New School to Present Beacons Awards

By I Jan. 30, 2006 The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music will present its 2006 Beacons Award Gala on Feb. 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. Ticket prices begin at $500, and are partially tax deductible.

This years 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 include special guest appearances by Bill Cosby, drummer and New School jazz faculty member Chico Hamilton, saxophonist Charles McPherson George Wein, founder and CEO of Festival Productions Inc., a New School Jazz board member and 1999 Beacons honoree.

Past Beacons recipients include 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.

For more information on New School Jazz and the 2006 Beacons Gala, including ticket information, please visit www.jazz.newschool.edu.