Special Guest Appearances by Bill Cosby, Chico Hamilton, Charles McPherson, George Wein
Performances by Joe Chambers, Barry Harris, Jon Hendricks, Al Jarreau, Earl May, Charles McPherson, Peter Mihelich, Neal Miner, Andy Watson, Randy Weston, Leroy Williams, Reggie Workman, among others
NEW YORK, NY - The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music will present its annual Beacons Awards Gala on Monday, February 27. The gala honors living musicians and contributors to the field of jazz, while raising funds to improve the educational experience of students at New School Jazz. This year's honorees include:
- Ed Bradley, 60 Minutes/CBS News correspondent
- Barry Harris, pianist, composer, and educator
- Roy Haynes, drummer, bandleader, and composer
- Jon Hendricks, vocalist, composer, lyricist, poet, and educator
The benefit will feature e special guest appearances by Bill Cosby, drummer and New School Jazz faculty member Chico Hamilton, saxophonist Charles McPherson, and George Wein, founder and CEO of Festival Productions, Inc., a New School Jazz board member and 1999 Beacons honoree.
The event also will feature performances by:
- Joe Chambers, drummer/New School Jazz faculty
- Barry Harris, pianist
- Jon Hendricks
- Al Jarreau, vocalist
- Earl May, bassist
- Charles McPherson
- Peter Mihelich, pianist
- Neal Miner, bassist
- Andy Watson, drummer
- Randy Weston, pianist
- Leroy Williams, drummer
- Reggie Workman, bassist/New School Jazz faculty
In addition, New School Jazz students, including Young Beacon in Jazz vocalist Stephcynie Curry, will perform.
At this year's event, The New School will hold a silent auction for a Gibson ES-137 Classic Silver donated by Gibson Guitar, which will be signed by the honorees.
The Beacons Award Gala recognizes living musicians and contributors to the field whose work and extraordinary talent have uniquely enriched the nation's musical heritage. New School Jazz has recognized many of music's most prominent leaders as Beacons recipients, including: Arthur Barnes and HIP Health Plan of New York, Ruth Brown, Cab Calloway, Benny Carter, Buck Clayton, Billy Eckstine, Roy Eldridge, Ahmet Ertegun, Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin, Rev. John Garcia Gensel, Dizzy Gillespie, Norman Granz, Chico Hamilton, Jimmy Heath, Percy Heath, Milt Hinton, Milt Jackson, Johnnie Johnson, Hank Jones, Bruce Lundvall, Howard McGhee, Jackie McLean, Jay McShann, James Moody, Les Paul, Max Roach, Wayne Shorter, Dr. Billy Taylor, Clark Terry, George & Joyce Wein, Paul Weinstein, Andrew Whist, Joe Williams, and Phil Woods.
Founded in 1986, The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music offers young musicians the unique opportunity to study with and learn from the masters of jazz as they pursue the BFA degree. The school is dedicated to preparing students for the artistic, technical, and professional demands of employment and performance in the music world. Relying on the skills and expertise of an internationally renowned artist faculty, the school encourages each student's unique talents, cultivating the future generation of jazz leaders. Since its founding, the school has produced some of the brightest stars of today's jazz generation, including Miri Ben-Ari, Peter Bernstein, Walter Blanding Jr., Avishai Cohen, Robert Glasper, Larry Goldings, Roy Hargrove, Susie Ibarra, Ali M. Jackson, Virginia Mayhew, Brad Mehldau, EJ Strickland, and Marcus Strickland.
For more information on New School Jazz and the 2006 Beacons Gala, including ticket information, please visit www.jazz.newschool.edu or contact (212) 229-5662 x3568 or [email protected]. Ticket prices begin at $500, and are partially tax deductible.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
