The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the recipients of the 2009 NEA Jazz Masters Award, the nation’s highest honor in the genre. The six recipients will each receive a $25,000 grant award, and will be publicly honored in an awards ceremony and concert on Friday, October 17.
The six 2009 NEA Jazz Masters are: George Benson (vocalist and solo instrumentalist, guitar-Benson is pictured), Jimmy Cobb (rhythm instrumentalist, drums), Lee Konitz (solo instrumentalist, saxophone), Toots Thielemans (solo instrumentalist, harmonica and guitar), and Snooky Young (solo instrumentalist, trumpet). Recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder will receive the 2009 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy.
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