The National Endowment for the Arts is continuing its long history of honoring America’s rich, artistic heritage with today’s announcement of the 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients, including Michael Cleveland. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the program, our nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. A film celebrating the 2022 class of artists and tradition bearers will premiere in the fall on arts.gov

“In their artistic practices, the NEA National Heritage Fellows tell their own stories on their own terms. They pass their skills and knowledge to others through mentorship and teaching,” said National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “These honorees are not only sustaining the cultural history of their art form and of their community, they are also enriching our nation as a whole.”

Each fellowship includes a $25,000 award and all of the recipients will be featured in a film that will premiere in November 2022 on arts.gov. Through the film, viewers will have the opportunity to visit the homes and communities where the fellows live and work, providing a connection to the distinct art forms and traditions these artists practice.

Read more on NEA

Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper on TKA

Charles Lloyd, now 84, has lived many lives. Over the decades, the saxophone virtuoso has blurred the lines between jazz and popular music, playing with B.B. King, Cannonball Adderley, The Beach Boys and The Grateful Dead – and he’s still flowing with music.

This year, Lloyd is releasing three different albums featuring three different trio ensembles. The first album in the series, Chapel, recorded with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan comes out Friday. Ocean, featuring pianist Gerald Clayton and guitarist Anthony Wilson, comes out Aug 26. Sacred Thread, the final trio featuring guitarist Julian Lage and percussionist Zakir Hussain, comes out Oct 28.

Lloyd says creating and recording them gave him an opportunity to search inward.

Hear more on NPR

Charles Lloyd on TKA