Musicians participating in Jazz Congress 2020 sessions include:

Darcy James Argue * Jamie Baum * Benny Benack III * Jaimie Branch * Linda Briceño * Dee Dee Bridgewater * Jane Bunnett * Uri Caine * Will Calhoun * Summer Camargo * Terri Lyne Carrington * Regina Carter * Marc Cary * Mayra Casales * Braxton Cook * Roxy Coss * Kurt Elling * Kevin Eubanks * Orrin Evans * Jon Faddis * Nir Felder * Nick Finzer * Benny Green * Russell Hall * Meklit Hadero * Russell Hall * Monika Herzig * Marquis Hill * Gregory Hutchinson * Javon Jackson * Christine Jensen * Sean Jones * Sheila Jordan * Richard Julian * Kokayi * Frank Lacy * Julian Lee * Curtis Lundy * Rudresh Mahanthappa *Nduduzo Makhathini * Russell Malone * Sherrie Maricle * René Marie * Wynton Marsalis *Marilyn Maye * Christian McBride * Charles McPherson * Camila Meza * Allison Miller * Andy Milne * Riley Mulherkar * Ted Nash * Chuck Owen * Samora Pinderhughes * Rufus Reid * Marc Ribot * Karriem Riggins * Ted Rosenthal * Catherine Russell * Bria Skonberg * Nate Smith * Damien Sneed * Somi * Helen Sung * Svetlana * Laurin Talese * Alexa Tarentino * Brianna Thomas * Camille Thurman * Shirazette Tinnin *Ryan Truesdell * Gerald Veasley * Myron Walden * Kenny Washington * Mark Whitfield * Brandee Younger

Additionally, speakers will include representatives from:

ABKCO * August Wilson African American Cultural Center * Columbia University * DC Jazz Festival * Earshot Jazz * Fully Altered Media * Jazz at Lincoln Center * Jazz House Kids * Jazz Memes * Jazz Philadelphia * Jazz St. Louis * JazzWeek * KEWU * KUVO * Louis Armstrong House Museum * LunAtico * Move and Groove Yoga * New Orleans Jazz Museum * NPR Music * Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival * Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University * SFJAZZ * SiriusXM * South Arts * San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation * Stanford Libraries * WBGO * WDNA * WGBH * WGMC * WUCF

View the schedule on the Jazz Congress App

Sessions:

Registration opens at 8:30AM each day, at which time breakfast and coffee will be available for purchase in the Mica and Ahmet Ertegun Atrium.

The keynote session, The Legacy of Betty Carter, will immediately follow the Lundvall Visionary Award presentation. After the keynote, all participants are invited to partake in the opening night reception in the Atrium, sponsored by the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival produced in collaboration with Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Jazz Congress 2020 opens Monday, January 13th, 2020 at 9:30AM with

Women in Jazz Town Hall
From Lillian Hardin and Ella Fitzgerald to Terri Lyne Carrington and Esperanza Spalding, in jazz music women have help to shape, innovate, and serve as agents of change. But the disparity in opportunities for women speaks to the oppressive nature of institutional inequities that not only exist in the jazz industry, but in the world. Uncovering how these inequities manifest - from discriminatory hiring practices to unequal pay – is just the first step towards advocacy; however, advocating for gender equity requires an intersectional approach to looking at how both sexism and racism impact opportunities for all women. In a moderated, open-mic conversation about the challenges and successes of women across the jazz diaspora – from musicians and educators to students and industry professionals – this town hall forum opening the 2020 Jazz Congress aims to create a dialogue on how to both empower and advocate for women and begin to answer the question: “What do we need in order to create equitable spaces for women in the jazz industry?” ALL are encouraged to attend.
Moderator: Kaisha S. Johnson (Women of Color in the Arts)

Bird & Beyond: Celebrating Charlie Parker at 100
Charlie Parker was one of the most innovative and influential fathers of the bebop era and one of the finest American musicians of the 20th century. To celebrate Parker's centennial, artists from diverse genres will examine his influence on pop, hip hop, rock and jazz, and discuss how his artistry and musical legacy continues to resonate today. This centennial program is in collaboration with the Estate of Charlie Parker.
Moderator: Ken Druker (Verve Label Group)
Panelists: Will Calhoun; Terri Lyne Carrington; Kokayi; Rudresh Mahanthappa; Charles McPherson

The Legacy of Betty Carter
An in-depth look at the influence of the legendary vocalist as an entrepreneur, educator and mentor.
Moderator: Rene Marie
Panelists: Gail Boyd (Gail Boyd Artist Management); Dee Dee Bridgewater; Benny Green; Christian McBride; Gregory Hutchinson; Curtis Lundy; Kenny Washington

Building Buzz for Gigs in the Post-Listings Era
In an age when media outlets have less space for listings, radio interviews are harder to come by, and many newspapers are doing little in terms of editorialized pre-gig listings, it is increasingly important to rethink how we all approach gig publicity and pre-show/pre-festival promotion. The professionals assembled on this panel collectively have 30+ years of experience marketing to audiences online through social media, digital marketing, retargeting campaigns and other solutions. This session will provide specific insight into how the modern-day musician or presenter should approach marketing gigs to current and potential fans.
Moderator: Matt Merewitz (Fully Altered Media)
Panelists: Marquis Hill; Sydney Hill; Zooey T. Jones (Jazz at Lincoln Center); Adrienne Stortz (Miller Theatre)

Vocal Jazz Summit
Singular vocalists share words of wisdom and direction as they each discuss their unique approach to singing jazz and leading a group.
Moderator: Camille Thurman
Panelists: Dee Dee Bridgewater; Kurt Elling; Sheila Jordan

Perfect Pitch: Jazz Video Challenge
Five Jazz Congress participants are invited onstage to present their ideas for a new, short-form jazz video before our esteemed panel of judges. One winning presenter will be awarded a $1,000 cash prize, plus a production consultation with the Jazz at Lincoln Center video team.
Panelists: Michaela Drapes (New York City Ballet); Adam Meeks (Jazz at Lincoln Center); others TBA

Stage Presence: A Master Class
This hands-on session will enable artists at any stage of their career to get candid input on improving engagement with their audience. Panelists will share their own approach to activating an audience during the course of a performance, using the workshop's audience for demonstration. This workshop will translate techniques to command and hold attention onstage, as well as discuss what constitutes stage presence.
Moderator: Benny Benack III
Panelists: Russell Hall; Richard Julian; Marilyn Maye; Christian McBride; Brianna Thomas

Jazz Shrines: Homes, Studios, and Preserving the Heritage
A number of historic homes and recording studios serve as shrines to our shared tradition, spaces that once housed legends and are now -- or will soon be -- open to visitors, and that help carry their music and message forward. This panel will include representatives of houses and/or studios once belonging to Louis Armstrong, Rudy Van Gelder, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane—all in different stages of development. We will hear their stories, dealing with issues of historical status and preservation, their reasons and hopes for maintaining these sites, and their visions for the future.
Moderator: Ashley Kahn
Panelists: Lauren Parks (House of Miles East St. Louis); Ricky Riccardi (Louis Armstrong House Museum); Jennifer Rothschild (Rudy Van Gelder Studio); Maureen Sickler (Rudy Van Gelder Studio)

Talking Trumpets:  Conversation & Music About Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong
Trumpeters talk about the music and legacy of Armstrong and preview rare recordings from the legendary trumpeter.
Moderators: Jon Faddis and Ricky Riccardi (Louis Armstrong House Museum)
Panelists: Summer Camargo; Sean Jones; Wynton Marsalis; Bria Skonberg

Editing & Mixing your Masterpiece: Considerations When Recording Jazz
Wynton Marsalis takes you through the process of how he approaches editing and mixing a record. With examples in a live Pro Tools session, Wynton’s close collaborator Engineer Todd Whitelock, will expound on Wynton’s philosophy of why the concretization of your art deserves your best effort.
Panelists: Wynton Marsalis; Todd Whitelock; Gloria Kaba

Building & Marketing Your Brand Through Social Media
Social media is essential for building an audience today. Get tips and tricks on how to not only build an audience but hold their interest and stay relevant. How are musicians and social media experts taking advantage of today’s platforms?
Moderator: Amanda MacBlane (21C Media Group)
Panelists: Linda Briceño; Braxton Cook; Kevin Maddox (Jazz Memes); Chase Maddox (Jazz Memes); Jesse Markowitz

We Insist: Speaking Truth to Power
A conversation with musicians who work on and off the bandstand for social change and activism.
Moderator: Larry Blumenfeld
Panelists: Regina Carter; Samora Pinderhughes; Marc Ribot

Africa: The Past & Future of Jazz
A timely discussion with some of the continent’s leading presenters, producers, and musicians about Africa’s past and future contributions to the jazz idiom, professional opportunities in a fast-emerging cultural economy, and the need for greater transatlantic cultural exchange on the African continent.
Moderator: Somi (Salon Africana)
Panelists: Meklit Hadero (The Nile Project/Yerba Buena Center for the Arts); Nduduzo Makhathini; Brenda Sisane (South Africa Jazz Day)

The Power of Cross-Genre Collaboration
Jazz artists and artists/curators from different art forms – such as dance, drama and opera – talk about the rich artistic opportunities (and challenges) presented by cross-genre collaboration.
Moderator: Amy Niles (WBGO)
Panelists: Uri Caine; Kurt Elling; Jamar Roberts (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater); Ted Rosenthal; Damien Sneed; Janis Burley Wilson (Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival/August Wilson African American Cultural Center)

Jukebox Jury
This always popular and engaging panel, conducted in needle-drop fashion, enables attendees to get a glimpse as to how jazz radio works – and specifically, how radio programmers make their decisions for their respective stations. The panelists listen to a variety of tracks of differing styles from new releases and are asked they would program the album on their station, and if so, at what level of programming, or why they wouldn’t program that music. Moderators: Brad Stone (soulandjazz.com) and J Hunter (WVCR)
Panelists: Alisa Clancy (KCSM); Elizabeth Farriss (KEWU); Eric Jackson (WGBH); John Pizzarelli (Radio Deluxe); Janine Santana (KUVO); Michael Valentine (WDNA)

Royalties & Rights: Effective Rights Management in the Digital Age
A practical conversation about the newly passed Music Modernization Act, as well as society and metadata registration and rights management. An important topic for jazz artists of all ages, and at every stage of their career to understand.
Moderator: Denny Stilwell (Mack Avenue Records)
Panelists: Roberta Arnold (Arnold Artists); Tinku Bhattacharyya; Bob Bruderman (Kobalt Music Group)

Jazz Radio's Role in an Era of Music Abundance
This panel will review how jazz radio is evolving to remain important to music discovery and artist development, and how radio stations can better position themselves through expansion into digital to be the trusted brand for jazz music discovery in their markets.
Moderator: Ed Trefzger (JazzWeek)
Panelists: Tessil Collins (WGBH); Arturo Gomez (KUVO); Lydia Liebman (Lydia Liebman Promotions); Derrick Lucas (WGMC); Kayonne Riley (WUCF)

The New Sound of Jazz Drums
Innovative drumming bandleaders talk about how modern technology and contemporary genres have reshaped the way that they approach their instrument and their music.
Moderator: Mark Ruffin (SiriusXM)
Panelists: Gregory Hutchinson; Willie Jones III; Allison Miller; Karriem Riggins; Shirazette Tinnin

Guitarists Roundtable
A set of very different guitarists talking all things six string.
Moderator: Kevin Eubanks
Panelists: Nir Felder; Camila Meza; Russell Malone; Mark Whitfield

Building Diversity in Education
As we work towards building diverse and balanced representation in the Jazz world, how can we make sure that we are achieving those goals throughout every step of the education process? What tools can we use to make sure that Jazz education is focused on inclusion and growth? How can we better develop Jazz education models to ensure that diversity, particularly gender parity, is valued and established as a priority?
Moderator: Seton Hawkins (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Panelists: Matt Butterman (Jazz at Lincoln Center); Dara Byrne (John Jay College); Roxy Coss; Melissa Walker (Jazz House Kids)

Sisterhood On Stage
The concept of all female groups has experienced a surge over the past 10 years, but nevertheless has a conflicted relationship with all stakeholders in the jazz world and beyond. This session will discuss the pros and cons of exclusive ensembles from social, cultural, musical, psychological, educational perspectives to define their role and set a path leading towards future acceptance and integration.
Moderator: Katie Simon (Jazz Night in America / WBGO)
Panelists: Jane Bunnett (Maqueque); Mayra Casales (Cocomama); Monika Herzig (Sheroes); Sherrie Maricle (The DIVA Jazz Orchestra); Helen Sung; Alexa Tarantino

Case Studies: Activating the Archives
This session will explore how archives have made the music more accessible and otherwise impacted the community. Case studies will focus on the value of jazz history today and the experience of building digital collections. Why create online archives? What are the steps? How are archives transformed in the shift from analog to digital collections? What is the promise of archives for the future? 
Moderator: Elizabeth Surles (Institute of Jazz Studies, Rutgers University)
Panelists: Baylee Badawy (New Orleans Jazz Museum); Clint Baker (San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation); Maxine Gordon; Paul Kahn; Jerry McBride (Stanford Music Library); Anna Newman (San Francisco Traditional Jazz Foundation); Catherine Russell

Why Jazz Composition Matters in an Improvised Art Form
Through the thoughtful contributions of an accomplished, diverse panel of prominent jazz musicians/composers/producers, the vital and often under-appreciated role of the composer/arranger will be examined and discussed specifically with its importance to driving audience development & artist definition. 
Moderator: Chuck Owen (ISJAC)
Panelists: Darcy James Argue; Christine Jensen; Rufus Reid; Ryan Truesdell

The Balance of Art & Commerce in the Business of Jazz Recording
This panel seeks to inform the jazz community about developments within the music business that are having a direct impact on generating revenue via recordings, discuss how the recording process can be both restricted and enhanced by these developments, and propose some guidelines for artists going forward.
Moderator: Ashley Kahn
Panelists: Jamie Krents (Verve Label Group/Universal Music); Matt Pierson; Nate Smith

Jazz Road: Funding Opportunities for Touring and Residencies
A dive into this South Arts-directed national initiative that creates new ways for artists to tour and plan residencies throughout the U.S.  Join artists, agents, and presenters for program updates and current project sharing. Learn about getting a grant to bring your music (and band) to new audiences, with an emphasis on mixing rural, lesser-known and alternative presenters with dates at traditional jazz venues.
Moderator: Sara Donnelly (South Arts/Jazz Road)
Panelists: Jaimie Branch; Orrin Evans; Lisa Giordano (Sound Observatory New Orleans/MM Music Agency); Rory Trainor (Unlimited Myles)

Starting on the Right Financial Note
From budgeting for a tour to planning a recording to setting up your business, this session enables you to prepare for your financial journey as a professional musician.  Avoid the common mistakes and get the facts about your long-term financial success as an artist or arts professional.  Discover best practices for personal budgeting, understand true financial wellness, and learn how to have a successful financial future as an artist.

Wellness for Jazz Musicians
Musicians and wellness practitioners discuss techniques for jazz artists to relieve stress and develop positive mental and physical health.
Moderator: Brandee Younger
Panelists: Latressa Fulton (Move and Groove Yoga); Dr. Karinn Glover; Shirazette Tinnin; Myron Walden

Financial Well-Being and Personal Planning for Career Musicians
Become the master of your own financial well-being.  Avoid the common mistakes and get the facts about your long-term financial success as an artist or arts professional.  Get valuable tips on smart financial planning, tax saving tips for musicians, the power of smart saving & protection strategies, pension maximization tips, and learn how to take-action now for an even more successful financial future.

Jam Session Etiquette & Best Practices
Sitting in at jam sessions is essential for networking, learning, and honing one's chops. It’s a place to network with other musicians who can help you improve your art and build your career. This workshop will help you make a good first impression and get the most out of your experience.
Moderator: Raynel Frazier (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Panelists: Marc Cary; Russell Hall; Frank Lacy; Julian Lee

Brubeck at 100: Jazz Ambassadors & Cultural Diplomacy
In celebration of what would have been pianist Dave Brubeck's 100th birthday, this session will reflect on Brubeck's work as a jazz ambassador, while also looking forward to new paths for cultural diplomacy.
Moderator: Lauren Onkey (NPR Music)
Panelists: Darius Brubeck; Jon Faddis; Laurin Talese

Musician: Book Thyself!
Bandleaders offer the nuts and bolts of getting a group on the road without the condition of being signed to a major booking agency or management team. Covering the how, why and when of contacting promoters of festivals, clubs, performance venues and jazz societies, as well as how to take advantage of crowdfunding and grant support.
Moderator:  Michelle Taylor (Passion Music Group)
Panelists: Jamie Baum; Javon Jackson; Andy Milne; Lilly Schwartz (SFJAZZ); Svetlana

Building & Nurturing Your Jazz Ecosystem
Local jazz advocates convene small group conversations about how to build and support a healthy jazz ecosystem in a region. Between listening parties, curating spaces, thematic-programming, collaboration, arts education and civic advocacy, these successful leaders will walk through realistic strategies and funding opportunities that can be scaled to any community. Come share your successes and challenges, offer your expertise and find answers to your questions about building a vibrant jazz community.
Intro: Cedric Easton (Jazz at Lincoln Center)
Panelists: Gene Dobbs Bradford (Jazz St. Louis); John Gilbreath (Earshot Jazz); Sunny Sumter (DC Jazz Festival); Laura Martinez (World Fusion Events); Gerald Veasley (Jazz Philadelphia); Janis Burley Wilson (Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival/August Wilson African American Cultural Center)