIPs, devotees and artists across disciplines for
the 34th annual celebration of Jazz Masters by the National Endowment of the Arts. Here’s my coverage for DownBeat magazine on the tribute to the 2016 honorees:

Fierce and soulful  saxophonists Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders, cool yet lyrically expressive vibist Gary Burton, and

Wendy Oxenhorn, the genuinely devoted-to-music-and-people exec director of the Jazz Foundation of America, if not exactly jazz’s cross between Mother Theresa and Victoria Woodhull. There are now 140 worthies officially on this honor roll.

Glimpsed among attendees were US attorney general Loretta Lynch; key industry and executives such as Patrick Cook from BMI, the music rights organization;  Jazz Foundation president R. Jarrett Lillien; Curator of American Music. National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution Dr. John Edward Hasse; Ellington expert Patricia Willard; trombonist Craig Harris; percussionist Kahil El’Zabar; vocalist Ruth Cameron Haden; ethnomusicologist Verna Gillis; longtime jazz radio show host Rusty Hassan; writers Mike West (Washington Post, Washington City Paper), Evan Haga (JazzTimes) and playwright Ntozake Shange, among many other cool folk. . . Here’s a slide show from the event by Jim Eigo of Jazz Promo Services — the first shot is of me with old friend Baltimore arts consultant Don Palmer, who I’d just run into.

To check my journalism against the event, watch the archived version of the live webcast, which was streamed live on NPR.org, by Sirius-FM, and on NEA.gov itself.

Highlights include:

• at 12:05 — Archie Shepp’s “Hambone” and “Blues for Brother George Jackson,” played by an explosive octet — tenor saxophonist David Murray showing his deep debt to Shepp, shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder-to-shoulder with supersonic altoist Rudresh Mahanthappa, crackling trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and trombonist Roswell Rudd, who emphasized how gutbucket fundamentals that were key elements way back and still in “free” jazz, while Jason Moran was all over the piano, Linda Oh held the bottom with percussion by Pedrito Martinez and drummer Karriem Riggins;
• at 26:10 — Shepp himself speaking truth to power, dryly nailing the ills that jazz springs from as a expression of hope and demanding the arts be available to everyone in America, not only those comfortable in the middle class;
• at 38:55 — Pianist Chick Corea honors Gary Burton by playing their signature duet, “Crystal Silence,” but with generation-younger vibist Stefon Harris, who doesn’t pretend to have mastered Burton’s astounding four-mallet technique;
• at 1:02:38 — In honor of Pharoah Sanders, regal pianist Randy Weston (90 today, April 6!) going deep on his composition “The Healers” with noble tenor saxophonist Billy Harper;
• at 1:15:10 — Sanders saying a simple thanks. Have you ever heard Pharoah speak? A treat.
• at 1:23: 55 a video clip of Wendy Oxenhorn smokin’ on blues harmonica, followed by —
• tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, 90 very soon, in great form tone, swing, execution and ideas-wise, boppin’ while young alto saxist Lakecia Benjamin blows funkily on his “Gingerbread Boy.” Wendy’s speech is a heartwarming hoot, too.
• Throughout, host Jason Moran, the KenCen’s artistic director for jazz, presenting the show with friendly, funny, open warmth, dapper in tight tux and brim.

I have a post-event article on the Jazz Masters due at DownBeat Friday, to include a few words from NEA director of Music and Opera Ann Meier Baker on how these events represent the agency’s jazz program. How do they follow up an blast like this?
howardmandel.com
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