Dee Dee Bridgewater is among the few entertainers who have commanded such depth of artistry in every medium. She has been rewarded with a Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical – The Wiz), won two Grammy® Awards (1998’s Best Jazz Vocal Performance and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal for "Cottontail" – Slide Hampton, arranger – "Dear Ella"), and received France’s 1998 top honor Victoire de la Musique (Best Jazz Vocal Album). As a sparkling ambassador for jazz, she toured the Soviet Union in 1969 with the University of Illinois Big Band. Her New York Debut in 1970 marked an early career in concerts and on recordings with such giants as Sonny Rollins, Dizzy Gillespie, and Dexter Gordon. Performing the lead in demanding acting and singing roles as Sophisticated Ladies, Black Ballad, Carmen Jazz and the musical Cabaret, she secured her reputation as a consummate entertainer. Taking over the reigns of NPR’s Jazzset from Branford Marsalis, Dee Dee continues to bring her message to listeners by presenting today's best jazz artists in performance on stages around the world.