National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Rocco Landesman and Jazz at Lincoln Center announced today that free tickets will be distributed for the January 12, 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony & Concert. Tickets are available for the general public at jalc.org/concerts or at the Jazz at Lincoln Center Box Office, located at Broadway at 60th Street, ground floor, open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm, as well as Sundays, 12pm to 6pm. Limit two tickets per person.

The 2010 NEA Jazz Masters are Muhal Richard Abrams, Kenny Barron, Bill Holman, Bobby Hutcherson, Yusef Lateef, Annie Ross, and Cedar Walton. The A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Award for Jazz Advocacy is awarded to George Avakian.

The 2010 NEA Jazz Masters Awards Ceremony & Concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center at Broadway at 60th Street and feature the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis in a program dedicated to the honorees' works. Joining them will be the many of the honorees themselves including Mr. Abrams, Mr. Barron, Mr. Holman, Mr. Lateef, and Ms. Ross. More than 25 living NEA Jazz Masters will be present, including Toshiko Akiyoshi, Ornette Coleman, Paquito d'Rivera, Ramsey Lewis, and Dr. Billy Taylor, among others. The evening will also feature video tributes to each of the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters. Additionally, the event will be broadcast live on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and WBGO.

“As the nephew of jazz lyricist Fran Landesman, it is especially meaningful to me that the National Endowment for the Arts can partner with Jazz at Lincoln Center to once again present our nation's top honor in jazz, “ said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. “Jazz only exists in the interactions between musicians and audiences, so I am thrilled that we are able to present a free concert and awards ceremony to connect these Americans legends with the broad audience these deserve."

“Jazz at Lincoln Center is honored to produce the concert to celebrate the great American Jazz Masters with the National Endowment for the Arts, “ said Adrian Ellis, Executive Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. “The contributions of the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters to the art form have been invaluable to the vibrancy of the music and we look forward to bringing this concert to jazz fans and newcomers alike."

Prior to the concert (time to be determined), the 2010 NEA Jazz Masters and more than 25 previously named NEA Jazz Masters will gather for a group photo opportunity. Members of the press who want to attend the concert or who would like to participate in the photo opportunity must reserve a place in advance.