Watch this space for a WBGO Livestream Event on Wednesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. EDT.
NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington is also the director of Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, which continues to uplift and encourage the next generation of musicians. To that end, Terri Lyne is the Artist Director of an apprenticeship/mentorship program, Next Jazz Legacy, for women and nonbinary artists. From 87 applicants, seven were chosen.
They are: Lexi Hammer and Kalia Vandever on trombones, Loke Risberg and Keyanna Hutchinson on guitars, Alexis Lombre and Anastassiya Petrova on piano, and Ivanna Cuesta on drums. For our concert at Yamaha Studio NYU, they were joined by bassist Tyrone Allen.
And for the last two songs, Terri Lyne joined the group as they played her arrangement of "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" as well as an original, "Samsara," which she wrote for Wayne Shorter. It was an awesome evening of music; jazz is in good hands.
Next Jazz Legacy is a partnership between New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, with support from the Mellon Foundation. For more information about the initiative, visit the official website.