Dr. John and McCoy Tyner Honored by The Jazz Foundation of America During Its 15th Annual 'A Great Night in Harlem' GALA -- October 27 at Harlem's Historic Apollo Theater

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Sep 28, 2016) - The Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) will host its 15th Annual "A Great Night in Harlem" gala on Thursday, October 27, at the world famous Apollo Theater in Harlem. Proceeds will go to the JFA's Musicians Emergency Fund, reserved to benefit creative jazz, blues, and R&B artists who have contributed their talents and works to American Music and that includes an ongoing relief effort for Louisiana musicians affected by August's devastating floods. Emceeing the evening will be esteemed actors Danny Glover and Joe Morton.

The recipient of 2016's Hank Jones Award (named after the legendary jazz pianist and composer) is Rock and Roll Hall Of Famer Mac Rebennack, aka Dr. John, winner of six Grammy awards, and famous for his New Orleans-style blues, R&B, jazz, and funk. Beyond releasing 35 albums and the classic Top Ten hit "Right Place, Wrong Time," Dr. John's signature keyboards are embedded on recordings by The Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Gregg Allman, Neil Diamond, Carly Simon, James Taylor, Rickie Lee Jones, Levon Helm, Maria Muldaur, and many others. His music also can be found in classic films such as Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz, National Lampoon's European Vacation, and 101 Dalmatians, plus TV series like Blossom and K-Ville, even appearing as himself in episodes of NCIS New Orleans and HBO's Treme.

Acclaimed jazz pianist McCoy Tyner also will be honored at A Great Night in Harlem with the JFA's Lifetime Achievement Award. Admired for his unique synthesis of blues, jazz, and a flair for staccato and the pentatonic scale, this mainly Impulse!, Blue Note, and Milestone artist delivered close to 75 solo albums over his lifetime, recording with legendary artists including John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, George Benson, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Stanley Turrentine, Art Farmer, Bobby Hutcherson, Donald Byrd, Freddie Hubbard, and Stephane Grappelli. Past recipients included Sonny Rollins, Bono, Herbie Hancock, and JFA Board member Quincy Jones.

JFA's Titans of Jazz Award will be presented to Bob Cranshaw, Harold Mabern and Dr. Frank Forte.

As in 2015, Steve Jordan will serve as Musical Director, overseeing this year's assembly of musicians and special guests who will pay tribute to Dr. John and McCoy Tyner. Performers at this year's A Great Night in Harlem will include blues guitarist/vocalist Robert Cray, the multi-genre John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Pino Palladino, Steve Jordan), funk/soul/gospel pedal steel guitarist Robert Randolph, actor/R&B singer Bruce Willis, Late Show with Stephen Colbert bandleader Jon Batiste, and others.

A Great Night in Harlem concerts serve as both fundraisers and events to raise awareness of the JFA's efforts to provide assistance to musicians facing homelessness, hunger, poverty, eviction, and those in need of medical assistance, as well as uplifting through education and offering dignified work. Among the various programs the JFA offers are Agnes Varis Jazz in the Schools, The Musicians' Legacy, and the Monday Night Jam Series.

For more information: http://www.jazzfoundation.org/what-we-do

Event Information:
Apollo Theater
253 West 125th Street
New York, NY (between 7th and 8th Avenues)
October 27, 2016
Concert Doors open at 7:30

About The Jazz Foundation of America

For 27 years, the Jazz Foundation of America (JFA) has been keeping jazz and blues alive by helping the musicians who played with everyone from Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday to Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. It currently assists in more than 5,000 cases a year nationwide. http://jazzfoundation.org

Programs include:

• Preventing homelessness, hunger and eviction by paying rents and mortgages and providing emergency financial assistance
• Creating dignified work through our Agnes Varis Jazz & Blues in the School program, which employs over 250 musicians every month and 70,000 audience members a year -- from public school children to seniors in nursing homes
• Providing free medical care, including surgery, via a partnership with Englewood Hospital & Medical Center, who have donated $7 million in services since 1994
• Funding for the Musicians' Emergency Fund when illness, hunger, accident or crisis strikes

* Tickets and donations can be purchased and made at http://jazzfoundation.org/apollo2016

SAVING JAZZ AND BLUES... ONE MUSICIAN AT A TIME.