Every year since 1974 Highlights In Jazz has honored a living jazz musician for their 'matchless musical achievements'.Previous honorees have included Lionel Hampton, Roy Eldridge, Frank Wess, Roy Haynes, Maxine Sullivan, Hank Jones and Dr. Billy Taylor to name a few.This years honoree is the saxophone master Sonny Fortune.When critics speak of Sonny Fortune, names like Coltrane, Cannonball, Young, Bechet, Hawkins and Parker are mentioned. Quite a legacy - but well deserved - for Sonny Fortune embodies all of the finest qualities of those late, great musicians: hard work, dedication to his art, and exceptional music. Lucky for us, Sonny is still here and blowing hard.The Philadelphia native (born 1939) has been on the jazz scene since his move to New York City in 1968.  Over all these years he's performed and recorded with many of the most notable jazz artists; Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Frank Foster, Mongo Santamaria and Buddy Rich to name a few. He's been a leader of his own groups and has released over a dozen recordings including three for the legendary Blue Note label.He's been featured on CBS TV's 48 Hours with Dan Rather; a featured soloist on the soundtrack for the Jack Nicholson film, The Crossing Guard, and was the subject of a CBS Sunday Morning feature with Billy Taylor. He headlined the first Chicago Playboy Jazz Festival and was the featured jazz performer at the Atlanta Montreaux International Music Festival.Sonny continues to tour with appearances at major festivals and clubs in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Japan.The noted author and critic Howard Mandel had this to say about Sonny Fortune:"Of all of Trane's lasting contributions, perhaps the greatest to the future of improvised music was his example of spiritual integrity and physical drive. Sonny blows with both."-A Salute To Sonny FortuneThursday, April 12th 8PMwith George Cables, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, Robin Eubanks, Lew Soloff