The 2010 NEA Jazz Masters

From a news release just received:

May 21, 2009

Washington, DC - The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the recipients of the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Award - the nation's highest honor in this distinctly American music The eight recipients will each receive a $25,000 grant award and be publicly honored in an awards ceremony and concert on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The eight 2010 NEA Jazz Masters are:

Muhal Richard Abrams, pianist, composer, educator, New York, NY

Kenny Barron, pianist composer, educator, Brooklyn, NY

Bill Holman, composer arranger, saxophonist, Los Angeles, CA

Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphonist, marimba player, composer, Montara, CA

Yusef Lateef, saxophonist, flutist, oboist, composer, educator, Amherst, MA

Annie Ross, vocalist, New York, NY

Cedar Walton, pianist, composer, Brooklyn, NY

George Avakian, a jazz producer, manager, critic, and educator from Riverdale, New York, will receive the 2010 A.B Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.

Congratulations to all. To see the complete NEA announcement, click here. To read last week's Wall Street Journal profile of George Avakian by Will Friedwald, click here.