National Endowment for the Arts – Each year the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) honors individuals whose talent and dedication have made an impact on jazz in this country. In celebration of the 2018 NEA Jazz Masters—Todd Barkan, Joanne Brackeen, Pat Metheny, and Dianne Reeves—the NEA, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, hosts a free concert in honor of the honorees on Monday, April 16, 2018 at 8:00 p.m. ET in Washington, DC. The concert, which was also webcast live, brought together many stars of the jazz world in performances that highlighted the NEA Jazz Masters’ careers.
In addition, on Sunday, April 15 at NPR’s headquarters, the 2018 NEA Jazz Masters took part in a listening party that allowed the audience to hear directly from the NEA Jazz Masters about the music that plays important roles in their lives and careers. To close the NEA Jazz Masters celebration, on Tuesday, April 17, Dianne Reeves visited Howard University to give a master class, which was also open to the public to observe.