Jazz at Lincoln Center and JazzTimes announced that NEA Jazz Master, pianist, composer, and educator Dr. Barry Harris is the recipient of the 2020 Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award in recognition of his dedication as a mentor to hundreds of jazz artists for nearly half a century. Dr. Harris will be presented with the award by fellow NEA Jazz Master and friend Kenny Barron at the 2020 Jazz Congress conference on Monday, January 13 at 4:15 p.m. at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, located at Broadway at 60th Street, New York, New York. The 2020 Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award ceremony will be webcast live via jazz.org/live.
Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Harris toured and recorded with a virtual who’s who of bebop, including Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, Thad Jones and Max Roach. Harris came to New York City in 1960 and quickly became a vital part of the city’s rich jazz scene, performing with Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Coleman Hawkins and many others. Dr. Harris had a close relationship with jazz piano legends Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, each of whom had an enormous influence on him as a pianist and composer. He soon evolved into an educator as well as performer, taking over the Jazz Cultural Workshop in 1982. While continuing his career as a pianist and composer, Dr. Harris’ workshops for emerging jazz musicians helped shape and take the music to new directions.
The Bruce Lundvall Visionary Award was created in 2014 in honor of the longtime jazz record executive who was a champion and advocate for so many jazz artists over the last four decades. The annual award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and vision in expanding the audience for jazz and who has made a difference for the artists, the music and the audience. Previous recipients of the award include Randall Kline (2015), Brice Rosenbloom (2016), Christian McBride (2017), Terri Lyne Carrington (2018) and Darlene Chan (2019).
In addition to panels and networking opportunities, Jazz Congress annually features a keynote presentation programmed specifically for attendees who seek to nurture musicians, businesses, and organizations that play, promote, produce, present, market, and support jazz.
For the full list of panels, descriptions, and panelists, visit jazzcongress.org or download the Jazz Congress app.
Jazz Congress keynote and panel sessions will be available via live webcast at jazz.org/live. This is made possible by Qobuz, the official streaming sponsor of 2020 Jazz Congress. Founded in 2007, Qobuz is a Paris-based commercial online music streaming and downloading service.
The Jazz Congress Advisory Board includes Gene Dobbs Bradford, Stefon Harris, Tim Jackson, Karen Kennedy, Don Lucoff, Katie Simon, Denny Stilwell, and Helen Sung.
Jazz Congress is made possible by the generous support of its founding funders Adam R. Rose and the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Additional 2020 Jazz Congress sponsors include the Jazz Education Network, Mack Avenue, Blue Engine Records, A To Z Media, and the Institute of Financial Wellness for the Arts.
For more information and session details, go to jazzcongress.org.
2020 Jazz Congress Registration Rates
Two Day Pass: $250
Single Day Pass: $200
Student Tickets:
50% discount at any time. Must show valid student ID at registration.
Online registration is closed; attendees can register onsite beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, January 13.
