Jazz Giants

Improvisational.
Consequential.
Intergenerational.
Sometimes fierce.
And sometimes delicate.
Often unforgettable.
And always free. 

Since its emergence over a hundred years ago, jazz has meant many different things to many different people, but its importance as the first truly American artform is undeniable.  

Today, the artform is reaching an inflection point—when many musicians whose lineages can be connected to jazz’s origins are nearing the end of their careers. Their stories? They should be preserved and shared. And the living luminaries, themselves? They should be honored and cared for. 

In 2025, Mellon launched a $35 million initiative aimed at supporting the cultural preservation of jazz, championing the legacies of the artists who have played a pivotal role in its formation, and strengthening the broader jazz ecosystem through grants to organizations that are critical to the artform.  

Musicians are at the center of this work, including an all-new Jazz Legacies Fellowship that—through a lifetime achievement award, along with tailored professional and personal support—recognizes the pinnacle of creative achievement, technical mastery, and boundary-pushing expression.  

As their stories are shared and their legacies supported, meet and celebrate some of the inaugural fellows. 

In partnership with Mellon, and designed in close collaboration with a host of celebrated musician advisors, the Jazz Legacies Fellowship is led by the Jazz Foundation of America. The inaugural class of 20 Jazz Legacies Fellows are the first of 50 artists to be named fellows over the next four years. 

See the full list of Jazz Legacy Fellows.