The Kennedy Center’s international jazz career development program has announced the participants of the 21st annual Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program. The two-week residency includes training in performance, composing, and career development. Led by Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran, the Jazz Ahead program identifies outstanding artists and composers in their teens to age 25, and brings them together under the tutelage of experienced instructors who coach and counsel them.
A total of 24 musicians from the United States, Sweden, Germany, Israel, France, Venezuela, and South Africa were selected by a competitive audition process. Joining Moran to lead the residency are six jazz artists who were mentored by the late Betty Carter: saxophonist Casey Benjamin, vocalist and NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater, percussionist Greg Hutchinson, pianist Peter Martin, trumpeter Marcus Printup, and bassist Christopher Thomas. The 2019 program culminates in three separate concerts on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, June 6–8, at 6 p.m., in which the graduates will perform original compositions. The free performances are open to the public and will be broadcast live on the Kennedy Center website.
Alumni from Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead include pianists Jason Moran, Matthew Whitaker, and Aaron Parks; guitarist Lage Lund; trombonist Andre Hayward; bassist Ameen Saleem; violinist Miri Ben-Ari; vocalists Charenée Wade and Jazzmeia Horn; saxophonists Marcus Strickland and Jon Irabagon; and drummer Jamison Ross, among others.
Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead 2019 Participants:
Samuel Priven, alto saxophone, USA
Sarah Hanahan, alto saxophone, USA
Hannah Marks, bass, USA
Isaac Levien, bass, USA
Noah Fishman, bass, USA
Edvin Fridolfsson, drums, Sweden
Jacob Swedlow, drums, USA
Timothy Rachbach, drums, USA
Johannes Mann, guitar, Germany
Roy Ben Bashat, guitar, Israel
Ellie Pruneau, piano, USA
Lex Korten, piano, USA
Sequoia Snyder, piano, USA
Baptiste Horcholle, tenor saxophone, France
Christopher Bittner, tenor saxophone, USA
Rico Jones, tenor saxophone, USA
Matthew Waterman, trombone, USA
Emiel De Jaegher, trumpet, USA
Liam Sutcliffe, trumpet, USA
Marisa Webster, trumpet, USA
Juan Diego Villalobos, vibraphone, Venezuela
Ashley Pezzotti, voice, USA
Darynn Dean, voice, USA
Naledi Masilo, voice, South Africa
