FINAL LINE-UP SET FOR 2008 TELLURIDE JAZZ CELEBRATION
02-21-2008
KICKS OFF HISTORIC COLORADO MINING TOWN’S SUMMER FESTIVAL SEASON JUNE 5 – 8, 2008
32nd Edition Of Renowned Jazz Festival To Coincide With 25th Anniversary of Hot Air Balloon Fest
4-Time Grammy®-Winning Pianist McCoy Tyner “Guest Of Honor” At 4-Day
Event Also Featuring The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, Maceo Parker, Joe Lovano,
Dave Liebman, Betty Lavette, Simone, Maelstrom Trio Featuring Skerik & Others
*Please Note New Dates For TJC – Event Moved To Early June After 31 Years In Early August Time-Slot
(Telluride, CO – February 20, 2008) The Telluride Society for Jazz today announced the final line-up for the 2008 Telluride Jazz Celebration (TJC) scheduled for June 5-8, 2008 in this historic 19th century mining town in the majestic San Juan Mountains of southwest Colorado.
Internationally renowned pianist McCoy Tyner has been named the guest of honor at TJC 2008 and in a tribute to him the event’s main stage will be christened The McCoy Tyner Stage for the weekend. The four-time Grammy®-winning pianist, who came to global prominence in the 1960s playing in saxophonist John Coltrane’s quartet, will perform on Friday June 6th and on Saturday June 7th.
Other artists scheduled to appear as headliners at the 2008 TJC’s outdoor concerts during the day and/or evening concerts indoors at various venues include: The Neville Brothers and Dr. John (June 8th) mainstays of the Crescent City scene from New Orleans; renowned saxophonist and former James Brown sideman Maceo Parker (June 6th); the Joe Lovano Quartet (June 6th & 7th); the David Liebman Group (June 7th & 8th); the Maelstrom Trio w/ Skerik (June 6th & 7th); and vocalists Simone (June 7th & 8th) and Bettye LaVette (June 6th). A complete schedule listing artists, performance dates, times and venues is available at
www.TellurideJazz.org.
The 32nd edition of the TJC will coincide the 25th anniversary of the Telluride Hot Air Balloon Festival. Held in August since its debut in 1977, in recent years the TJC was the victim of late summer rains during the region’s monsoon season that put a damper on the event. The Telluride Society For Jazz sought and received a date change from the Town Of Telluride in October 2007 to enable it to be produced during the first week of June together with the balloon festival. In 2008 a festive weekend of "Jazz in June with Balloons" will fill the air with colorful sights and sounds as hot air balloons add some aerial color to the backdrop of the alpine peaks surrounding the town alive with the sound of music. The TJC is presented by the Telluride Society for Jazz, the Raynier Institute & Foundation, Mountain Village Owners Association and the US Bank of Telluride among other sponsors.
As occurred in 2007 New Orleans’ Jazz and Heritage radio station WWOZ and KUVO Jazz 89 “The Oasis in the City” of Denver, Colorado, will produce remote broadcasts of selected performances throughout the 2008 TJC.
Tickets to the 2008 TJC ranging from single day passes at $50 to patron passes at $675 are available at
www.telluridejazz.org or by calling 970.728.7009. Lodging and travel services are available through Telluride’s official central reservation office at
www.Telluride.com or 1.888.353.5473.
Telluride’s majestic perch high in the spectacular San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado has been the site of an annual series of cultural event produced by the Telluride
Society for Jazz combining the finest of nature and art that ranks among the world’s most memorable music festivals. The intimate format and abundant opportunities to enjoy spectacular alpine recreational activities complement the superb music presented each year at the Telluride Jazz Celebration (TJC). Combining performances on outdoor stages during the day with theater and club shows at night, the TJC offers the best of both worlds and with its new dates in June, it coincides with the 25th annual edition of the colorful Telluride Balloon Festival.
Dizzy Gillespie saw many magnificent sights in his role as a cultural ambassador celebrating the American art form of jazz on numerous U.S. State Department sponsored trips to Asia, Africa and South America. Yet in 1977 when he arrived to perform at the inaugural TJC the legendary trumpeter exclaimed: “If this ain’t paradise, heaven can wait.”
Anyone who has ever visited Telluride would have to agree. A National Historic Landmark District, this former mining town incorporated in 1878 at an elevation of 8,750 at the end of a box canyon encircled of Southwest Colorado’s majestic San Juan Mountains is located in one of the most breathtaking corners of the world. Telluride has evolved into a world-class ski and golf resort offering superb conditions for summer, fall and winter outdoor recreational activities as well as a calendar of world-class cultural events.
Since 1977, the TJC has annually presented an all-star line-up of world-renowned artists in concert and proudly represents the art form of jazz in Telluride’s eclectic annual cultural calendar that also includes festivals devoted to Bluegrass, Blues & Brews, Chamber Music and a world-renowned International Film Festival. Combining outdoor stages during the day and with theater and club shows running at night, the TJC offers the best of both worlds by providing opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreational activities in an idyllic alpine environment that make a trip to Telluride in early June an ideal choice for travelers looking for a vacation combining culture and nature or music lovers seeking to enjoy world class performing artists in a breathtaking setting.
Featured Artists at 2008 Telluride Jazz Celebration:
McCoy Tyner – “Guest of Honor” -This four-time Grammy® winner was also a recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts’ prestigious "Jazz Master" award in 2002. It is no overstatement to say that Tyner, whose blues-based piano style is one of the most identifiable sounds in improvised music, has helped shape modern jazz over the past 50 years. He has released nearly 80 albums under his own name and continues to influence generations of jazz artists around the world. www.mccoytyner.com
The Neville Brothers - The Neville Brothers; Art, Charles, Aaron, and Cyril continue to provoke, entertain and excite audiences around the globe. The differences between the four Neville Brothers are as dramatic as the similarities that unite them, namely passionate funk and a feeling for blues-soaked deep pocket grooves that is the basis of their greatness and exalted place in our cultural history. www.nevilles.com
Dr. John - Dr. John is universally celebrated as the living embodiment of the rich musical heritage exclusive to New Orleans. His very colorful musical career began in the 1950s and continues to dazzle and delight audiences across the globe with his unique blend of voodoo mysticism, funk, rhythm & blues, psychedelic rock and Creole roots. www.drjohn.org
Maceo Parker - Maceo Parker: his name is synonymous with Funky Music, his pedigree impeccable; his band: the tightest little funk orchestra on earth. Everyone knows by now that he's played with each and every leader of funk, his start with James Brown, which Maceo describes as " like being at University "; jumping aboard the Mothership with George Clinton and a tribute to Ray Charles. He’s the living, breathing pulse running through the history of Funk like a golden thread. www.maceoparker.com
Joe Lovano Quartet - According to Ben Ratliff of The New York Times “It’s fair to say that [Joe Lovano is] one of the greatest musicians in jazz history.” One of the leading saxophonists on the international jazz scene, Lovano has a husky tone on the tenor and soars on the soprano. He has one foot firmly rooted in the mainstream jazz tradition yet he continues to open new paths in jazz with an approach to improvisation that is modern, daring and steeped in the tradition of Ornette Coleman. www.joelovano.com
Dave Liebman Group - David Liebman is a preeminent jazz saxophonist who has sustained a top-of-the-line reputation for four decades. He embodies a rare combination of discipline, knowledge, technique, and passion and is simply a true and dedicated master. Joining Liebman, will be guitarist Vic Juris, bassist Tony Marino and drummer Marco Marcinko,
Bettye LaVette - “In a career spanning 40 years, she has maintained a level of almost unrivaled quality” -- Soul Historian Her new CD "The Scene of the Crime" was nominated for a Grammy® as Best Contemporary Blues Album of 2007, a
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