Saturday's TS Monk semifinals concluded Sunday evening at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC with the finals and gala concert. The event was hosted by Herbie Hancock, TS Monk, Billy Dee Williams, General Colin Powell, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and Phylicia Ryshad.
The special guests were Terence Blanchard (trumpet), Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals), Teri Lyne Carrington (drums), Ron Carter (bass), Kurt Elling (vocals), Kevin Eubanks (guitar), Doug E. Fresh (vocals) Jimmy Heath (saxophone), Chaka Khan (vocals), Joe Lovano (saxophone), Christian McBride (bass), T.S. Monk (drums), John Patitucci (bass), Dianne Reeves (vocals), and Wayne Shorter (saxophone).
The 25th Anniversary All-Star concert was a tribute to the queen of soul, 20 time Grammy winner Aretha Franklin.
The judging panel consisted of Herbie Hancock, Ellis Marsalis, Danilo Perez, Renee Rosnes and Jason Moran.
Former competition winners also took the stage including Gretchen Parlato, Ambrose Akinmusire, Seamus Blake, Ronald Bruner, Jr., Gerald Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Joey DeFrancesco, Sebestian de Krom, Johm Ellis, Roberta Gambarini, Alvester Garrett, John Gordon, Darryl Hall, Andre Hayward, Lisa Henry, Jon Irabagon, Sara Lazarus, Erik Lewis (ELEW), Lionel Loueke, Godwin Louis, Lage Lund, Jane Monheit, Joshua Redman, Ted Rosenthal, Cecile McLorin Salvant (last year's vocal winner), Joe Sanders, Walter Smith, Harold Summey, Helen Sung, Jacky Terrasson, Sean Thomas, Diego Urcola, Jesse van Ruller, James Westfall, Ben Williams and Domtac Winslow.
The competition band, which accompanied all finalists, was Rodney Whitaker (MSU head of jazz studies) on bass, and Carl Allen on drums.
The evening's very special guest was Jennifer Hudson. WOW. (Herbie was flustered.)
The 2011 piano competition winner was Kris Bowers from Los Angeles, California. He received a cash prize of $25,000 and a recording contract with Concord Music Group. He is shown in the first photo above. The second photo is the program cover, printed from an oil painting by Billy Dee Williams.
