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A long-standing Christmas Eve jazz tradition at the Kennedy Center has been abruptly canceled after President Donald Trump’s name was added to the iconic performing arts venue last week.
Musician Chuck Redd, who has hosted the popular “Jazz Jam” holiday concerts since 2006, confirmed to The Associated Press on Wednesday that he personally made the decision to call off the performance in direct response to the controversial name change.
“When I saw the name change on the Kennedy Center website and then hours later on the building, I chose to cancel our concert,” Redd said via email. The Kennedy Center’s website now lists the event as canceled, and center officials have not yet responded to requests for comment.
The facility’s facade was modified last Friday to read “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts,” following approval by the president’s handpicked board of trustees. Scholars and legal experts have quickly challenged the legality of the modification.
Redd, an accomplished drummer and vibraphone player who has collaborated with jazz legends including Dizzy Gillespie and Ray Brown, had continued a tradition established by bassist William “Keter” Betts. The Christmas Eve jazz performances had become a cherished holiday fixture in Washington’s cultural calendar for more than two decades.
The controversy stems from the center’s founding legislation. After President Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, Congress passed a law the following year specifically designating the center as a living memorial to him. That legislation explicitly prohibits the board of trustees from transforming the center into a memorial for anyone else or placing another person’s name on the building’s exterior.
Kerry Kennedy, niece of the late president, has already vowed to remove Trump’s name from the building once he leaves office. Former House historian Ray Smock has joined numerous experts asserting that any substantive changes to the memorial’s designation would legally require congressional approval, not merely board action.
The name change represents the culmination of Trump’s dramatic shift in engagement with the Kennedy Center. After largely ignoring the institution during his first term, the Republican president has taken extraordinary interest in the center named for one of America’s most iconic Democratic presidents. In recent months, Trump has orchestrated the removal of its leadership, overhauled the board of trustees while installing himself as its head, and personally hosted this year’s Kennedy Center Honors—breaking with the longstanding tradition of presidents serving primarily as ceremonial attendees.
These actions at the Kennedy Center align with what the administration has described as a broader mission to combat “woke” culture within federal cultural institutions. Critics view the moves as an unprecedented politicization of spaces traditionally insulated from partisan battles.
The jazz concert cancellation joins a growing list of artistic departures from the Kennedy Center since Trump’s return to office. Actress and producer Issa Rae and musician Peter Wolf have both withdrawn from scheduled performances. Most notably, Lin-Manuel Miranda canceled plans to bring his blockbuster musical “Hamilton” to the venue.
Cultural observers note that the escalating tensions between the artistic community and the administration could potentially damage the Kennedy Center’s ability to attract top-tier talent and maintain its standing as one of America’s premier performing arts institutions—a reputation carefully cultivated since its opening in 1971.
As the holiday season approaches, the absence of the traditional Christmas Eve jazz performance marks not just the end of a beloved musical tradition, but symbolizes the deepening divide over the Kennedy Center’s identity and future.
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12 Comments
It’s a shame that the holiday jazz concert has been caught up in this political controversy. The Kennedy Center should be focused on promoting the arts, not engaging in name disputes. I hope the organizers can find a solution that respects the event’s history and artistic spirit.
It’s disappointing to see politics interfere with the Kennedy Center’s programming. The Christmas Eve jazz concert is a beloved holiday event that should be protected from partisan disputes. I hope the venue and performers can find a way to move forward.
Agreed, the arts should remain above the fray of politics. Hopefully cooler heads will prevail and a solution can be found to reinstate this cherished annual concert.
This is an unfortunate situation. The Kennedy Center’s legacy should not be tarnished by political agendas. I hope the venue and organizers can find a way to restore the traditional jazz concert without further controversy.
I agree, the Christmas Eve jazz concert is an important cultural tradition that should not be disrupted. Hopefully a resolution can be found that respects the Center’s history and artistic mission.
While I understand the artist’s opposition to the Trump branding, canceling the jazz concert seems like a drastic measure that denies the public a beloved cultural experience. The Kennedy Center’s purpose is to foster the arts, not wage political battles. I hope a compromise can be reached.
Canceling a long-standing holiday event due to a name change seems like an overreaction. While the Trump branding is contentious, the show should go on for the sake of the performers and audience. This is an unfortunate politicization of the arts.
I understand the artist’s personal objection, but shutting down the concert deprives the public of an established cultural experience. Perhaps a compromise could be reached to preserve the tradition.
While I understand the artist’s principled stance, canceling the jazz concert seems like an extreme reaction that punishes the audience. The Kennedy Center’s purpose is to promote the arts, not engage in political battles. I hope they can find a way to restore the tradition.
You make a fair point. The public should not be deprived of a longstanding cultural event due to political disagreements. The Center and organizers should seek a compromise that upholds artistic integrity.
This is an unfortunate situation where politics has interfered with the Kennedy Center’s mission. The Christmas Eve jazz concert is an important tradition that should be protected, regardless of the name changes. I hope the venue and performers can work together to find a solution that upholds artistic integrity.
This is an unfortunate situation where the Kennedy Center’s mission has become entangled in partisan politics. The Christmas Eve jazz concert is an important tradition that should be preserved, regardless of the name changes. I hope the venue and performers can find a way to move forward.