Carolyn McClair Public Relations

Natixis Global Asset Management and Newport Jazz Festival
Kick Off 2012 Performance with Three-Year Sponsorship and Scholarship Program

Focus Spotlights Young Artists; Student Performer to Receive NGAM Scholarship

Natixis Global Asset Management (NGAM) and Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. today announced a new three-year sponsorship agreement that highlights aspiring young jazz performers. In addition to this year’s line-up of world-class artists, the 2012 Jazz Festival will feature The Rhode Island Music Educators Association (RIMEA) Jazz Band, an all-star, all-state band of high school jazz musicians from Rhode Island who will be the opening performance on Saturday, August 4. This concert season, the agreement includes a $5,000 NGAM scholarship for a selected student musician from the band.

“Although the social and academic benefits of music education have been well documented, throughout our national educational system the performing arts are continually threatened by budget cuts,” said John Hailer, president and chief executive officer, Natixis Global Asset Management – The Americas & Asia. “Working with the Newport Jazz Festival, it is our goal to provide additional opportunities for extraordinary young artists to participate in professional venues as they pursue their dreams.”

For the fourth consecutive year, the Newport Jazz Festival will also welcome back young jazz artists from Berklee College of Music. The Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors, a group handpicked from the college’s Global Jazz Institute, which is under the artistic direction of Grammy-winning pianist Danilo Pérez, will open the festival’s main stage on Sunday, August 5. They will be joined by special guest Adam Cruz, widely celebrated as one of the most innovative drummers in jazz today.

Newport Jazz Festival impresario and Chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation George Wein said the idea of featuring the RIMEA musicians at the festival originated with a suggestion from Hailer, who expressed the desire to help young performers. “The end result,” said Wein, “is a new partnership with Natixis Global Asset Management that now reinforces the joint commitment of both our organizations to help talented young performers develop future careers as professional musicians.”

A non-profit organization, RIMEA was founded in 1917, making it the second oldest state music association in the country. As part of its commitment to provide a variety of music opportunities for students and music educators, each year the group selects high school musicians to participate in workshops and perform in concerts throughout the year.

The members of the 2012 Senior All-State Jazz Ensemble are: Rachel Hill (Barrington High School) and Ben Pallant (East Greenwich), alto saxophone; Nathaniel Schaffer (West Warwick) and Chase Ceglie (Rogers in Newport), tenor saxophone; Steven Jacquard (Scituate), baritone saxophone; Paul Spetrini (North Kingstown), Nathan Ward, Dan Andsager, Jacob Greenberg (Barrington) and Walker Harris (Moses Brown), trumpet; Lily Pavao (Scituate), Fred Crudale (South Kingstown), Aaron Schwartz and Willy Gutman (Barrington), trombone; Elizabeth Marcotte (North Smithfield), vocalist; Andrew Wynsen (North Kingstown), piano; Erik Broess (Lincoln), guitar; Jonathan Elyashiv (Providence Country Day School), bass; Jesse Ray Leich (North Kingstown) and Peter Craig (South Kingstown), drums.

Natixis Global Asset Management is also a sponsor of Berklee College of Music’s Summer in the City program, with concerts throughout metro Boston, as well as the Berklee Beantown Jazz Festival. Over the decades, Berklee jazz musicians have had the honor of performing at the Newport Jazz Festival on numerous occasions. This year, the Berklee Global Jazz Ambassadors – Matthew Halpin (Dublin, Ireland), tenor saxophone; Lihi Haruvi (Tel Aviv, Israel), alto saxophone; Alex Hargreaves (Corvallis, Oregon), violin; Christian Li (Horseheads, New York), piano; and Spencer Stewart (Vancouver, Washington), bass – will open the Festival’s main stage on Sunday, August 5. The international composition of the group gives a sense of the Berklee student body, which represents some 85 countries worldwide.

The 2012 Newport Jazz Festival line-up features Pat Metheny Unity Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dianne Reeves, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jack DeJohnette’s 70^th Birthday Celebration, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon, Bill Frisell – John Lennon Songbook, Kurt Elling and many others. For more information, please visit www.newportjazzfest.net.

Natixis Global Asset Management (www.ngam.natixis.com) ranks among the world’s 15 largest asset managers.¹ As a multi-boutique company, NGAM brings together the diverse views of over 20 specialized investment managers under one umbrella with the belief that this combined expertise offers unique market perspective. The firm spreads this same ideal in the global community by sponsoring programs and events that help enrich the lives of individuals and enhance and preserve the cultural experience for future generations through music.

The Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build up and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Jazz Festival and Newport Folk Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Jazz Festival presents performers who respect and honor jazz music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. Through the establishment of partnerships with local high schools and colleges/universities, the Foundation will present programs to educate young people about jazz music as presented at the annual festivals. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

¹ Cerulli Quantitative Update: Global Markets 2011, based on December 31, 2010 AUM of $713 billion.

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Artists subject to change.

The 2011 Newport Jazz Festival^® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

2012 Newport Folk Festival® Sells Out
More Than Three Months in Advance

10,000 Fans Per Day to Celebrate Folk Music
in the Seaside City Where George Wein and Pete Seeger
Launched the Festival in 1959

NEWPORT, RI, April 23, 2011 – With more than three months left before the 2012 Newport Folk Festival® takes over Fort Adams State Park July 27 – 29, the 53^rd edition of the iconic event in Newport, RI is sold out, it was announced today by George Wein and the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™   Last year’s festival marked the first time in history that both days sold out in advance.

Ten thousand fans per day will celebrate the music in Newport on Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm.  Tickets are still available for the Friday night concert featuring Wilco, Blitzen Trapper and Megafaun at  http://www.newportfolkfest.net/wilco/.

“We are incredibly humbled that our festival has found such a prized place in the hearts and minds of music fans across the nation, and indeed around the world,” said Festival Producer Jay Sweet. “To sell out so early is really a tribute to our incredible artists, partners, volunteers, local and national media, and most ultimately, our dedicated fans. The Folk Festival Family is truly unique and we’re continually amazed how each and every one of you takes such an active role in making this annual reunion better year after year.”

“From the online posts and other correspondence that we have received since tickets went on sale on March 1, we knew this was going to be a special year,” said George Wein, Festival Founder/Producer and Chairman of the Board of the Newport Festivals Foundation.  “But, never in my more than six decades of producing festivals have I enjoyed a sold out event this far in advance.  Thank you all for helping to keep the legacy alive.”

This year’s festival  features Wilco, My Morning Jacket; Jackson Browne; Conor Oberst; Iron & Wine; Patty Griffin; Guthrie Family Reunion; Dawes; The Head & The Heart;  Deer Tick; Punch Brothers; City & Colour; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; The Tallest Man on Earth; tUnE-yArDs; Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman; Trampled by Turtles; Gary Clark, Jr.; Alabama Shakes; Blind Pilot; Of Monsters and Men; original music from Jay Farrar, Will Johnson, Anders Parker & Yim Yames set to the lyrics of Woody Guthrie; Sharon Van Etten; First Aid Kit; Sara Watkins; Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires; Brown Bird; Jonny Corndawg; Jonathan Wilson; Spirit Family Reunion; Deep Dark Woods; Carl Broemel; Ben Sollee; Robert Ellis; Frank Fairfield; The Apache Relay; Spider John Koerner & His Rag Tag Boys; Joel Rafael; Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons; Blitzen Trapper, Megafaun, Elizabeth Mitchell; honeyhoney; Sleepy Man Banjo Boys; The Kossoy Sisters; The Berklee City Music Choir; and very special guests to be announced.

For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call (401) 848-5055 or log on to www.newportfolkfest.net.

The Newport Folk Festival salutes support from Alex and Ani, Tretorn, NPR Music, Newport Storm, WERS, mvyradio and WFUV.

The Newport Festivals Foundation presents the Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management August 3 – 5 at the International Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams State Park, featuring Pat Metheny Unity Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Jack DeJohnette 70^th Birthday Celebration, Dianne Reeves, Dr. John, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon, James Carter Organ Trio, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Miguel Zenón, Rudresh Mahanthappa and many more.  For tickets and information, please visit www.newportjazzfest.net and www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

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*Artists Subject to change

*The 2012 Newport Folk Festival® and Newport Jazz Festival® are productions of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

2012 Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival Presents
Tribute to Club Harlem: Celebrating Cecil
May 8 – 9, 8:00 and 10:00 pm, at Harlem Stage Gatehouse

***
Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival Runs May 7 – 13, 2012
All Tickets Just $10 or Free!

The prestige of the past. The pulse of the present.

HARLEM, USA, April 19, 2012 – The inaugural Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival debuted in 2011, and paid tribute to the legendary clubs and venues of the Harlem Renaissance.  For its stunning encore, the second edition of the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, Harlem Stage presents A Tribute to Club Harlem: Celebrating Cecil featuring Vijay Iyer, Craig Taborn and Amina Claudine Myers, with special guest Amiri Baraka, paying tribute to Cecil Taylor, the New York-born octogenarian pianist/composer/educator and MacArthur “genius” Grant recipient, at Harlem Stage Gatehouse,  150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street, on Tuesday, May 8, and Wednesday, May 9, at 8:00 pm.

Since his groundbreaking debut on the scene in the fifties, with what jazz scholar Ted Gioia described as his “… arch dissonances, fragmented single note lines, disjointed and the jackhammer piano attack,” Taylor almost single-handedly redefined the art of jazz piano and set the jazz world on fire with his seminal  recordings including Jumpin’ Punkins, Conquistador!, and Fly!, Fly!, Fly!, Fly!.

The tribute features three of the most soulful and syncopatingly scientific pianists on the scene in solo and duo settings: Vijay Iyer, forward-thinking pianist/composer who can conjure up a melodious, mystic brew of quantum-coded jazz, from Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington to Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder, Heatwave and M.I.A.; piano and keyboard wizard Craig Taborn, whose handful of keys has provided an ivory tower of support for some of the most acclaimed leaders, including David Murray, James Carter and Chris Potter, who can swing anything from post-bop to electronica; and Amina Claudine Myers, whose five decades of  indigo-drenched piano stylings have illuminated an expansive array of improvisational idioms and artists including, Chicago’s AACM, Lester Bowie, Sonny Stitt, Little Milton and Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra.

The concert will be followed by “Decoding Cecil,” a discussion on Taylor’s artistic legacy and contributions with the performing artists and professor of music at Columbia University George E. Lewis, and also showcase the history of Club Harlem, the 145^th Street joint where Cecil Taylor played his first gig on an upright piano with sometimes only eight working keys.

Although not part of the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, Harlem Stage will present An Intimate Evening with Cecil Taylor on Thursday, May 17, at 7:30 pm.

Tribute to Club Harlem: Celebrating Cecil is produced by Harlem Stage, as part of the Harlem Stride series, in partnership with the Issue Project Room, The Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University, and Harlem Stage Gatehouse.

Tickets are $10 and are available at www.harlemstage.org.

The Apollo Theater, Harlem Stage and Jazzmobile, Inc. have joined forces again to present the second annual Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival May 7–13, 2012.  Continuing the mission of the inaugural festival, the three venerable cultural organizations will present a series of concerts and events to celebrate the rich legacy of jazz in the uptown community.

Other highlights  of the 2012 Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival include:

• Wycliffe Gordon’s Jazz à la Carte – The Apollo’s variety shows of the 1930’s made a stellar comeback last year under the music direction of composer/trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and the director/choreographer Kenneth L. Roberson. The show returns when Gordon celebrates the world-renowned Apollo with host Maurice Hines, tap star Savion Glover, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, vocalist Theresa Thomason, pianist Aaron Diehl, trumpeter Philip Dizack, trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and the Apollo Dancers.

• Small’s Paradise: (Re) Created – Jazzmobile will take the bold leap to re-create the legendary Small’s Paradise, once Harlem’s premier night spot and longest-operating club. Working in collaboration with the Government and Community Affairs Department at the City College of New York, Jazzmobile will re-create Small’s Paradise at Harlem USA, featuring the Revive Music Paradise Band, a 12-piece house band backing the famous Small’s floor show complete with dancers (tap and swing) and singers recalling the music of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway and James P. Johnson. Small’s Paradise (Re)Created sheds new light on an old tradition.

• Showman’s Late Night Jazz – A week-long series produced by the Apollo Theater and Showman’s at the legendary club frequented by Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Pearl Bailey, Grady Tate and countless others, continues the tradition with sessions featuring Danny Mixon, Lonnie Youngblood, Lou Volpe, Cynthia Holiday and Sarah McLawler.

• Tribute to Clark Monroe’s Uptown House at Harlem Stage Gatehouse – Featuring some of the world’s finest instrumentalists and vocalists, this year’s Grammy winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album The Mosaic Project gives females a place to support and celebrate each other from a musical and social perspective. Terri Lyne Carrington will be joined by Lizz Wright, Nona Hendryx, Ingrid Jensen, Tia Fuller, Helen Sung, Mimi Jones and Nir Felder to construct creative consciousness as “women with voices.”

• Minton’s Playhouse: Legends on the Bandstand – Jazzmobile brings the famed club on 118^th Street back to life with a celebration of some of the legends of the esteemed bandstand.  Acknowledging iconic contributions are keepers of the flame, including TK Blue celebrating Charlie Parker, octogenarian Barry Harris remembering Thelonious Monk, Winard Harper with a tribute to Max Roach and an artist TBD paying homage to Dizzy Gillespie. Each set will be followed by a late night jam.

The three partners are again collaborating with Columbia University to bring humanities programming that will further highlight the cultural significance of Harlem and the Festival. The University’s programming includes The Savoy King, a documentary on Swing-era drummer/bandleader Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald and the renowned Savoy Ballroom as well as an exploration of the spiritual dimensions of Harlem’s aesthetic legacies in jazz.

For the complete festival line-up and more information, log on to www.harlemjazzshrines.org.

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2012 Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival Re-creates Small’s Paradise
Featuring Concerts, Jam Sessions and Educational Events
***
Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival Runs May 7 – 13, 2012
All Tickets Just $10 or Free!

The prestige of the past. The pulse of the present.

HARLEM, USA, April 12, 2012 – In 1925, businessman Ed Small opened a Harlem basement club called Small’s Paradise at 2294 Seventh Avenue. It was one of the incubators of modern music, and it had everything: from the experimental bebop, and Charleston-dancing waiters, to riotous saxophonic floorshows; which is why it remained one of the longest-running clubs in the Big Apple, changing hands when basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain bought the club in the sixties.

The second annual Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival salutes the pioneering spirit of Small’s with a series of sensational concerts, jam sessions and educational presentations, produced by Festival partner Jazzmobile, Inc., at Harlem USA, 2309 Frederick Douglass Blvd., 2^nd Floor.  When it opened in 1925, Small’s Paradise – like its sister club Minton’s would later – served  as an incubator of a new and evolving African-American musical pedagogy open to all who felt the groove. That learning experience continues today when the Festival transports jazz lovers to the days of the Renaissance with a 21^st Century twist. The series includes:

• May 7, 9:00 pm– Small’s (Re)Created: Harlem After Dark featuring vocalists Johnny O’Neal, Sachal Vasandani, Umar Hassan (The Last Poets) and The Tap Messengers. Curated by Revive Music, Harlem After Dark is a journey back into the heydays of Harlem revisiting the experience and live music of the 1930s and 1940s, presenting a retrospective concert with a modern day twist incorporating vocal numbers, tap dancing and an after-hours jam session.

• May 9, 10, 11, 10:00 am-6:00 pm – Small’s Paradise Education and Special Programs. Poet/actor/narrator Daniel Carlton will illuminate the history of this famous venue with the superlative presentation, “When Small’s Had It All*,” an interactive, multimedia theatrical work that salutes and recreates the electric atmosphere of the club with music, visuals and storytelling for students from grades six to twelve. Also, at the Small’s site, the Maysles Institute will present the film short “Smash Your Luggage” featuring the Small’s Paradise Entertainers and an exclusive showing of selections from Bill Miles’ “I Remember Harlem” for senior citizens. There’s also a free floorshow and luncheon for seniors, contrasted by an After-School Dance Demonstration for students from grades six to twelve.  *Commissioning support from City Parks Foundation / Charlie Parker Jazz Festival 20th Anniversary and Jazzmobile.

• May 11, 7:00 pm – Small’s (Re) Created. Co-curated by Monique Martin and hosted by Liza Jessie Peterson.  Cellist Marika Hughes brings her band Bottom Heavy to a shared bill with genre-defying drummer Will Calhoun and friends for an evening of spirited music, movement and a bit of mayhem to keep it fresh.  Featuring Marika Hughes, cello/vocals; Charlie Burnham, violin; Robin Macatangay, guitar; Fred Cash, bass; Tony Mason, drums.  Will Calhoun, drums, indigenous percussion, loops; Marc Cary, keyboards; Burniss Travis, bass; plus surprise special guests.

The saying goes, “You can’t go home again,” but at the Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival, you definitely can “swing home” again, and experience all of the propulsive pomp and pageantry that Small’s Paradise had to offer.

Tickets to the evening performances at Small’s (Re)Created are $10 and are available at the  door.  For more information, visit www.jazzmobile.org .

Other highlights of the 2012 Harlem Jazz Shrines Festival include:

• Wycliffe Gordon’s Jazz à la Carte – The Apollo’s variety shows of the 1930’s made a stellar comeback last year under the music direction of composer/trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and the director/choreographer Kenneth L. Roberson. The show returns when Gordon celebrates the world-renowned Apollo with host Maurice Hines, tap star Savion Glover, the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra, vocalist Theresa Thomason, pianist Aaron Diehl, trumpeter Philip Dizack, trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and the Apollo Dancers.

• Tribute to Club Harlem: Celebrating Cecil – Three of today’s most innovative pianists honor the uncompromising creative force of Cecil Taylor in two evenings of solo and duet performances.   Vijay Iyer, Amina Claudine Myers and Craig Taborn will perform at the Harlem Stage Gatehouse.

• Showman’s Late Night Jazz – A week-long series produced by the Apollo Theater and Showman’s at the legendary club frequented by Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughan, Pearl Bailey, Grady Tate and countless others, continues the tradition with sessions featuring Danny Mixon, Lonnie Youngblood, Lou Volpe, Cynthia Holiday and Sarah McLawler.

• Tribute to Clark Monroe’s Uptown House at Harlem Stage Gatehouse – Featuring some of the world’s finest instrumentalists and vocalists, this year’s Grammy winner for Best Jazz Vocal Album The Mosaic Project gives females a place to support and celebrate each other from a musical and social perspective. Terri Lyne Carrington will be joined by Lizz Wright, Nona Hendryx, Ingrid Jensen, Tia Fuller, Helen Sung, Mimi Jones and Nir Felder to construct creative consciousness as “women with voices.”

• Minton’s Playhouse: Legends on the Bandstand – Jazzmobile brings the famed club on 118^th Street back to life with a celebration of some of the legends of the esteemed bandstand.  Acknowledging iconic contributions are keepers of the flame, including TK Blue celebrating Charlie Parker, octogenarian Barry Harris remembering Thelonious Monk, Winard Harper with a tribute to Max Roach and Jeremy Pelt paying homage to Dizzy Gillespie. Each set will be followed by a late night jam at Red Rooster’s Ginny’s Supper Club.

The three partners are again collaborating with Columbia University to bring humanities programming that will further highlight the cultural significance of Harlem and the Festival. The University’s programming includes The Savoy King, a documentary on Swing-era drummer/bandleader Chick Webb, Ella Fitzgerald and the renowned Savoy Ballroom as well as an exploration of the spiritual dimensions of Harlem’s aesthetic legacies in jazz.

For the complete festival line-up and more information, log on to www.harlemjazzshrines.org .

#  #  #

WBGO’S Award-Winning Kids Jazz Concert Series
Continues with Donald Harrison
Saturday, April 14, 12:30 pm
Cicely Tyson School Performing Arts Center, East Orange

NEWARK, NJ, April 10 – Children and their families are invited to listen, learn and discover jazz at WBGO’s award-winning, free Kids Jazz Concert Series, featuring saxophonist Donald Harrison on Saturday, April 14, at 12:30 pm at Cicely Tyson School Performing Arts Center, 35 Winans Street, East Orange, NJ. The concert series brings jazz culture and dynamic performances to young people throughout the year. Harrison’s program, Big Easy to Big Apple, will give young people a spirited look at New Orleans jazz; and don’t be surprised if Big Chief Harrison, who followed in his father’s footsteps as a Mardi Gras Indian, shows off a dance step or two. The concert is co-Sponsored by The High School Music Department of The Cicely L. Tyson Community School of Performing and Fine Arts.

Born in New Orleans, Donald Harrison began playing with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in his early twenties. He had already completed what most musicians would call a career when the influential band he co-led with fellow New Orleans native trumpeter Terence Blanchard broke up in 1989. But Harrison was only beginning. Choosing to work in a number of genres at once, Harrison has released a series of albums that are touchstones of contemporary New Orleans music, particularly the immensely important 1992 release “Indian Blues,“ in which he brought the Mardi Gras Indian music learned from his father, Donald Harrison Sr., into a vibrant contemporary jazz/R&B setting. Harrison continues to perform and record in traditional jazz settings with both acoustic and electric bands as well as what he calls Nouveau Swing, a roots amalgam merging acoustic jazz, Mardi Gras Indian Music, hip-hop, second line and reggae. Harrison also has been a potent influence on younger musicians, mentoring personalities as different as rapper Notorious BIG and whiz kid trumpeter Christian Scott. As the director of Tipitina’s Intern Program, he often works with musicians from that program as his band when performing. The 2012 Spring series, which kicked off on March 31 with harpist Brandee Younger at the Montclair Art Museum, continues with drummer Will Calhoun, April 21, at New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), Victoria Theater; and baritone saxophonist Claire Daly, April 28, at the Newark Museum.

The interactive, hour-long programs give young people opportunities to learn about the distinct qualities of jazz, and why it is a reflection of our community, nation, and world.  Top jazz and blues artists produce programs tailor-made for young people, leaving time for further exploration of the music through Q&A sessions with the artists. In addition to the music, the event includes door prizes, a gift for each child and a fun-filled afternoon with other young jazz lovers.

All concerts are handicapped accessible.  Adults must be accompanied by a child.

Special thanks to sponsors: Prudential Foundation, NJPAC’s Wells Fargo Jazz for Teens, OHL Trust, PNC Foundation, F.M. Kirby Foundation and New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

For more information on the Kids Jazz Concert series and WBGO-FM, visit www.wbgo.org.

ABOUT WBGO

Founded in 1979, Newark Public Radio, Inc. is a publicly supported cultural institution that champions jazz at WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, New Jersey and worldwide via wbgo.org. WBGO is the recognized world leader in jazz radio and one of the most respected jazz presenters in the country, and offers award-winning news and innovative children’s programs. Beyond reaching 400,000 weekly listeners (including 17,000 contributing members) on air, online and via mobile devices, WBGO presents live broadcasts from prestigious jazz venues and produces acclaimed programs for NPR heard by millions. WBGO is Jazz Week magazine’s 2010 Major Market Station of the Year.

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WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM Celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month, Public Radio Music Month, International Jazz Day and Its 33rd Anniversary with Live Broadcasts of the Northeast’s Best Student Ensembles,   April 9-23 at 2 pm on Afternoon Jazz Newark, NJ, April 9, 2012 – April is a month for celebration in the jazz world, and WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM has a full schedule of special events and concerts to commemorate not only the 11th anniversary of Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM), Jazz Day (April 13), International Jazz Day (April 30) and Public Radio Music Month (PRMM), but also its 33rd birthday (April 9). To mark the occasion, the station kicks off the seventh annual JAM Festival, a series of live, in-studio broadcasts featuring student jazz ensembles from across the Northeast. WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM listeners will have the rare opportunity to hear live performances by the next wave of jazz stars from leading jazz education programs, which were selected for the caliber of the musicians that emerge from the schools. The distinguished institutions include faculty comprised of legendary musicians, and each program presents studies that focus on developing students’ improvisational, compositional and performance skills. The JAM Festivalkicked off April 9 with the New Jersey University Sextet and will continue throughout April from 2:00 – 3:00 pm during Afternoon Jazz. The complete line-up is: Monday, April 9:            New Jersey City University Sextet Tuesday, April 10:         Julliard Jazz Ensemble Wednesday, April 11:    Manhattan School of Music Friday, April 13:             New York University Wayne Shorter Ensemble (PRMM Jazz Day Showcase) Monday, April 16:          Berklee College of Music’s Berklee Global Jazz Institute Tuesday, April 17:         SUNY Purchase Wednesday, April 18:   William Paterson University Thursday, April 19:       LaGuardia High School Big Band Monday, April 23:         The New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music “These jazz education programs are led by some of today’s top musicians who are teaching, nurturing and mentoring the next generation of performers that will one day take their places on the stages of jazz clubs, festivals, concert halls and other venues around the world,” said Thurston Briscoe, WBGO Vice President of Programming and Production. Briscoe joined forces with Martin Mueller, Executive Director at The New School, to create the student jazz festival seven years ago. In addition to the student performances, WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM’s JAM schedule will include The Checkout Live at Berklee featuring Ingrid Jensen, April 12, 8:00 pm; the annual Jazz Leadership Society brunch at NJPAC’s Nico’s, withCatherine Russell, April 22, 12:00 pm; The Checkout Live at 92 Y Tribeca featuring Third World Love and Jason Lindner’s Now vs. Now, April 26, 8:00 pm. The station also aired the Craig Taborn Trio live from the Village Vanguard on April 4. To wrap up Jazz Appreciation Month, Public Radio Music Month and birthday celebration, WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM teams up with International Jazz Day on April 30 to broadcast Herbie Hancock’s sunrise performance in New Orleans; the concert will be aired on WBGO at 6:30 pm that evening. In November 2011, during the UNESCO General Conference, the international community proclaimed April 30 as International Jazz Day, which is intended to raise awareness in the international community of the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, and a force for peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people. www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/events/prizes-and-celebrations/celebrations/international-days/international-jazz-day/ The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History designated April Jazz Appreciation Month to draw greater public attention to the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz and its importance as an American cultural heritage. In addition, JAM is intended to stimulate the current jazz scene and encourage people of all ages to participate in jazz-to study the music, attend concerts, listen to jazz on radio and recordings, read books about jazz, and support institutional jazz programs. Public radio stations and their supporters throughout the music community are celebrating Public Radio Music Month to highlight the partnership between public radio and music. Throughout April, stations will partner with musicians and listeners to feature live concert broadcasts, exclusive interviews, in-studio performances and more. WBGO Jazz 88.3 FM and other participating public radio stations are tastemakers, teachers and curators of local culture who bring innovative new sounds from emerging artists as well as the best in classic jazz. Founded in 1979, Newark Public Radio, Inc. is a publicly supported cultural institution that champions jazz at WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, New Jersey and worldwide via wbgo.org. WBGO is the recognized world leader in jazz radio and one of the most respected jazz presenters in the country, and offers award-winning news and innovative children’s programs. Beyond reaching 400,000 weekly listeners (including 17,000 contributing members) on air, online and via mobile devices, WBGO presents live broadcasts from prestigious jazz venues and produces acclaimed programs for NPR heard by millions. WBGO is Jazz Week magazine’s 2010 Major Market Station of the Year. # # #

WILCO TO PLAY NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL®
FRIDAY, JULY 27, at FORT ADAMS STATE PARK

NEWPORT, RI, April 10, 2012 – Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™ in association with Higher Ground is pleased to present the acclaimed Chicago sextet Wilco in a special headlining concert at the Newport Folk Festival on Friday, July 27, at 5:00 pm. The concert takes place at Fort Adams State Park on the eve of the 2012 Newport Folk Festival and features a headlining Wilco performance plus special guests Blitzen Trapper and Megafaun.

“We are excited to return to the tradition of presenting a Friday night concert at the festival, and we are lucky to have Wilco to kick off what already promises to be a great weekend of music,” said Newport Folk Festival Producer, Jay Sweet. “Having been a part of our long history, it means a lot to us that they decided to come back this year. Wilco represents much of what we admire in a band — they are torch carriers, musical innovators and veritable stalwarts at their craft.”

“It’s always a pleasure to be involved with the Newport Festivals,” said Wilco manager Tony Margherita. “They put on the types of events we love — well run, music-first shows in a beautiful setting. That makes for a great time whether you’re standing on the stage or in front of it.”

Tickets are $45.00 and go on sale worldwide on Friday, April 13, at 11:00 am at www.ticketmaster.com.  This is a separately ticketed event from the two-day festival, which begins on July 28. Service Charges apply.

All seating is general admission on an open lawn. It is highly suggested that music fans arrive as close as possible to gates opening.  Gates open at 4:00 pm; music starts at 5:00 pm. Please carpool or come by water shuttle from downtown Newport. Limited edition keepsakes will be given to the first 1,000 people to enter the gates. For more information, visit www.newportfolkfest.net

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Wilco’s latest album, the Grammy-nominated The Whole Love, is out now on the band’s own dBpm Records.

“Quite simply, this is the work of a great band at the peak of their powers, and The Whole Love is a joy to hear…confirming once again that Wilco is as good a band as America can claim in the 21st century.” -  All Music

Singer-songwriter-guitarist Jeff Tweedy formed Wilco in the mid-1990s.  The Whole Love is the third album by the band’s current lineup, which solidified in 2004 when guitarist Nels Cline and guitarist/keyboardist Patrick Sansone joined Tweedy, founding bassist John Stirratt, drummer Glenn Kotche and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen. Together, they released Sky Blue Sky in 2007 and the Grammy-nominated Wilco (The Album) in 2009. Wilco have won Grammy Awards for their 2004 release A Ghost is Born in the Best Alternative Album and Best Recording Package categories. Wilcoʼs Jeff Tweedy won a Grammy award as producer for Mavis Staples 2010 album You Are Not Alone.

Wilco have released 10 studio albums to date, including Mermaid Avenue Volumes 1 & 2, which, in collaboration with British folk singer Billy Bragg, set original music to song lyrics by the truest of American icons, songwriter Woody Guthrie.

Wilco’s dBpm Records is a full-service label releasing all future Wilco recordings and more. ANTI- Records provides distribution and additional label services for all dBpm releases. In 2010 Wilco, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art created the Solid Sound Festival, a three-day event of music, art, comedy and culture. The festival returns to MASS MoCA in June 2013.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT
wilcoworld.net OR facebook.com/wilcohq

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*The 2012 Newport Folk Festival® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

Bourbon Street Comes to Bellevue Avenue: Newport Salutes New Orleans with Dr. John & The Lower 911 and Preservation Hall Jazz Band Opening Night Concert of Newport Jazz Festival® Presented by Natixis Global Asset Management at International Tennis Hall of Fame on Friday, August 3, 8:00 pm

Tickets Go On Sale Wednesday, April 11, 10:00 am

Newport Jazz Festival Opening Night Cocktail Party 6:30 – 7:45 pm, International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino

NEWPORT, RI, April 9, 2012 – Two of the most renowned names in New Orleans history, Dr. John & The Lower 911 and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, will be featured at the opening night concert of the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino, 194 Bellevue Avenue, on Friday, August 3, at 8:00 pm. Bourbon Street Comes to Bellevue Avenue: Newport Salutes New Orleans promises to be one of the most enjoyable evenings in the history of the Friday night concerts at the Casino.

George Wein, creator of both the Newport Jazz Festival and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival said, “It has been a dream come true that I have been able to enjoy producing these two great festivals. My love for New Orleans cuisine of gumbo and crawfish is only exceeded by my passion for Narragansett Bay lobster and New England clam chowder. “

Tickets go on sale at 10:00 am on Wednesday, April 11, at www.newportjazzfest.net and www.TicketMaster.com.

In addition, the Newport Jazz Festival Opening Night Cocktail Party, a Newport summer tradition, kicks off the evening from 6:30 – 7:45 pm, at the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino. This exclusive party welcomes a limited number of attendees for an evening of great music, food and beverages. Tickets are $40 for Tennis Hall of Fame members and $50 for non-members. Pricing includes open bar and hors d’oeuvres.  Party attendees must have a ticket to the Newport Jazz Festival concert.  To order Cocktail Party tickets, call (401) 324-4072.

Dr. John, aka Mac Rebennack, is universally celebrated as the living embodiment of New Orleans’ rich musical heritage. His colorful musical career began in the 1950s when he wrote and played guitar on some of the greatest records to come out of the Crescent City, including music by Professor Longhair, Art Neville, Joe Tex and Frankie Ford. Later, he gave up the guitar and concentrated on organ and piano, and after a move West in the 1960s, he continued to be in demand as a session musician, playing on records by Sonny and Cher, Van Morrison, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. During that time, he launched his solo career, developing the charismatic persona of Dr. John: The Nite Tripper. Adorned with voodoo charms and regalia, a legend was born with his breakthrough 1968 album Gris-Gris, which established his unique blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm & blues, psychedelic rock and Creole roots. The multiple Grammy Award winner and 2011 Rock and roll Hall of Famer continues to write, arrange, produce and interpret with a passion that has yet to wane.  Beginning March 29, Dr. John celebrates his 50+-year career with a three-week artist-in-residency at New York’s prestigious Brooklyn Academy of Music, and his latest CD, Locked Down, hit the streets April 3. Join in the second line, Newport-style, with Dr. John & The Lower 911 when Bourbon Street Comes to Bellevue Avenue.

The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (PHJB) derives its name from Preservation Hall, the venerable music venue located in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter, founded in 1961 by Allan and Sandra Jaffe. The band, now celebrating its 50^th anniversary season, has traveled worldwide spreading their mission to nurture and perpetuate the art form of New Orleans Jazz. Their music embodies a joyful, timeless spirit. Under the leadership of the Jaffes’ son, Ben Jaffe, the PHJB continues with a deep reverence and consciousness of its greatest attributes in the modern day as a venue, band, and record label. The PHJB began touring in 1963 and for many years there were several bands successfully touring under the name Preservation Hall. Many of the band’s charter members performed with the pioneers who invented jazz in the early twentieth century including Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, and Bunk Johnson. Band leaders over the band’s history include the brothers Willie and Percy Humphrey, husband and wife Billie and De De Pierce, famed pianist Sweet Emma Barrett, and in the modern day Wendall and John Brunious. These founding artists and dozens of others passed on the lessons of their music to a younger generation who now follow in their footsteps. The PHJB is also celebrating their 50^th anniversary at the Newport Folk Festival (www.newportfolkfest.net) on Saturday, July 28.

Stay tuned for information about some very special guests, Cajun food and more when Newport Salutes New Orleans on Friday, August 3.

Tickets for Newport Jazz Festival concerts at Fort Adams State Park, featuring Pat Metheny, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dianne Reeves, Jack DeJohnette’s 70^th Birthday Celebration, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Jason Moran and the Bandwagon and more, are on sale now on-line, by phone and by mail. General admission tickets (single-day passes only) also can be purchased in person at the Newport Visitor Information Center, located at 23 America’s Cup Avenue. There will be a festival office in the Newport area where tickets can be purchased in person at a later date.

For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055. For more information, log on to www.newportjazzfest.net.

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*The 2012 Newport Jazz Festival® is a production of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) non-profit corporation, under license from Festival Productions, Inc. and George Wein; all rights reserved.

NJPAC AND WBGO JAZZ 88.3 FM ANNOUNCE
JAMES MOODY DEMOCRACY OF JAZZ FESTIVAL AND
SARAH VAUGHAN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ VOCAL COMPETITION

Newark, NJ – (March 28, 2012) – The New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) and WBGO Jazz 88.3FM announced today that they will inaugurate The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival, a weeklong celebration of jazz and the musical legacy of longtime Newarker and beloved jazz musician James Moody.  Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer Christian McBride serves as Artistic Adviser to the Festival, which will take place October 15-21, 2012 at the Arts Center and various community-based venues.

The first in a series of major new programming initiatives to be unveiled by NJPAC for its 2012-13 season, the Moody Festival is highlighted by two star-studded concerts: For Love of Moody: A Jazz Celebration featuring jazz icons George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer, David Sanborn and others, and Miles Davis and Gil Evans: Still Ahead, an all-star recreation of the landmark original Gil Evans arrangements of the classic Miles Davis recordings of Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Miles Ahead featuring trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Sean Jones and others (a full roster of artists for both concerts follows below).  The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival is sponsored, in part, by The Prudential Foundation and Audible.com.

In addition to the headliner concerts, the Festival will also feature the inauguration of The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and the world premiere of a new jazz musical for children, Magic Tree House: A Night in New Orleans based on the much beloved books by best-selling author, Mary Pope Osborne (see below for details on both events).

“This Festival will give Newark and the Arts Center the chance to take center stage in the jazz universe and pay homage to one of the great men of music,” said John Schreiber, NJPAC President and CEO, a longtime friend of the Festival’s namesake.  “Jazz is the most democratic of musics: great jazz demands collaboration, respect, listening and creativity among musicians. Moody exemplified all those traits in his life and his playing. The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival will celebrate Moody’s lifelong spirit of collaboration and unconditional love for humanity.”

“Newark-based WBGO Jazz 88.3FM, the metro area’s only 24 hour jazz source, is pleased to be part of the first annual James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival in Newark,” said Cephas Bowles, President and CEO of WBGO.  “The Festival will showcase America’s greatest contribution to world culture – jazz – and Newark’s ongoing commitment to the art form.   Because of Newark’s world class transportation system, the city and the Festival are easy-to-reach destinations.  WBGO looks forward to jazz fans traveling to Newark’s multiple venues for performances by some of the world’s most outstanding jazz artists.”

“This is just very exciting for all of us,” said Linda Moody, the honoree’s widow.  “Moody would be so thrilled with the whole idea.  Newark was where his life was. He would also be surprised and probably would have said, ‘Why do they want to name a festival after me?’”

A donation will be made by the Festival to the CFNJ James Moody Jazz Scholarship Fund for Newark Youth.

Additional community events in and around Newark, as well as complete details on The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition will be announced in May when NJPAC unveils its full 2012-13 season.  To date, community partnerships include a WBGO Kids Jazz Concert at the Newark Museum, the 10^th anniversary Gala for Jazz House Kids in NJPAC’s Victoria Theater, and other events at Bethany Baptist Church, the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies and WBGO, as well as an all-star jazz brunch at NJPAC’s new destination restaurant, NICO Kitchen + Bar.  The jazz brunch jam session will kick off a new monthly series at NJPAC dubbed Dorthaan’s Place,  named after and curated by Newark’s First Lady of Jazz, Dorthaan Kirk, Program Coordinator at WBGO.

Tickets for the Festival, available now, may be purchased by telephone at 1-888-GO-NJPAC (1-888-466-5722), at the NJPAC Box Office at One Center Street in downtown Newark (open Tuesday-Saturday, noon to 6pm, and Sunday, noon to 5pm), or online at www.njpac.org.

The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival:

Mainstage Concerts

Two all-star concerts in NJPAC’s Prudential Hall will be the headline events for The James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival – the first, on Friday, October 19, 2012 at 8pm is titled For  Love of Moody: A Jazz Celebration. Moody’s legacy will be celebrated with a night featuring his favorite musicians and friends including George Benson, The Manhattan Transfer and David Sanborn,  plus special guests Kenny Barron, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Heath, John Lee, Paquito D’Rivera, Christian McBride, Paul Lieberman, and Todd Coolman, Adam Nussbaum and Renee Rosnes (long time members of Moody’s group).

On Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 8pm, the Festival will feature Miles Davis and Gil Evans: Still Ahead, an all-star recreation of the landmark original Gil Evans arrangements of the classic Miles Davis recordings of Porgy and Bess, Sketches of Spain, and Miles Ahead. The Prudential Hall concert will feature a unique cast of jazz greats including Terence Blanchard on trumpet, bassist Christian McBride, drummer Peter Erskine, tuba master Howard Johnson (a member of the original recording sessions with Davis and Evans), trumpeter Sean Jones and a jazz orchestra under the direction of Vince Mendoza.

“It is an incredible honor to help usher in a new jazz tradition at NJPAC,” said McBride, the Festival’s Artistic Adviser.  “We are assembling a spectacular group of top talent that is going to bring the house down, as well as embody the legacy of New Jersey’s own jazz icon and our friend, Mr. James Moody.  I am thrilled to be part of it.”

The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition

From Sarah to Whitney, Newark has been the birthplace and proving ground for great jazz vocalists.  As homage to a master, NJPAC will introduce its inaugural Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition.  An international talent search will culminate in a special concert on Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 3pm in NJPAC’s Victoria Theater by the finalists, with rare concert footage of Sarah Vaughan.  Presented as part of NJPAC’s Jazz Roots Series with consulting producer Larry Rosen.  Details on contest entrance rules and regulations will be announced in May.

“Our whole family is very excited about the Vocal Competition,” said Paris Vaughan Courtnall, daughter of the legendary singer.  “It’s amazing that Newark keeps embracing Sarah over and over again.  She obviously had such a love for New Jersey and Newark in particular.  She would be just thrilled.”

“It is all kind of full circle,” she added. “If not for a competition, I am not sure where my Mom’s career would have started in the first place.”  At the age of eighteen, Vaughan famously wowed the Wednesday Night Amateur Contest audience at the Apollo Theater with a sizzling rendition of “Body and Soul.”  The prize was ten dollars and the promise of a weeklong engagement at the Apollo.

“I think it’s wonderful that a young person can be sitting in their bedroom now, enter a contest, and have a dream to be a Sarah or Whitney or Cissy, all greats that came from Newark, New Jersey,” said Courtnall.

The Festival will make a donation in the name of Sarah Vaughan to develop an enhanced jazz vocal training program at Newark Arts High School that will commence in Fall, 2012. Sarah Vaughan was a proud graduate of Arts High.

Magic Tree House:  A Night in New Orleans

The Moody Festival will also feature the world premiere of a new jazz musical, Magic Tree House:  A Night in New Orleans, based on A Good Night for Ghosts, book #42 in the phenomenally popular Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne.

Created by Osborne’s playwright/musician husband Will Osborne in collaboration with Murray Horwitz (co-creator of the Broadway hit Ain’t Misbehavin’ ) and legendary New Orleans composer Allen Toussaint, the show transports the audience back to 1915 New Orleans, where the streets are filled with music — and the night is filled with ghosts!  On the eve of All Saints Day – the most haunted night of the year — beloved Magic Tree House characters Jack and Annie must find a young Louis Armstrong and put him on the path to becoming the king of jazz. Featuring a live band, a cast of skilled performers, and a powerful message about dreams, race, and possibilities, the show introduces young audiences to the magic of music, the thrill of live theater — and the joy of jazz.

Magic Tree House: A Night in New Orleans will play a series of free performances in the Newark Public Schools for all 4,300 of the City’s fourth grade students.  Two additional performances for the public will be featured in NJPAC’s Victoria Theater on Saturday, October 20, 2012 at 1pm and 4pm.

“It’s a dream come true to bring Magic Tree House and the sound of early jazz to the children of Newark,” said Mary Pope Osborne. “NJPAC and the James Moody Festival are the perfect partners to make this dream happen!”

Jazz House Kids Gala

On Wednesday, October 17, 2012 the Arts Center will host Hitting the High Notes, the 10^th anniversary gala event benefitting Jazz House Kids, an acclaimed community-based arts organization with a mission to provide year-round musical, educational, and cultural programs to students in grades K-12, teachers, adults, and families from diverse backgrounds.

Under the leadership of Founder and Executive Director and acclaimed jazz vocalist Melissa Walker, Jazz House Kids has become a nationally recognized organization dedicated to closing the gap in the arts and opening the window for students to cultivate the talent, discipline, skills and principles they need to play, sing, and appreciate America’s original musical art form. Through music, mentoring and education, Jazz House Kids cultivates tomorrow’s community leaders and global citizens so they may build vibrant communities where they live.

“The foundation for the Jazz House Kids was built in this great city a decade ago, with the backdrop of NJPAC and the help of two key organizations, Prudential and WBGO. It is especially gratifying to come full circle and celebrate turning 10 and our shared mission with New Jersey’s preeminent “Jazz House.”  We are honored to have been invited by John Schreiber to kick off NJPAC’s inaugural James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival with our star-studded 10^th anniversary gala featuring many of our emerging musicians.”

Information on the comprehensive Festival lineup will be announced as part of NJPAC’s 2012-13 season lineup in May.

James Moody

Born in Savannah, Georgia and raised in Newark, James Moody (1925-2010) began his career with Dizzy Gillespie and went on to develop a distinctive style on both tenor and alto saxophone, an unusually rare accomplishment in jazz. He also played soprano saxophone.  In the mid-1950s he became one of the first significant jazz flutists.

A National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master and posthumous Grammy winner, Moody joined Gillespie’s big band following a stint in the Air Force.  He had his first recording session in 1948 with Blue Note Records and went on to make another two dozen recordings as lead and dozens more as side man with the likes of Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Charles Mingus, Bobby Timmons, Tubby Hayes, and Roberta Gambarini.

His “Moody’s Mood for Love,” became a hit in 1952 and his signature song.  In following years, he rejoined Gillespie’s band and worked for a number of years in the Las Vegas Hilton Orchestra backing up artists including Bill Cosby, Elvis Presley, Liberace, and Redd Foxx.  His later years were productive, with frequent touring (well into his 80s) and recording and even an acting gig in the 1997 Clint Eastwood film, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)

Located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, NJPAC is the sixth largest performing arts center in the United States.  As New Jersey’s Town Square, NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the State’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city.  Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts.  NJPAC has attracted over 6 million visitors (more than one million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.  Visit www.njpac.org for more information.

Programming has been made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts, and by Discover Jersey Arts.

NJPAC is a wheelchair accessible facility and provides assistive services for patrons with disabilities.  For more information, call 888-GO-NJPAC.

Newark Public Radio, Inc./WBGO JazzRadio 88FM

Founded in 1979, Newark Public Radio, Inc. is a publicly supported cultural institution that champions jazz at WBGO 88.3 FM in Newark, New Jersey and worldwide via wbgo.org. WBGO is the recognized world leader in jazz radio and one of the most respected jazz presenters in the country, and offers award-winning news and innovative children’s programs. Beyond reaching 350,000 weekly listeners (including 17,000 contributing members) on air, online and via mobile devices, WBGO presents live broadcasts from prestigious jazz venues and produces acclaimed programs for NPR heard by millions. WBGO is Jazz Week magazine’s 2010 Major Market Station of the Year.

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Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. ™ Announces First Youth Education Initiative

Initiative Supports Expansion of Music Program
at Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County

NEWPORT, RI, March 21 – In keeping with its mission to present programs to educate young people about folk music, George Wein and the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. today announced its first youth education initiative, which will support the expansion of the music program of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.

The funding, primarily raised through the Backyard Barbecue at the 2011 Newport Folk Festival®, will enable the Boys & Girls Clubs to purchase new musical instruments and music recording tools/software; hire a professional music teacher to lead programs during its school-year afterschool programs; and introduce a new music program at its summer day camp, Camp Grosvenor. This collaboration will provide the Club the opportunity to continue its educational program with the Common Fence Music Production group, including offering a six-week African Drumming Workshop led by musician/percussionist LeRoy White. Additionally, the Club can offer new music programs for its Tot-Spot toddler/preschoolers, as well as expand its Digital Beats program for its Teen Center participants as a result of this support.

“The Newport Festivals Foundation was created to continue the legacies of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, and what better way to do that than to support programs that will encourage the next generation of music fans,” said George Wein, Chairman of the Foundation and Founder/Producer of the two festivals. “When Producer Jay Sweet presented the idea for the Folk Festival to support this wonderful music program, it was a unanimous decision to move forward.”

Jay Sweet added, “To build upon the programs that help kids throughout the Newport area gain a better understanding and knowledge of music while also bringing joy to their lives is a fantastic and humbling feeling. We’re excited to begin our partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs, and we look forward to not only watching the kids grow, develop and share their experiences, but also being available to help in any way.”

“We are thrilled that the Newport Festivals Foundation has decided to support the music program at the Boys & Girls Clubs. We know that music education can help provide the tools that children need to build a successful life – patience, concentration, coordination, relaxation – are just some of the benefits derived from music,” stated Joanne Hoops, Chief Professional Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County.  “Studies have shown that music education can help build intellectual and emotional skills that facilitate learning and strengthen academics. Music provides all of us an outlet to express feelings and relieve tension. Support from the Festivals Foundation will enable the Boys & Girls Club to expand its music programming, and offer opportunities in this area to children who might not have them. The Newport Folk Festival has such an esteemed history of bringing musicians of worldwide acclaim to Newport, and we are very proud to partner with them.”

Fore more that 50 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Newport County has provided quality, well-rounded programming to youth ages 5-18. Children and teens are engaged in a variety of age- appropriate activities that strengthen self-esteem, social skills, health, and community involvement. The club strives to incorporate learning into everything that they do. Their mission is for all young people – especially those that need them most – to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.

The Newport Festivals Foundation was founded by George Wein in 2010 to build up and continue the legacies of the famed Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. Under the auspices of the Foundation, the Newport Folk Festival presents performers who respect and honor folk music traditions, and at the same time reflect the changes in today’s musical trends. Through the establishment of partnerships with local schools and colleges/universities, the Foundation will present programs to educate young people about folk music as presented at the annual festivals. For more information, please visit www.newportfestivalsfoundation.org.

This year’s Newport Folk Festival, set for July 28-29, features My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart,  Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City and Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles and many others.  For the complete line-up, log on to www.newportfolkfest.net.

Tickets for the Newport Folk Festival are on sale now at www.newportfolkfest.net and www.ticketmaster.com. For general information, craft vendor information or to leave a message for festival staff, call the festival hotline at (401) 848-5055.

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