A second acclaimed jazz ensemble has withdrawn from a performance at Washington DC's recently renamed performing arts centre, escalating a growing boycott by artists opposed to the institution's new title honouring former President Donald Trump.
New Year's Eve Cancellation Follows Renaming Controversy
The Cookers, a Grammy-nominated septet of legendary post-bop musicians, cancelled their 'A Jazz New Year's Eve' booking on Monday 29 December 2025, giving just two days' notice. While not stating an explicit reason, the band posted a statement on their website referencing jazz's origins. "Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice," it read.
This decision follows a vote earlier in December by the board of the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to rename it the 'Donald J Trump and John F Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts'. The move, spearheaded by Trump-appointed centre president Richard Grenell, prompted immediate outcry and legal challenges, with new signage swiftly installed.
A Growing Boycott and Legal Threats
The Cookers' withdrawal is part of a widening protest. It follows drummer Chuck Redd's cancellation of a Christmas Eve gig, which prompted Grenell to threaten a $1 million lawsuit for damages, calling it a "political stunt" in a letter obtained by the Washington Post.
Other acts have also pulled out. Folk singer Kristy Lee cancelled a concert scheduled for next month, stating on social media she couldn't perform where history is "renamed, or rebranded for somebody’s ego". Doug Varone and Dancers also withdrew two April performances, citing the renaming as an act of ego they could not support.
Grenell has responded to the cancellations by accusing "the left" of being "mad" that "the arts are for everyone". He claimed on social media that the acts were booked by "previous far left leadership" and labelled the boycotts a "form of derangement syndrome".
Historical Context and a Personal Stand
The Cookers, a band of primarily African-American musicians, anchored their statement in the historical struggle inherent to jazz. Saxophonist Billy Harper, a band member, was more explicit in comments to the Facebook group Jazz Stage. He said he "would never even consider performing in a venue bearing a name (and being controlled by the kind of board) that represents overt racism and deliberate destruction of African American music and culture".
Harper, who played with jazz greats like Max Roach, evoked a legacy of musicians taking a stand. "I know they would be turning in their graves to see me stand on a stage under such circumstances and betray all we fought for, and sacrificed for," he stated.
This resonates deeply in Washington DC, a city with a rich Black cultural history once nicknamed "Chocolate City" and the birthplace of icons like Duke Ellington and Marvin Gaye.
Despite the cancellation, The Cookers apologised to their audience, saying they "understand and share your sadness" and remain "committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them".
