The Mellon Foundation has launched a $35 million initiative to support the preservation and evolution of jazz and spotlight the cultural legacy of veteran jazz artists. Central to this initiative is the Jazz Legacies Fellowship, a $15 million program in partnership with the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA). The organization is celebrating the announcement of its first cohort of 20 fellows. These artists, age 62 and older and ranging from pianists to vocalists from various jazz styles, will each receive a $100,000 lifetime achievement award.
The fellowship not only honors the artist but also provides them with comprehensive support including master classes, legal, and financial advice, performance opportunities, and assistance with production. More artists will be honored over the next four years. The JFA also provides smaller grants to musicians for immediate hardships through their website, Jazzfoundation.org. Musicians among our readership are highly encouraged to explore this opportunity.
The broader initiative debuts with a $4 million grant distributed among eight organizations involved in jazz education, performance, and community engagement. These included institutions of interest to Syncopated Times readers including the 369th Experience, connecting military and jazz history through the legacy of the Harlem Hellfighters Band; the Philadelphia Clef Club, preserving the city’s jazz heritage; and the Ellis Marsalis Center; offering jazz education in New Orleans. It also includes two festivals and several performance sponsors. More grants will be distributed “to provide support for scholarly and storytelling initiatives, and partnerships with the archives, clubs, and other institutions critical to preserving and amplifying jazz’s impact on future generations.”
Elizabeth Alexander, President of the Mellon Foundation, emphasized jazz’s role as a cornerstone of American culture. More information about grants from the Mellon Foundation can be found at mellon.org.
Joe Bebco is the Associate Editor of The Syncopated Times and Webmaster of SyncopatedTimes.com
