Jazz band cancels New Year's Eve performance at Trump-Kennedy Center with 2 days' notice

An acclaimed jazz band has canceled its New Year's Eve performance at the Trump-Kennedy Center following the renaming of the institution.

Though the Cookers did not provide a reason, the band said the decision on Dec. 29 "has come together very quickly."

"Jazz was born from struggle and from a relentless insistence on freedom: freedom of thought, of expression, and of the full human voice," the band wrote on its website. "Some of us have been making this music for many decades, and that history still shapes us. We are not turning away from our audience, and do want to make sure that when we do return to the bandstand, the room is able to celebrate the full presence of the music and everyone in it."

The band continued to say that their hope "is that this moment will leave space for reflection, not resentment."

"To everyone who is disappointed or upset, we understand and share your sadness," they said. "We remain committed to playing music that reaches across divisions rather than deepening them."

The last-minute cancellation follows the Kennedy Center's board of trustees' controversial Dec. 18 decision to rename the music, arts, and cultural institution the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

Jazz musician Chuck Redd canceled a Christmas Eve performance in protest of the renaming.

Redd's decision prompted Trump-Kennedy Center President Richard Grenell to seek $1 million in damages for the "political stunt" that "has cost us considerably," according to a Dec. 26 letter to Redd obtained by USA TODAY.

In a Dec. 29 statement to USA TODAY, a spokesperson for The Kennedy Center doubled down on its criticism of Redd: "Any artist cancelling their show at the Trump-Kennedy Center over political differences isn't courageous or principled ‒ they are selfish, intolerant."

"Art is a shared cultural experience meant to unite, not exclude," the statement continued. "The Trump-Kennedy Center is a true bipartisan institution that welcomes artists and patrons from all backgrounds. Great art transcends politics, and America's cultural center remains committed to presenting popular programming that inspires and resonates with all audiences."

In addition to Redd's and the Cookers' cancellation, the New York Times is reporting that the New York dance company Doug Varone and Dancers is canceling two performances in April.

Varone, who leads the company, said in an email to the Times that it will mean losing $40,000: “It is financially devastating but morally exhilarating."

Contributing: KiMi Robinson