In recognition of International Jazz Day (celebrated worldwide on April 30), Jazz at Lincoln Center announces the 2019 Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame inductees, tallied from a public voting campaign that was initiated earlier this month. The new inductees are: saxophonists Julian “Cannonball” Adderley and Frank Trumbauer; vocalist and pianist Dinah Washington; and drummer and bandleader Chick Webb. The new Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame class will be celebrated with special performances at Dizzy’s Club on July 16–17, 2019.
The Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame honors legendary artists or members of the jazz community based on their singular dedication and outstanding contribution to jazz. To date, Jazz at Lincoln Center has inducted 61 members into the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame and will continue to induct new members annually. The 2019 nominees were selected by a Jazz at Lincoln Center-appointed panel, which includes Bill Charlap, Aaron Diehl, Jon Faddis, Will Friedwald, Ethan Iverson, Jerome Jennings, Renee Rosnes, Catherine Russell, Bobby Sanabria, Phil Schaap, Loren Schoenberg, Bria Skonberg, Terell Stafford, Helen Sung, and Ben Young.
Julian “Cannonball” Adderley (1928–1975)
An alto saxophonist of incredible influence, Cannonball Adderley managed to help define multiple styles of playing, making indelible contributions to the worlds of hard bop, modal jazz, soul jazz, and fusion. Sporting a full-bodied sound and blues-drenched delivery, Cannonball’s playing graced some of music’s most iconic records, from Kind of Blue to The Black Messiah.
Frank Trumbauer (1901–1956)
The musical line of cool innovators like Chet Baker and Miles Davis traces back to the saxophone poet Lester Young, but indeed Lester’s own innovations owe a tremendous debt to the masterful Frank Trumbauer. The nonpareil master of the C Melody saxophone, Trumbauer, famously in collaboration with Bix Beiderbecke, mastered a singing lyrical line that set the gold standard for the jazz ballad.
Dinah Washington (1924–1963)
A formidable vocal master who even enjoyed crossover success on the charts, Dinah Washington effortlessly bridged the worlds of jazz, blues, R&B, and even pop. Washington’s distinctive vocal prowess and tone enabled her to take any song and make it uniquely her own, undertaking transformative interpretations of anything from Fats Waller to Hank Williams.
Chick Webb (1905–1939)
Few bands in the Swing Era swung as hard as the Chick Webb Orchestra. Overseeing one of jazz’s most formidable ensembles, Webb drove the band along with some of the most swinging, innovative, and influential drum work of the era. Whether on instrumental numbers like “Harlem Congo” or on vocal works like “A-Tisket A-Tasket” (featuring the rising star of Ella Fitzgerald), Webb and his ensemble were one of the Swing Era’s most remarkable forces to be reckoned with and a perpetual favorite of dancers everywhere.
For more information on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame visit http://academy.jazz.org/hall-of-fame/.
Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame is located in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th Street in New York City. For additional information, visit jazz.org.
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