Paul Allen to be honored with Herbie Hancock award Sunday

Paul Allen, the multibillionaire co-founder of Microsoft who owns Vulcan and several professional sports teams, will be honored with the Herbie Hancock Humanitarian Award from the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles on Sunday.

The award was established for Hancock as a tribute to the Grammy-winning jazz legend last year. According to a release, Allen was chosen for "his visionary achievements as a businessman and a global philanthropist," Hancock said.

Sunday's ceremony honoring Allen is part of the nonprofit jazz-education organization's gala benefit concert, "The Blues and Jazz: Two American Classics," at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. Allen will not be attending.

"It's extra special for both men that they share a love of music," said David Postman, Allen's spokesman at Vulcan. "The proceeds of this event are going to go to music programs in New Orleans and Los Angeles and around the coast. (Hancock and Allen) share a vision of using their place to make art, culture, music, science available to people that don't get it."

B.B. King will also be honored at the Sunday event, with the Jazz Founder's Award. The gala is preceded by the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, when the three young finalists in this year's instrument — the saxophone — will compete for $20,000, $10,000 and $5,000 scholarships.

After the awards ceremony, a band that includes guitarist Kevin Eubanks from "The Tonight Show" will play "Red House," a Jimi Hendrix song.

U2 will also be in the house. "Bono and the Edge are going to be there, in part because they consider Paul Allen to be a friend," Postman said. They'll play at the event with B.B. King, the legendary bluesman whose the latest in a string of music stars to be honored with the Monk Foundation's Founders Award, including Stevie Wonder, Clint Eastwood and Hancock himself.

Andrew Matson: 206-464-2153 or amatson@seattletimes.com