South Arts Announces Summer 2023 Jazz Road Artists

Today, South Arts is pleased to announce the Summer 2023 Jazz Road Artists—11 artists and ensembles receiving funding from the Jazz Road Tours initiative to promote and tour their artistry around the nation.

Relaunched in 2022 by South Arts with funding from Doris Duke Foundation and the Mellon Foundation, Jazz Road Tours annually supports approximately 50 jazz artists with grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 to cover a portion of tour expenses and tighten the pay gap between artists and presenters. Some of these expenses include venue and travel fees, equitable pay for the artists, or costs of management, coordination, and promotion.

Each of the artists submitted an application and work samples, which were reviewed and selected by a panel of experts across the jazz field. Based on the artistic excellence and merit of the proposed tour, the Summer 2023 Jazz Road Artists were selected supporting their performances between September 2023 through February 2024.

“We are excited to announce the Summer cohort of Jazz Road Artists and support bringing their work on the road to stages and audiences across the country,” said Drew Tucker, Director of Jazz with South Arts. “Equitable pay is at the heart of Jazz Road Tours. There are countless venues that stay dark because artists are unable to get properly paid for their tours. With this program, we are proud to break the mold and put funds directly into the hands of artists so they can connect with audiences across the country.”

The Summer 2023 Jazz Road Artists are:

• Alex LoRe and Weirdear | Brooklyn, NY
• Helen Sung Quartet | Forest Hills, NY
• Mike Conrad Trio | Cedar Falls, IA
• Charlie Ballantine Trio | Baltimore, MD
• Jalen Baker Quartet | Houston, TX
• Richie Goods and Chien Chien Lu - Connected | West Mifflin, PA
• Ches Smith and We All Break | Brooklyn, NY
• Jesse Palter Quartet | Huntington Woods, MI
• Sumi Tonoooka Trio with Alchemy Sound Project | Philadelphia, PA
• The Gabriel Alegria Afro-Peruvian Sextet | Jersey City, NJ
• Marlon Simon and Nagual Spirits | Katy, TX

Their individual tours will officially begin as early as September 2023 and continue through the start of 2024, spanning cities across the U.S. like Austin, TX; Baltimore, MD; Charlotte, NC; Chicago, IL; Indianapolis, IN; Nashville, TN; New Haven, CT; Memphis, TN; Oakland, CA; Philadelphia, PA; Portland, OR; Richmond, VA; San Francisco, CA; Sarasota, FL; Washington, DC and more.

A core component of South Arts’ national Jazz Road initiative, Jazz Road Tours is coordinated in partnership with five fellow regional arts organizations: Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, and the Western States Arts Federation.

Since launching in 2018, Jazz Road Tours has provided more than 130 artists with nearly $2M in funding to share their work on a national scale. Through the end of 2026, those numbers will double.

Applications to Jazz Road Tours are being accepted through 2026 with multiple deadlines per year. The next deadline is September 19, 2023. To learn more about the Jazz Road, view previous artists, and learn about funding opportunities, visit southarts.org.