On the occasion of Jazz Appreciation Month, Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) announces Art Blakey, Lionel Hampton, and Clark Terry as the 2013 inductees into the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame (NEJHF). After gaining the majority popular vote cast by jazz fans around the world between March 6 and March 31, JALC will induct the newest NEJHF class on June 4, 2013, in a private induction ceremony at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, at JALC’s home, Frederick P. Rose Hall. Viewers can tune in via live webcast at jazz.org/live.
ABOUT THE INDUCTEES
ART BLAKEY
Modern jazz drumming would not exist without Art Blakey. A masterful musician whose powerful grooves could first be heard driving the bands of Mary Lou Williams and Fletcher Henderson, then later ushering in the birth of bebop, and ultimately driving the rise of hard bop, Blakey remained an influential artist and a musical mentor throughout his career. From its origins in 1955, Blakey’s now-legendary ensemble The Jazz Messengers proved a vital training ground for a veritable Who’s Who of modern jazz. Indeed, artists as diverse as Wayne Shorter, Bobby Timmons, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Clarke, Wynton Marsalis, and Kenny Garrett, and many more were counted among its ranks. No drummer swung harder and no drummer could build more momentum and excitement like Blakey could. It is our honor and pleasure to welcome Art Blakey as a 2013 inductee into the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame.
“Art Blakey was a man of great integrity. He constructed an original drum style that encompassed the strongest points of big band drumming, the modern style developed by Max Roach, and the style of the future in which the drummer is the chief orchestrator of the band. Art was one of the pillars of jazz during the fallow period after the 1960s, when the survival of the music depended on a few true believers. He was the strongest of those who believed in the music.” – Wynton Marsalis
LIONEL HAMPTON
A 1936 meeting with Benny Goodman helped rocket Lionel Hampton to international jazz fame. Joining one of jazz’s most extraordinary ensembles, Hampton saw his star rise through his many performances with Goodman, most famously at Carnegie Hall in 1938. Additionally, Hampton came into his own as a leader through a variety of recording dates, ultimately inspiring him to launch his own orchestra, which scored a crucial popular hit in 1942 as Illinois Jacquet’s massive tenor sound swung through “Flying Home.” Throughout the ensuing decades, Hampton became a beloved master of swing and of rhythm and blues, and his bands helped nurture some of the day’s most extraordinary young talents, including Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Wes Montgomery, and many more. Lionel Hampton pioneered jazz vibraphone and delivered some of the most lively, swinging, and memorable music of jazz. We are thrilled to induct him into the 2013 class of the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame.
“Boundless energy and a love to play, Hamp was a man of endless creativity and the ability to play and solo. I remember a jam session with Lionel Hampton at the Iridium Jazz Club, it was filled with younger musicians and people of all ages. Hamp came in and was so inspired by the music, he started playing piano with two fingers at 1 o’clock in the morning. The axiom of “Why does someone do something? Because they can,” that’s what Hamp was about. He was touched by the hand of God. Drums, vibes, some of the greatest solos in jazz were played by him.” – Wynton Marsalis
CLARK TERRY
An ebullient master of trumpet and flugelhorn, Clark Terry first rose to prominence in the St. Louis area, where he served as an early inspiration to a young Miles Davis. Later joining the groups of such luminaries as Charlie Barnet, Count Basie, and most notably Duke Ellington, Terry ultimately became one of jazz’s most prolific and respected recording artists, performing on more than 900 sessions. Terry also broke through color barriers, becoming NBC’s first African-American staff musician, and serving for 10 years as a band member on The Tonight Show. In addition to his extraordinary artistry, Terry is beloved for his innumerable contributions to music education. Following the inspiration of his friend, Dr. Billy Taylor, Terry embarked on a series of large-scale education initiatives, even in the midst of his hectic performance schedule. Clark Terry is truly one of jazz’s living legends, and we are delighted to welcome him as a 2013 inductee into the Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame.
“Clark Terry is a phenomenal musician, a trumpeter without equal: self-taught, purely original technique. He has inspired so many trumpet players, from Miles Davis to Ryan Kisor. A master of trick trumpet techniques, playing trumpet with the left hand, playing two trumpets at once. Clark played in Count Basie’s band and Duke Ellington’s orchestra and created a unique style. He could play all the plunger mutes in an original fashion, and he was a scat singer without equal. With wit and humor, he was instrumental in keeping the music going in the down period of the 1970s and 1980s, forming a big band and traveling up and down the country inspiring the young musicians who wanted to play during that time. He always took his time to talk, teach, and give musicians inspiration.” – Wynton Marsalis
Below are the criteria to earn a Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame nomination.
1) Achieved innovation of a style or concept of playing.
2) Created an original concept with a body of music or body of arrangements.
3) Spoke/speaks across generations, unbound to his or her generation’s of style or concept.
4) Originated a definitive style.
5) Popularized a style without compromising the aesthetic quality of the music.
6) Occupies a significant position within the jazz lineage.
7) Influenced musicians across time.
The NEJHF honors legendary artists or members of the jazz community based on his or her singular dedication and outstanding contribution to jazz. To date, Jazz at Lincoln Center has inducted 41 members into the NEJHF and will continue to induct new members annually. These inductees are nominated by a committee of select musicians and scholars and voted in by an international public vote open to jazz fans around the world. This year’s nominating committee includes Ed Berger, Bill Charlap, Connie Crothers, Stanley Crouch, Jon Faddis, Vince Giordano, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Phil Schaap, Loren Schoenberg, and Spike Wilner.
Past NEJHF Inductees by year:
Louis Armstrong (Inducted 2004)
Sidney Bechet (Inducted 2004)
Bix Beiderbecke (Inducted 2004)
John Coltrane (Inducted 2004)
Miles Davis (Inducted 2004)
Duke Ellington (Inducted 2004)
Dizzy Gillespie (Inducted 2004)
Coleman Hawkins (Inducted 2004)
Billie Holiday (Inducted 2004)
Thelonious Monk (Inducted 2004)
Jelly Roll Morton (Inducted 2004)
Charlie Parker (Inducted 2004)
Art Tatum (Inducted 2004)
Lester Young (Inducted 2004)
Count Basie (Inducted 2005)
Roy Eldridge (Inducted 2005)
Ella Fitzgerald (Inducted 2005)
Benny Goodman (Inducted 2005)
Earl Hines (Inducted 2005)
Johnny Hodges (Inducted 2005)
Jo Jones (Inducted 2005)
Charles Mingus (Inducted 2005)
King Oliver (Inducted 2005)
Max Roach (Inducted 2005)
Sonny Rollins (Inducted 2005)
Fats Waller (Inducted 2005)
Clifford Brown (Inducted 2007)
Benny Carter (Inducted 2007)
Charlie Christian (Inducted 2007)
Django Reinhardt (Inducted 2007)
Ornette Coleman (Inducted 2008)
Gil Evans (Inducted 2008)
Bessie Smith (Inducted 2008)
Mary Lou Williams (Inducted 2008)
Bill Evans (Inducted 2010)
Bud Powell (Inducted 2010)
Billy Strayhorn (Inducted 2010)
Sarah Vaughan (Inducted 2010)
Art Blakey (Inducted 2013)
Lionel Hampton (Inducted 2013)
Clark Terry (Inducted 2013)