50 very old jazz players receive $100,000 each

The Mellon Foundation has launched a $35 million initiative for the preservation of jazz and its legacies.

Among the bequests, we read, the fellowship will support 50 seasoned jazz artists aged 62 and older. Each recipient will be honored with a lifetime achievement award and receive an unrestricted grant of $100,000.

The diverse cohort of fellows comprises artists across a range of instruments, including bass, drums, flugelhorn, saxophone, organ, piano, reeds, trombone, trumpet, and vocals, and spans styles from avant-garde and free jazz to hard bop and fusion.

The guitarist Manty Ellis, 92, from Milwaukee (pictured), appears to be the oldest beneficiary.