Focused on increasing opportunities for musicians most underrepresented in the art form, Next Jazz Legacy is a three-year, national program launched by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice for women and non-binary improvisers in Jazz. The program invests in awardees through personalized, intergenerational apprenticeships, financial support, and a mission to inspire waves of lasting change. Next Jazz Legacy receives major funding from the Mellon Foundation and support from Joe and Nancy Walker.

Combining individual and group learning opportunities with a comprehensive support package designed to deliver deep impacts on each awardee’s career, the seven selected artists receive $10,000, performance opportunities with a master bandleader, two-way mentorship, a learning cohort, and professional promotional support.  

With gender and racial justice as guiding principles, this group of Next Jazz Legacy awardees was chosen through an open application call followed by a meticulous, months-long review process by a distinguished and diverse panel of jazz luminaries, chaired by NEA Jazz Master and Next Jazz Legacy’s Artistic Director, Terri Lyne Carrington. Once the awardees were selected, Carrington and the Next Jazz Legacy team worked closely with each of the musicians to match them with a master bandleader for a year-long performance apprenticeship, as well as a creative mentor, both of whom are aligned with the awardees’ unique interests.

In addition to Terri Lyne Carrington, the selection committee for the 2024 Next Jazz Legacy cohort included Brian Lynch, Camille Thurman, Caroline Davis, Elena Pinderhughes, Etienne Charles, Ingrid Jensen, Kendrick Scott, Kris Davis, Linda May Han Oh, Matthew Stevens, Mimi Jones, and Walter Smith III. 

Next Jazz Legacy is guided by an advisory board that includes artists Gerald Clayton and Kris Davis, and representatives from institutions such as Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, NPR, WBGO, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, New York Winter Jazz Festival, and beyond. The NJL program is managed by Harlem-based music event producer and singer-songwriter Kendolyn Walker. Any questions about the program should be addressed to Kendolyn at [email protected]. 

The third class of seven Next Jazz Legacy artists encompasses diverse backgrounds and talents that reflect a commitment to innovation and artistic excellence within the jazz community. In addition, they have navigated challenges such as sexism, socio-economic status, and access to opportunities.   

Click here to read the full news announcement of the 2024 Next Jazz Legacy cohort.  

See the full list of Next Jazz Legacy artists, their respective instruments and bandleader pairings below.