The 2004 JVC Jazz Festival in New York Features Salsa, Jazz and Other Sounds

New York, USA – The 2004 JVC Jazz Festival – New York will cover the city with music June 15 – 26, featuring more than 300 artists in nearly 60 shows at 17 venues. Ornette Coleman, Abbey Lincoln,
Oscar D’Leon, K.D. Lang, Lou Reed, Dianne Reeves, João Gilberto, Peter Cincotti, Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter/Dave Holland/Brian Blade, Poncho Sanchez, and more will celebrate 20 years of jazz and other forms of music with JVC.

A major feature of the festival will be an evening celebrating Nina Simone featuring two of her bands led by Al Shackman with special guests Tracy Chapman, Oscar Brown, Jr., Floetry, Lizz Wright, James “Blood” Ulmer with Vernon Reid, Simone and others. “The summer of 2004 is truly a producer’s dream. In June, we celebrate the 20th year with JVC as a corporate sponsor and supporter of jazz,” said George Wein, CEO of Festival Productions, Inc., and producer of the JVC Jazz Festival and other events around the world. “To cap it off, this August marks the 50th anniversary of the world’s first jazz festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, sponsored by JVC. We are grateful to JVC for helping us bring the festival into the 21st Century. My wife, Joyce, and I, along with the entire staff of Festival Productions, are proud to be a part of jazz history, and we look forward to continuing the celebration of jazz in New York, Newport and other cities around the world.”

This year’s festival presents eight nights of exciting music at Carnegie Hall, including three artists making their Carnegie Hall debut as headliners. João Gilberto, whose concerts regularly sell out, makes his third JVC appearance on Friday, June 18. In her debut as a headliner at the hall, k.d. lang sings with The Brooklyn Philharmonic with conductor Charles Floyd on Saturday, June 19.
Ornette Coleman, back after his historical concert last year, shares the evening with Abbey Lincoln in her first Carnegie Hall headline performance on Sunday, June 20. On Monday, June 21, the festival presents Sing the Truth … A Tribute to Nina Simone featuring two of her bands led by long-time musical director Al Shackman with a diverse all-star line-up including Toni Morrison, Oscar Brown, Jr., Tracy Chapman, Floetry, her daughter Simone, James “Blood” Ulmer
with Vernon Reid, Lizz Wright, Odetta and others.

Concerts at Carnegie Hall continue with another venue debut by Lou Reed and a special guest on Wednesday, June 23. Dianne Reeves celebrates Sarah Vaughan along with young singing sensation Peter Cincotti on Thursday, June 24. Then on Friday, June 25, Herbie Hancock/Wayne Shorter/Dave Holland/Brian Blade, in a new all-star jazz band featuring three Miles Davis alumni, make their first New York appearance. The  Carnegie Hall concerts wrap-up on Saturday, June 26, with the annual Latin extravaganza, featuring salsa star Oscar D’León and the long-awaited concert hall return of Poncho Sánchez with guest soloist Jimmy Bosch. All concerts are at 8:00 p.m.

The annual infusion of jazz at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College kicks off on Tuesday, June 15, with The Music of Leonard Bernstein & George Gershwin featuring the Bill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington.

Maria Schneider and her orchestra perform the final concert of her first season of residency at The Kaye on Thursday, June 17. Phil Woods takes the stage on Monday, June 21, with his quintet and special guests Clark Terry, Frank Wess, Antonio Hart, Jon Gordon and others followed by two of the most popular singers on the circuit today, Steve Tyrell and Stacey Kent on Wednesday, June 23. All concerts are at 8:00 p.m.

JVC takes over Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center with four concerts beginning with a new jazz trio starring John Scofield, Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart on Wednesday, June 16. Brad Mehldau and Fred Hersch wrap up Merkin’s Monday Nites – No Minimum series of piano duos on Monday, June 21. Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, who, in his 60s, first came to America a couple of years ago, showcases his quartet on Wednesday, June 23, followed by the Roy Haynes Quartet with Marcus Strickland, Martin Bejerano and John Sullivan on Thursday, June 24. All concerts are at 8:00 p.m.

JVC heads to the Thalia Theater at Symphony Space for An Evening of Solo Piano featuring Jason Moran on Friday, June 18, at 8:30 p.m.

JVC Jazz Festival hops the A train to Harlem for a celebration of 10 years of democracy in South Africa featuring Angelique Kidjo plus Femi Kuti & Positive Force at The Apollo Theater on Thursday, June 24, at 8:00 p.m. The T. S. Monk Sextet lights up the Studio Museum in Harlem on Thursday, June 17, at 7:00 p.m. and the annual A Father’s Day Gift features the George Coleman Quartet with Harold Mabern, John Webber and Joe Farnsworth at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Sunday, June 20, at 3:00 p.m. George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic bring their groove back to The Apollo Theater on Friday, June 25, and Saturday, June 26, at 8:00 p.m.

The Iridium, Jazz Standard, Village Vanguard and Birdland join JVC Jazz Festival for a special club series. The Iridium presents a six-day celebration of the Swing Era Tuesday, June 15 – Sunday, June 20 with The Statesmen of Jazz featuring Buddy DeFranco and Louie Bellson with Howard Alden, Norman Simmons, Warren Vaché, Jay Leonhart, Earl May plus special guests Clark Terry, Wycliffe
Gordon, Ken Peplowski, John Allred and Houston Person.

The Jazz Standard offers three nights of funk/groove music featuring Robert Walker’s 20th Congress on Thursday, June 17; The Soul of John Black, Friday, June 18; and Benevento/Russo Duo, Saturday, June 19.

The Village Vanguard presents its award-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra with special guest Slide Hampton on Monday, June 21. Taking over June 22 – 26 is Meet Uri Caine: A Man of Ideas, featuring the diverse and prolific pianist Uri Caine with a different concept each night, including Bach, Mahler, Bedrock, Blue Wail and Goldberg presented by bands that include guests Greg Osby, DJ Olive and Barbara Walker.

Teaming up Tuesday, June 22 – Saturday, June 26, to celebrate their anniversaries, Birdland (55) and the Newport Jazz Festival (50) salute five jazz legends that would have turned 100 this year – Fats Waller, Jimmy Dorsey, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins and Glenn Miller. Artists include Chuck Folds, Marty Grosz, Pete Sokolow and others; Stan Rubin Swing Era Big Band featuring Dan Levinson; Kendrick Oliver & the New Life Jazz Orchestra with special guest Kevin Mahogany; Lew Tabackin Quintet featuring Randy Brecker , Ray Drummond, Mark Taylor and others; and The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Larry O’Brien.

In addition, the 2-for-1 Club Night series with special discounts to JVC Jazz Festival ticket holders will be offered at The Iridium, Up Over Jazz Café, Lenox Lounge, Zinc, Sweet Rhythm and The Blue Note.

The JVC Jazz Festival presents three free lunchtime concerts at Bryant Park. Downbeat Magazine Presents the New School University Jazz & Contemporary Music Program (New York), Duke Ellington School of the Arts: The New Washingtonians (Washington, DC) and Berklee College of Music: Phil Wilson’s Berklee Rainbow Band (Boston) on Wednesday, June 23. Catch Danish Jazz Day featuring Fredrik Lundin Overdrive, Kasper Villaume Quartet and Anderskov Accident on Thursday, June 24, and Raul Midon, Miguel Zenon and Doug Wamble on Friday, June 25.

Spend the weekend at Freihofer’s Jazz Festival (formerly the Newport Jazz Festival) at the Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, NY, June 26 – 27.

For more information, visit the official JVC Jazz Festival – New York web site. Tickets for JVC Jazz Festival – New York concerts are available at respective box offices or by telephone: Apollo Theater (212-531-5305); Birdland (212-581-3080); Carnegie Hall (212-247-7800); Iridium Jazz Club (212-582-2121); Jazz Standard (212-576-2232); The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (212-772-4448); Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center (212-501-3330); Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture (212-491-2200); Studio Museum in Harlem (212-864-4500); Symphony Space (212-864-5400); Village Vanguard (212-255-4037).

For information and a Festival brochure, call (212) 501-1390 weekdays from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. or write JVC Jazz Festival – New York, P.O. Box 1169, Ansonia Station, New York, NY 10023.