A dozen distinguished artists have just joined the second cohort of Jazz Legacies Fellows, according to an announcement by The Mellon Foundation and the Jazz Foundation of America. They include pianist Kenny Barron, one of Philadelphia’s own, and bassist Buster Williams, who grew up across the river in Camden.
Barron and Williams, who have both also been recognized as NEA Jazz Masters, share plenty of history on the bandstand — including a celebrated duo album, Two As One. Separately, they also have connections to some of the other new Jazz Legacies Fellows, who represent a cross-section of musical achievement. The 10 other new inductees include singers Mary Stallings and Dee Alexander; multi-reedist Bennie Maupin; alto saxophonists Gary Bartz, Charles McPherson, Oliver Lake, and Donald Harrison; trombonist William Cepeda; pianist Marilyn Crispell; and saxophonist Archie Shepp.
The Jazz Legacies Fellowship was established last year with the stated mission of “supporting seasoned jazz musicians, aged 62 and over, by providing each recipient with a fellowship award of $100,000 in unrestricted funds and additional stipends for personal needs (i.e. housing, medical, and estate planning) and project support (i.e. tours, recordings, archiving, and teaching.” Members of the first cohort included bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Billy Hart and pianist Amina Claudine Myers.
“Receiving a Jazz Legacies Fellowship award brings light at this stage of the road, on my musical journey,” another 2025 fellow, cellist Akua Dixon, says in the press announcement. “Creative artists tread a path that only they can see. Being acknowledged for the difficult path that I've travelled and having assistance to continue creating on my own terms has been truly fulfilling.”
The 2026 fellows were selected by a panel of artists and presenters including saxophonists James Carter and Rudresh Mahanthappa, vibraphonist Stefon Harris, and pianists Samora Pinderhughes and Kris Davis. “The Jazz Legacies Fellowship is a rare and meaningful investment in the artists who have carried this music forward for decades,” attests Davis in a statement. “It recognizes lifetime achievement while affirming that these musicians’ voices remain essential to the future of jazz.”
Elizabeth Alexander, president of the Mellon Foundation, notes in the announcement that the new fellows stand for an expansive vision of creative innovation. “As we honor them and their leadership,” she adds, “we are proud to reaffirm our commitment to the American performing arts, to continue expanding robust, holistic support for American artists, and to join in lifting up jazz itself — a fundamentally American art form that celebrates and expresses freedom.”
Learn more about the 2026 Jazz Legacies Fellows, via the Mellon Foundation.
