6 share expanded Jazz Masters awards

NEW YORK, Nov. 19 (UPI) -- At a time when Americans have grown accustomed to arts cutbacks, the National Endowment for the Arts has expanded its Jazz Masters program.

There will be six honorees in January in specific categories, rather than three random lifetime honorees of years past.

NEA Chairman Dana Gioia said there will be one each in five musical categories: solo instrumentalist, rhythm instrumentalist, pianist, arranger-composer, and vocalist. A sixth award will go to a non-musician who has made major contributions to the field.

The 2004 NEA Jazz Masters are guitarist Jim Hall, drummer Chico Hamilton, pianist Herbie Hancock, arranger-composer Luther Henderson (selected prior to his 2003 death), singer Nancy Wilson and music critic Nat Hentoff. This is the first time a jazz critic has been honored.

They will be honored at a gala New York concert on Jan. 23 during the annual convention of the International Association for Jazz Education. Each new NEA Jazz Master will receive a one-time fellowship award of $25,000.