New School To Honor Beacons In Jazz

  I  

On April 1, New School University’s Jazz Program will honor Bruce Lundvall, Jazz visionary and President of Blue Note Records, guitar virtuoso Les Paul and blues master Jay McShann with the Beacons in Jazz award. The Beacons award recognizes living legends in Jazz whose vision and talent have significantly influenced the music.

Hosted by Allan King, the gala will take place at The Supper Club, 240 West 47th Street at 6:30 p.m. In addition to the awards ceremony, many renowned Jazz artists will be performing to pay tribute to the honorees and many leading figures in jazz will be in attendance.

Founded in 1986, New School University’s Jazz Program has produced some of the leading voices in Jazz today. The Beacons raises scholarship funds for the New School’s Jazz BFA students and is the single-most important fundraiser of the school’s year.

For details, go to www.newschool.edu/jazz.



  • Flea_by_Gus_Van_Sant_copy.jpg

    “Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”

  • Maria_Schneider_%C2%A92026_Mark_Sheldon_-07_copy.jpg

    “These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.

  • JAM_posters_-_a_selection_cropped.jpg

    Each of the 25 JAMs has delivered a poster featuring a jazz legend that is sent out to schools across the nation. This year’s poster features Tony Bennett.

  • 2026_Cecil_McLorin_Salvant_Sullivan_Fortner_Big_Ears.jpg

    Cécile McLorin Salvant busts out Jelly Roll Morton’s “The Murder Ballad” at Big Ears, here with pianist Sullivan Fortner.

  • NikBaertschs_RONIN_by_Christian_Senti.jpg

    “We thought it’s important that Ronin has a new statement,” said Nik Bärtsch of his band’s latest album, Spin. “The sound is differently produced, so it reflects more of who we are.”