31 Jazz Artists Receiving Nearly $360,000 to Support Tours through Jazz Road

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Atlanta – Jazz Road, a national initiative led by South Arts, has announced the recipients of the first round of Jazz Road Tours funding. Thirty-one artists and ensembles from throughout the United States will receive $359,600 to build tours with an emphasis on reaching rural, isolated, and underserved communities, in combination with dates at more traditional venues.

Meet the Jazz Road Tours grant recipients

Jazz Road, administered by Atlanta-based South Arts, is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The initiative is conducted in partnership with the five other Regional Arts Organizations (Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Western Arts Alliance/WESTAF).

“We are proud that jazz has its roots here in the South,” said Susie Surkamer, executive director of South Arts, “where it was birthed just over a century ago in the cultural mix of New Orleans. It quickly worked its way up the Mississippi River and across the country to the many hubs and cities now known for its richest developments. Jazz Road, the largest national program in our organization’s history, echoes that historical reach and growth, region by region.”

“Jazz Road Tours enables both lesser-known and mid-career, more established artists to tour the country, accessing areas that were previously out of reach,” said Sara Donnelly, director of jazz for South Arts. “Artists can plan these small tours knowing they will be compensated equitably for fees and travel, which smaller, less-resourced presenters often find too risky to cover or pay in advance.”

Earlier this year, more than 200 artists began the application process, each requesting up to $15,000 to build tours between October 2019 and September 2020. A national panel—comprised of New Orleans-based sound artist and multi-instrumentalist Aurora Nealand, Vermont Jazz Center director Eugene Uman, consultant and prior American Jazz Museum CEO Greg Carroll, Portland-based artist-manager Kim Gumbel, Washington DC jazz club proprietor and producer Omrao Brown, and MacArthur Fellow violinist Regina Carter—recommended the 31 applicants to receive funding based on the applicant’s artistic excellence and merit of the proposed tour, as demonstrated by the impact of the tour, range of presenters involved, and potential to engage new audiences in new areas.

Some highlights of the funded tours include:

  • Percussionist Fran Vielma and the Venezuelan Jazz Collective (Sean Jones, Godwin Louis, Jacob Garchik, Santiago Bosch, Peter Slavov and Pablo Bencid) for their South and Caribbean tour to Apalachicola and Gainesville in Florida as well as the International Percussion Festival in San Juan, Puerto Rico
  • Trumpeter/vocalist/bandleader jaimie branch and FLY or DIE (Lester St. Louis, Jason Ajemian, and Chad Taylor) will play in southern states for the first time with dates at the Ron Robinson Theatre in the Central Arkansas Library in Little Rock, AR, Crosstown Arts in Memphis, TN, Cafe Berlin in Columbia, MO, and the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, TN
  • Anchored by a Portland Jazz Festival engagement, drummer Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead will also tour to Spokane Community College, as well as record an in-studio segment with the Drum Channel in Oxnard, CA
  • A Word is a Sound—an ensemble led by the bassist William Parker featuring percussionist Hamid Drake with a collective of women’s voices (Lisa Sokolov, Kyoko Kitamura, Morley, Andrea Wolper, and Amirtha Kidambi)—on their first tour to Burlington and rural areas of Vermont

“We are glad that this initial round of grants supports a vibrant grouping of tours, defined by a significant number of Black artists and female bandleaders as recipients,” continued Donnelly. “Additionally, we may begin to identify new patterns in urban-to-rural routing across the country—all the while promoting such an eclectic mix of what can be considered jazz music and its extensions.”

“This is just the start of our efforts to offer direct support to jazz artists in building their careers,” continued Surkamer. “Along with future rounds of Jazz Road Tours funding to be posted in early 2020, we will launch Jazz Road Creative Residencies where artists can develop multi-week custom programs meaningful to their careers and artistic development while connecting with a new community.”

For further information about Jazz Road or other South Arts programming, visit either jazzroad.org or southarts.org.

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About South Arts

South Arts advances Southern vitality through the arts. The nonprofit regional arts organization was founded in 1975 to build on the South’s unique heritage and enhance the public value of the arts. South Arts’ work responds to the arts environment and cultural trends with a regional perspective. South Arts offers an annual portfolio of activities designed to support the success of artists and arts providers in the South, address the needs of Southern communities through impactful arts-based programs, and celebrate the excellence, innovation, value and power of the arts of the South. For more information, visit www.southarts.org.

About the Funded Jazz Road Tours Artists

All dates and locations are subject to change.

Akua Allrich and the Tribe
Largo, MD
Grant amount: $12,550

  • April 7, 2020. Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, LA.
  • April 9, 2020. Blues Alley, Washington, DC.
  • April 11, 2020. B Sharp’s Jazz Club, Tallahassee, FL.
  • April 17, 2020. Golden Belt Arts, Durham, NC.

Amy K Bormet / AmyAna
Cheverly, MD
Grant amount: $14,995

  • April 2 & 3, 2020. CapitalBop Spotlight Residency at Local 16, Washington DC.
  • April 4, 2020. Tribeca Performing Arts Center, New York, NY.
  • April 5, 2020. Jazz at Brenda’s, Bridgewater, VA.
  • April 6, 2020. House Concert in Candler NC, Candler, NC.

Brandon Ross / HARRIET TUBMAN w/ Melvin Gibbs and J.T. Lewis
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $15,000

  • March 20, 2020. Constellation, Chicago, IL.
  • March 21, 2020. ARTLITLAB, Madison, WI.
  • March 22, 2020. Blue Stem Jazz, Madison, WI.
  • March 24, 2020. Capitol Bop (Venue TBD), Washington, DC.
  • March 28, 2020. BIG EARS Festival, Knoxville, TN.
  • March 29, 2020. Sound Observatory @ Three Keys at Ace Hotel, New Orleans, LA.

Byron Asher / Skrontch Music
New Orleans, LA
Grant amount: $8,000

  • March 5, 2020. University of Mississippi Center for the Study of Southern Culture, Oxford, MS.
  • March 6, 2020. AND Gallery, Jackson, MS.
  • March 7, 2020. Church of the Sacred Ear at Electric Magnolia Studios, Grand Coteau, LA.

Caleb Curtis / Curtis+Garabedian+Sperrazza
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $5,360

  • October 16, 2019. The Hungry Brain, Chicago, IL.
  • October 17, 2019. Merrimans’ Playhouse, South Bend, IN.
  • October 20, 2019. Blue Llama, Ann Arbor, MI.
  • October 21, 2019. University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Ann Arbor, MI.

Charlie Kirchen Quartet
New York, NY
Grant amount: $5,820

  • May 24, 2020. BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement, Cleveland, OH.
  • May 26, 2020. Old Stone Presbyterian Church, Lewisburg, WV.
  • May 27, 2020. If Art Gallery, Columbia, SC.
  • May 28, 2020. Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts, Auburn, AL.
  • May 29, 2020. FMRL, Proper Sake, Nashville, TN.
  • May 30, 2020. Eskenazi Museum of Art, Bloomington, IN.

Damon Zick / Quarteto Nuevo
Burbank, CA
Grant amount: $13,569

  • April 3, 2020. On Stage Ogden/The Monarch, Ogden, UT.
  • April 4, 2020. Basalt Regional Library, Basalt, CO.
  • April 5, 2020. Blue Sage Center, Paonia, CO.
  • April 8, 2020. Artcore/The Lyric, Caspar, WY.

Daniel Kelly / Shakespeare in Jazz
Cold Spring, NY
Grant amount: $15,000

  • April 15, 2020. McCallie School, Chattanooga, TN.
  • April 16, 2020. Tusculum College Arts Outreach, Greeneville, TN.
  • April 18, 2020. Douglass Theatre, Macon, GA.

David Rempis / Kuzu w/ Tashi Dorji and Tyler Damon
Chicago, IL
Grant amount: $10,930

  • March 8, 2020. The Mothlight, Asheville, NC.
  • March 9, 2020. Central City New Music Series, Huntington, WV.
  • March 10, 2020. Outside The Spotlight, Lexington, KY.
  • March 11, 2020. New Music Circle, St Louis, MO.
  • March 13, 2020. Blue Stem Jazz, Madison, WI.
  • March 14, 2020. The Sugar Maple, Milwaukee, WI.

Fostina Dixon & Winds of Change
Bear, DE
Grant amount: $8,334

  • November 8, 2019. Harlem Jazz Series- Greater Calvary Baptist Church-, Harlem, NY.
  • November 9, 2019. Rutgers University Institute of Jazz Studies, Newark, NJ.
  • November 10, 2019. Ssam (Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew), Wilmington, DE.
  • November 11, 2019. Pilgrim Church, Washington, DC.

Fran Vielma / Venezuelan Jazz Collective
Washington, DC
Grant amount: $15,000

  • October 15, 2019. MATCH – Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston, Houston, TX.
  • October 16, 2019. IGGYART Gallery, Apalachicola, Fl.
  • October 17, 2019. Conservatorio de Music de Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR.

Greg Ward / Rogue Parade
Chicago, IL
Grant amount: $5,500

  • November 8, 2019. Ripon College – Demmer Recital Hall – Rodman Center for the Arts, Ripon, WI.
  • November 9, 2019. Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN.
  • November 10, 2019. Gaslight Studio, St. Louis, MO.

jaimie branch / FLY OR DIE
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $15,000

  • March 19, 2020. The Mill, Iowa City, IA.
  • March 21, 2020. Ron Robinson Theater, Little Rock, AR.
  • March 22, 2020. Crosstown Arts, Memphis, TN.
  • March 24, 2020. Cafe Berlin, Columbia, MO.
  • March 26, 2020. The Standard (Big Ears Festival), Knoxville, TN.

Jessica Jones Quartet
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $6,275

  • March 8, 2020. Moon and Sixpence Music and Art House, Modesto, CA.
  • March 11, 2020. Hillview Middle School, Menlo Park, CA.
  • March 12, 2020. Bird and Beckett, San Francisco, CA.
  • March 13, 2020. California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley, CA.

Joel Harrison / Free Country
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $15,000

  • September 24, 2020. Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD.
  • September 26, 2020. University of VA venue TBA, Charlottesville, VA.
  • September 27, 2020. Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham, NC.
  • September 29, 2020. New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, New Orleans, LA.
  • October 1, 2020. South On Main, Little Rock, AK.
  • October 2, 2020. Rudy’s Jazz Room, Nashville, TN.

Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead
Windsor, CT
Grant amount: $9,998

  • March 1, 2020. Portland Jazz Festival, Portland, OR.
  • March 4, 2020. Spokane Falls Community College, Spokane, WA.
  • March 7, 2020. Drum Channel, Oxnard, CA.

Joseph Daley Tuba Trio w/ Warren Smith and Scott Robinson
Lords Valley, PA
Grant amount: $5,810

  • March 25, 2020. BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement, Cleveland, OH.
  • March 26, 2020. Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, Buffalo, NY.
  • March 27, 2020. Artlore Studio, Erie, PA.
  • March 28, 2020. A Big Apple Jazz Club, Fort Wayne, IN.

Judy Carmichael
Sag Harbor, NY
Grant amount: $14,131

  • May 23, 2020. Riverton Piano, Scottsdale, AZ.
  • May 24, 2020. The Nash, Phoenix, AZ.
  • May 26, 2020. Schmitt Piano, Denver, CO.
  • May 27, 2020. Love Recital Hall, Grand Junction, CO.
  • May 28, 2020. Montrose Pavilion, Montrose, CO.
  • May 31, 2020. House Concert, Denver, CO.

Lucian Ban & Alex Harding / DARK BLUE
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $9,915

  • October 12, 2019. An Die Musik, Baltimore, MD.
  • October 14, 2019. Artlore Studio, Erie, PA.
  • October 15, 2019. Filament, Columbus, OH.
  • October 21, 2019. Milestones at JazzFresno, Fresno, CA.
  • October 22, 2019. Bakersfield Jazz Workshop, Bakersfield, CA.
  • October 23, 2019. Mr Musichead Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.

Mads Tolling Duo
Albany, CA
Grant amount: $12,860

  • October 12, 2019. The Danish Club of Washington DC, Rockville, MD.
  • October 13, 2019. Danish American Center, Minneapolis, MN.
  • October 14, 2019. West Denmark Parish Hall, Luck, MN.
  • October 15, 2019. The Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church, Leiv Eriksson International Festival., Minneapolis, MN.
  • October 17, 2019. Kopleff Recital Hall, GSU, Atlanta, GA.
  • October 19, 2019. San Ramon Library, San Ramon Jazz, San Ramon, CA.

Mary Halvorson / Illegal Crowns
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $15,000

  • June 16, 2020. Bop Shop Records, Rochester, NY.
  • June 17, 2020. Performing Artist Collective Alliance, Erie, PA.
  • June 18, 2020. Trinosophes, Detroit, MI.
  • June 20, 2020. MYCincinnati, Cincinnati, OH.
  • June 21, 2020. City of Asylum @ Alphabet City, Pittsburgh, PA.
  • June 26, 2020. Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares/Northampton Center for the Arts, Northampton, MA.

Meklit Hadero / Meklit
San Francisco, CA
Grant amount: $15,000

  • March 16, 2020. Carolina Performing Arts, Chapel Hill, NC.
  • March 17, 2020. Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD.
  • March 18, 2020. Celebrity Artist Series (Berklee College of Music / Berklee 160), Boston, MA.
  • March 19, 2020. Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts / David Rubenstein Atrium, New York City, NY.

Monika Herzig / SHEROES
Bloomington, IN
Grant amount: $15,000

  • March 7, 2020. Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, IN.
  • March 8, 2020. Carnahan Hall, Lafayette, IN.
  • March 12, 2020. BOP STOP @ The Music Settlement, Cleveland, OH.
  • March 14, 2020. Georgetown Club Secret Cellar, Washington, DC.
  • March 20, 2020. Robinson Grand Performing Arts Theatre, Clarksburg, WV.
  • March 21, 2020. Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, Pittsburgh, PA.

Naughty Professor
New Orleans, LA
Grant amount: $15,000

  • March 1, 2020. 2020 Green Country Jazz Festival – Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK.
  • March 4, 2020. Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO.
  • March 6, 2020. Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO.
  • March 8, 2020. Ullrs Tavern, Winter Park, CO.

Rahsaan Barber / Everyday Magic
Nashville, TN
Grant amount: $12,800

  • July 10, 2020. City Winery Chicago, Chicago, IL.
  • July 11, 2020. City Winery New York City, New York City, NY.
  • July 12, 2020. City Winery Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA.
  • July 13, 2020. City Winery Boston, Boston, MA.
  • July 15, 2020. City Winery Washington, Washington, DC.
  • July 17, 2020. The Jazz Kitchen/Barking Legs Theater, Indianapolis, IN.

Sammy Figueroa / Latin Jazz Explosion
Miami Beach, FL
Grant amount: $12,394

  • October 9, 2019. Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL.
  • October 10, 2019. Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL.
  • October 11, 2019. Nighttown, Cleveland, OH.
  • October 12, 2019. A Brighter Way (a workshop event in the Blue Llama Night Club), Ann Arbor, MI.
  • October 12, 2019. Blue Llama Jazz Club, Ann Arbor, MI.

Scott Kettner / Nation Beat
Maplewood, NJ
Grant amount: $15,000

  • February 26, 2020. Coastal Carolina University, Conway, SC.
  • February 28, 2020. Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
  • February 29, 2020. Creative Alliance, Baltimore, MD.
  • March 1, 2020. Rittenhouse Soundworks, Philadelphia, PA.
  • March 7, 2020. Rockland Conservatory, Pearl River, NY.

Steve Swell / Kende Dreams
New York, NY
Grant amount: $6,958

  • March 9, 2020. Rhizome, Washington, DC.
  • March 10, 2020. Keystone Corner, Baltimore, MD.
  • March 12, 2020. Bop Shop, Rochester, NY.
  • March 13, 2020. Pioneer Valley Jazz Shares, Northampton, MA.

Ulysses Owens, Jr. / Generation Y
New York, NY
Grant amount: $12,602

  • April 22, 2020. Keystone Korner Baltimore, Baltimore, MD.
  • April 23, 2020. Timucua Arts Foundation, Orlando, FL.
  • April 24, 2020. The Jazz Corner, Hilton Head Island, SC.

William Parker / A Word is a Sound
New York, NY
Grant amount: $10,750

  • May 15, 2020. Flynn Performing Arts Center @ FlynnSpace, Burlington, VT.
  • May 16, 2020. Unitarian Church of Montpelier, Montpelier, VT.
  • May 17, 2020. HIghland Center for the arts, Greensboro, VT.

Yacine Boulares / AJOYO feat Sarah Elizabeth Charles
Brooklyn, NY
Grant amount: $10,050

  • November 3, 2019. Hancock Performing Arts Center, Kiln, MS.
  • November 4, 2019. Mystic Order of the Jazz Obsessed, Mobile, AL.
  • November 5, 2019. Arts In McNairy, Selmer, TN.
  • November 1 & 2, 2019. Velvet Note (2 nights), Alpharetta, GA.