The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), every year honors up to seven jazz musicians with Jazz Master Awards. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowships are the self-proclaimed highest honors that the United States bestows upon jazz musicians. The award is usually given late in a performer's career after they have long established themselves.
Wynton Charles Kelly was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of 12 and was pianist on a No. 1 R&B hit at the age of 16. His recording debut as a leader occurred three years later, around the time he started to become better known as an accompanist to singer Dinah Washington, and as a member of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie's band. This progress was interrupted by two years in the United States Army, after which Kelly worked again with Washington and Gillespie, and played with other leaders. Over the next few years, these included instrumentalists Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Hank Mobley, Wes Montgomery, and Sonny Rollins, and vocalists Betty Carter, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln.
Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. was an American jazz pianist and educator. Active since the late 1940s, Marsalis came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of the musical Marsalis family, when sons Branford and Wynton became popular jazz musicians.
Marsalis Music is a jazz record label founded by Branford Marsalis in 2002.
Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday at Newport is a 1958 live album by Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, recorded at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival.
Quartet is the thirty-fourth album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, featuring a quartet with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. It was originally issued in Japan on CBS/Sony, and later given a US release by Columbia.
Round Midnight is a soundtrack album by Herbie Hancock featuring music recorded for Bertrand Tavernier's film Round Midnight released in 1986 on Columbia Records. The album features performances by Hancock, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Tony Williams, vocalist Bobby McFerrin, tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, bassist Pierre Michelot, drummer Billy Higgins, guitarist John McLaughlin, trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, vocalist Lonette McKee, and pianist Cedar Walton, most of whom appear in the film. It won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score in 1986, beating Ennio Morricone's The Mission and Jerry Goldsmith's Hoosiers, among others. Additional music recorded during the making of the film was released under Dexter Gordon's name as The Other Side of Round Midnight (1986).
Blue Spring is a 1959 album by jazz trumpeter Kenny Dorham and saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Riverside label, featuring performances by Dorham and Adderley with Dave Amram, Cecil Payne, Cedar Walton, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones or Jimmy Cobb.
Cannonball Adderley Quintet in Chicago is an album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, his final release on the Mercury label, featuring performances by Adderley with John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Jimmy Cobb.
Cannonball Takes Charge is an album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley released on the Riverside label featuring performances by Adderley with Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb with Percy and Albert Heath replacing Chambers and Cobb on two selections.
You Won't Forget Me is a 1991 studio album by Shirley Horn.
Joe Cool's Blues is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis that was released in 1995. The album reached a peak position of No. 3 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.
Standard Time, Vol. 3: The Resolution of Romance is an album by Wynton Marsalis, released in 1990. The album reached peak positions of number 101 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Standard Time, Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis that was released in 1990. The album reached peak positions of number 112 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.
Standard Time, Vol. 5: The Midnight Blues is an album by Wynton Marsalis that was released in 1998. The album reached a peak position of number 1 on Billboard 's Top Jazz Albums chart.
The Laws of Jazz is the debut album by jazz flautist Hubert Laws released on the Atlantic label in 1964.
MJQ & Friends: A 40th Anniversary Celebration is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in New York City, Los Angeles and at the Montreux Jazz Festival with guest artists including Bobby McFerrin, Take 6, Phil Woods, Wynton Marsalis, Illinois Jacquet, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Branford Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Freddie Hubbard and Nino Tempo and released on the Atlantic label.
Random Abstract is a jazz album by saxophonist Branford Marsalis recorded August 12–13, 1987 at Sound City Studios in Tokyo, Japan. It peaked at number 6 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1988, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group.
Luminous is an album by pianist John Hicks and flautist Elise Wood.
Andrew Speight was an Australian-born American jazz saxophonist. His band, the Andrew Speight Quartet, won the 1999 ARIA Award for Best Jazz Album with their self titled album. Speight had previously fronted the jazz quintet Now's the Time.
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