Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Wayne Shorter, Kris Davis and Danilo Peréz
(Photo: Courtesy Doris Duke Award)Saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Kris Davis and pianist Danilo Peréz have each received the 2021 Doris Duke Artist Award, with a prize of $275,000 intended as an investment in their artistic potentials and a celebration of their ongoing contributions to jazz.
The prize consists of $250,000 in completely unrestricted funding and an additional $25,000 dedicated to encouraging savings for retirement. Rather than being tied to specific projects, these awards are available to recipients to use in the manner they determine will best support their ability to create and thrive, according to the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
“Art is the antidote to crisis,” said Sam Gill, president and CEO of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “These exemplary artists demonstrate that a time of unprecedented disruption in the arts and across society cannot stifle the power of great art to persevere. We are proud to support these outstanding creators and accelerate their phenomenal contributions to society.”
The Doris Duke Artist Awards are the largest national awards offered in the performing arts and are targeted to the fields of jazz, contemporary dance and theater. Since it began in 2012, the program has delivered more than $35.4 million in funding to 129 artists. A variety of jazz musicians have benefitted from the prize, including last year’s recipients Andrew Cyrille and Cécile McLorin Salvant; 2019 recipients Terri Lyne Carrington and George Lewis; and 2018 recipients Dee Dee Bridgewater, Regina Carter and Stefon Harris. DB
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
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The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
“There’s nothing quite like it,” Springs says of working with an orchestra. “It’s 60 people working in harmony in the moment. Singing with them is kind of empowering but also humbling at the same time.”
Jun 17, 2025 11:12 AM
When it came time to pose for the cover of her new album, Lady In Satin — a tribute to Billie Holiday’s 1958…
