The 2008 JVC Jazz Festival – New York Lights Up the City with Jazz and World Music

The 2008 JVC Jazz Festival – New York, presented by The Festival Network, LLC (FN), lights up the city June 15 – 28 with 38 spectacular concerts plus nearly 200 additional events at clubs, schools, museums, retail outlets and other venues throughout the city. Tickets go on sale April 9.

 Highlights of this year’s JVC Jazz Festival New York include 2008 Album of the Year Grammy Award Winner Herbie Hancock and The River of Possibilities Tour; a celebration of 50 years of Bossa Nova starring João Gilberto; a JVC exclusive with Bad Plus 1 featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel, JVC Jazz Festival New York debuts by Jill Scott, Mos Def Big Band with special guest Gil Scott-Heron, Charlie Haden Quartet West and Bill Frisell Trio; all-star tributes to pianist Hank Jones, Art D’Lugoff’s Salsa Meets Jazz and Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz, as well as stellar performances by Chris Botti, Al Green, Cecil Taylor, George Cables, Sergio Mendes, Soulive with special guest Joshua Redman, and Charles Lloyd."JVC Jazz Festival New York demonstrates the convergence of an incredible array of musical talent – well known and on the rise – with our great business partner JVC. Add to that an audience that fully appreciates the opportunity to savor some of the best music around, in one of the world’s great cities, and you have all the ingredients for a terrific experience," said Tom Shepard, chief executive officer, FN. "We are pleased to apply Festival Network’s resources and skills to further enhance this event, which already has a rich history, as we have with others throughout our network of properties."

;"I have been producing festivals and events for more than half of my life, but watching the JVC Jazz Festival unfold across New York for 14 consecutive days is still one of my favorite times of the year," said jazz impresario George Wein. "It is exciting for me to be part of The Festival Network team. Its added energy and interest in increasing awareness of the JVC Jazz Festival through innovative programming complements our history of unique musical presentations."

The JVC Jazz Festival presents seven concerts at Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium at 8 pm. Concerts begin on Friday, June 20, with The Real Thing: An Evening with JILL SCOTT followed by Nouveau Bossa featuring SERGIO MENDES and ZAP MAMA, Saturday, June 21; 50 Years of Bossa Nova with JOÃO GILBERTO, Sunday, June 22; and 2008 Grammy Award Winner, Album of the Year, HERBIE HANCOCK and The River of Possibilities Tour featuring DAVE HOLLAND, VINNIE COLAIUTA, CHRIS POTTER, LIONEL LOUEKE and SONYA KITCHELL plus show opener LIONEL LOUEKE TRIO, Monday, June 23. The Carnegie Hall concerts continue Tuesday, June 24, with An Evening with CHRIS BOTTI; The Soul of Jazz starring AL GREEN and DIANNE REEVES on Friday, June 27; and MOS DEF BIG BAND with special guest GIL SCOTT-HERON, Saturday, June 28.

Kicking off the four 8:30 pm concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall is A Taste of Genius: BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO on Sunday, June 22, followed by Dick Hyman & Friends with DICK HYMAN, KEN PEPLOWSKI, WYCLIFFE GORDON, RANDY SANDKE, HOWARD ALDEN, JAY LEONHART and EDDIE LOCKE, Monday, June 23; Presenting Ms. Tierney Sutton featuring TIERNEY SUTTON BAND with TIERNEY SUTTON, CHRISTIAN JACOB, TREY HENRY and RAY BRINKER, Tuesday June 24; and Tangaria with RICHARD GALLIANO TANGARIA 4TET featuring RICHARD GALLIANO, ALEXIS CARDENAS, RAFAEL MEIJIAS, PHILLIPPE AERTS and special guest HAMILTON De HOLANDA, Saturday, June 28.

The JVC Jazz Festival – New York is pleased to make its debut at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC) with 10 dynamic concerts, most tailor-made for the festival. Jump starting the series is A Tribute to Alice Coltrane featuring RAVI COLTRANE, GERI ALLEN, CHARLIE HADEN, JACK DeJOHNETTE and BRANDEE YOUNGER on Tuesday, June 17, followed by A Celebration of 35 Years of Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz with BILLY TAYLOR, BUCKY PIZZARELLI, KEN PEPLOWSKI, BYRON STRIPLING, TED ROSENTHAL, WYCLIFFE GORDON, GENE BERTONCINI, JAY LEONHART and LEWIS NASH on Wednesday, June 18. Hear Voices Beyond Boundaries with Lila Downs and RAUL MIDÓN on Thursday, June 19, followed by The Solo Piano featuring CECIL TAYLOR and GEORGE CABLES, Friday, June 20, and Hank Jones Celebration with NEA Jazz Master HANK JONES, Saturday, June 21.

Concerts at the NewYork Society for Ethical Culture continue with A Tribute to Carlos "Patato" Valdez: THE CONGA KINGS featuring Giovanni Hidalgo, Cándido Camero and Francisco Aguabella on Sunday, June 22. Be among the number to catch A JVC New York Exclusive of BAD PLUS 1 featuring KURT ROSENWINKEL plus EMPIRICAL on Tuesday, June 24, and Rising Stars ANAT COHEN with special guests YUVAL and AVISHAI COHEN, plus JASON LINDNERand ESPERANZA SPALDING QUARTET with LEONARDO GENOVESE, RICARDO VOGT and HORACIO HERNANDEZ, Wednesday, June 25. The series wraps up with DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER RED EARTH: A MALIAN JOURNEY on Friday, June 27, and CHARLES LLOYD featuring JASON MORAN, REUBEN ROGERS and ERIC HARLAND, Saturday, June 28. All NYSEC concerts are at 8 pm.

The Festival also makes it debut at Le Poisson Rouge with eight concerts, but as the former Village Gate, the venue comes with its own venerable history. Don’t miss the New York Debut of CHARLIE HADEN QUARTET WEST on Wednesday, June 18, and the New Trio New York Debut ofthe BILL FRISELL TRIO, Thursday, June 19, both evenings at 7:30 pm and 10 pm. On Saturday, June 21, catch Genre Bending with E.S.T. and AETHEREAL BACE with ERIC McPHERSON, NASHEET WAITS and ABRAHAM BURTON at 7:30 pm and Transcending Voices with SIMONE and KJ DENHERT at 11 pm. One of New York’s hottest homecomings is set for Monday, June 23, at 7:30 pm when JVC Jazz Festival Salutes Art D’Lugoff and Salsa Meets Jazz featuring PONCHO SANCHEZ, in the room where D’Lugoff hosted world-renowned jazz and Latin music greats until his Village Gate closed 15 years ago. Groove to the beat at Turntables & Samples Meet Jazz on Wednesday, June 25, at 8 pm with MARCO BENEVENTO TRIO, DJ LOGIC PROJECT LOGIC and MOCEAN WORKER. Come back for A JVC New York Exclusive with SOULIVE with special guest JOSHUA REDMAN on Thursday, June 26, and Friday, June 27, at 7:30 pm.

The JVC Jazz Festival – New York returns to the Rubin Museum of Art for three concerts with THE BILLY HART ACADEMY featuring THEO CROKER, Friday, June 21; THE AARON GOLDBERG TRIO, Wednesday, June 25; and TIM BERNE and CRAIG TABORN, Friday, June 27, all at 7 pm.

Think no more about what to get Dad; take him to A Father’s Day Gift with the KENNY BARRON TRIO at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Sunday, June 15, at 3 pm. Make It Funky! with MACEO PARKER and LETTUCE at another new JVC Jazz Festival venue, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, on Wednesday, June 18, at 8 pm. Art greets jazz when the BILLY HARPER QUINTET takes the stage at Studio Museum in Harlem on Thursday, June 26, at 7:30 pm.

JVC Jazz Festival – New York presents three free concerts at two area parks. MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD, MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG and TAYLOR McFERRIN are set to perform at Prospect Park Bandshell on Thursday, June 19, at 7 pm. A $3 contribution to Celebrate Brooklyn! is requested. Grab a blanket and pack a snack and head to Union Square Park – South Plaza for DownBeat Presents: Jazz Combos with THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS JAZZ ENSEMBLE, THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY LIBERACE JAZZTET and GREATER HARTFORD ACADEMY JAZZ ENSEMBLE, on Thursday, June 19, at 12:30 pm and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music Presents: THE NEW SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 pm.

Throughout the Festival, the 2-for-1 Club Night series will offer special discounts to JVC Jazz Festival ticket holders for select shows at The Blue Note, Birdland, Cachaça, Iridium Jazz Club, Smoke and Zinc.

Additional support for the JVC Jazz Festival – New York is provided by NYC & Company and media partners The Village Voice and Jazz 88/WBGO-FM.

The Buckingham Hotel, located at 101 West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue, is the official host hotel of the JVC Jazz Festival – New York. For the special festival rate, call (212) 246-1500, extension 3201, and mention the JVC Jazz Festival or visit www.buckinghamhotel.com.

Tickets and information for JVC Jazz Festival – New York concerts are available at respective box offices, online or by telephone: The Blue Note, 131 W. Third Street, (212) 475-8592; Birdland, 315 W. 44th Street, (212) 581-3080; Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Claremont Ave at Lafayette Avenue, (866) 468-7619; Cachaça, 35 W. Eighth Street, (212) 388-9099; Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, (212) 582-2121; Carnegie Hall, W. 57th Street & 7th Avenue, (212) 247-7800; New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th Street & Central Park West, (646) 862-0458; Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, (646) 862-0458; Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th Street & Prospect Park West, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 855-7882; Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th Street, (212) 620-5000; Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard & W. 135th Street, (212) 491-2200; Smoke, 2751 Broadway, (212) 864-6662; Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 W. 125th Street, (212) 864-4500; Summer in the Square, Union Square Park – South Plaza, 14th Street between Broadway & Union Square West; Zankel Hall, W. 57th Street & 7th Avenue, (212) 247-7800;  and Zinc, 90 W. Houston Street, (212) 477-8337.< For information and a Festival brochure, call (646) 862-0458 weekdays from 10 am - 6 pm or visit the official JVC Jazz Festival - New York Website at www.festivalnetwork.com.

JVC, sponsor of JVC Jazz Festivals worldwide since 1984, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high quality audio and video products.