The Jazz Foundation of America will present its annual spring benefit gala, A Great Night in Harlem, on Thursday, May 21, at 8 p.m. at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City.
This year’s program will honor 10-time GRAMMY Award winner Norah Jones with the 2026 Dr. Billy Taylor Humanitarian Award. The evening will also celebrate bassist Buster Williams and saxophonist Gary Bartz, who have been named recipients of the 2026 Jazz Legacies Fellowship.
JFA Artistic Director Steve Jordan will lead the evening’s program, which will feature a wide-ranging lineup of jazz, blues, soul and roots music artists. Highlights include a centennial tribute to Miles Davis featuring Gary Bartz and Patrice Rushen; Buster Williams’ Something More with Lenny White; a tribute to Ernest Ranglin featuring 17-year-old guitar phenom Marel Hidalgo; and a tribute to Cal Tjader and Willie Bobo featuring Juan Diego Villalobos and Sammy Figueroa.
Additional performers announced for the event include Mino Cinelu, Clifton Anderson, Mike Camacho, George Colligan, James Genus, Mike Griot, Winard Harper, Stefon Harris, Monte Croft, Ana Petrova, Antoine Roney, Pablito Rosario, Leonieke Scheuble, Marcos Torres, Steve Wilson and more. The evening will also feature special guest Ann Curry.
One of the Jazz Foundation’s signature events, A Great Night in Harlem raises funds for the organization’s social service and employment programs, which support jazz, blues, roots and R&B musicians facing hardship due to age, illness or unforeseen circumstances. JFA’s programs include housing assistance, pro bono medical care, disaster relief, direct financial support, school and community performance programs, and dignified employment opportunities for musicians.
Past honorees and performers at the gala have included Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock, Tony Bennett, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Keith Richards, Jon Batiste, Common, Lou Reed and John Mayer.
VIP tickets and benefit packages are available through the Jazz Foundation of America, with concert-only tickets available through the Jazz at Lincoln Center box office. More information is available at jazzfoundation.org/greatnight26.
