Catch The Beat and The Beach At Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City Beach, Fla.

03-24-2009

The destination’s newest entertainment venue, Pier Park, sets the stage for a weekend of cool jazz.

 

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (Mar. 24, 2009) - A full lineup of award-winning artists are ready to hit the stage in Panama City Beach, Fla., the new home of the Gulf Coast’s annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival. Panama City Beach’s Pier Park sets the stage for a jazzy, all-star weekend, April 16 - 19, expected to draw music lovers near and far. The lineup includes nationally acclaimed smooth jazz artists: Boney James, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Nick Colionne, Warren Hill, Joyce Cooling, and more.

 

“We’re proud to be the new home of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival,” said Dan Rowe, president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Pier Park provides the perfect setting for this nationally recognized event.”

 

The weekend kicks off Thurs., April 16, 7:00 p.m., with the three-hour Smooth Jazz Dinner Cruise on beautiful St. Andrew’s Bay presented by the Bay Point Marriott Resort and Spa.  Enjoy the upbeat, funky-style performance of the renowned jazz keyboardist Alex Bugnon aboard the Solaris, a 125-foot yacht known for exceptional cuisine.

 

Friday begins with a performance by the Urban Jazz Coalition, 6:00 p.m., followed by The Smooth Jazz All-Star Jam Show featuring festival host Nick Colionne, Four80East, Alex Bugnon, Brian Simpson, Shilts, Nils, Matt Marshak, Althea Rene and Jackiem Joyner. The evening concludes with dancing and revelry at the Jazz Under the Stars party at Pier Park’s Reggae J’s.

 

Great performances continue all day Saturday, starting 10:00 a.m., with high-energy artists and ending with another Jazz Under the Stars party that will send all your blues away.  Saturday’s performers include Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Joyce Cooling, Four 80 East, Eric Darius, Althea Rene’ and more. The weekend finale is a day of live entertainment, Sunday, beginning 9:30 a.m., with performances throughout the day and evening by Boney James, Warren Hill, Nick Colionne, Brian Simpson, Nils, Jackeim Joyner, Roman Street, and Jones and Company.

 

“With expanded on-site parking, great beaches, extensive shopping and dining options at Pier Park, plus an abundance of hotel and condos nearby, the 2009 Seabreeze Jazz Festival will have it all,” says Mark Carter, the event’s organizer. “The weekend brings together a collection of great artists and people who love contemporary smooth jazz.”

 

Sponsors include ResortQuest, The Panama City Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau, Pier Park/Simon Corporation, Bay Point Marriott Resort and Spa, Smoothjazz.com, JazzIZ Magazine, and Smoothlounge.com.

 

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.seabreezejazzfestival.com or call 1-800-595-4849. 

 

About Panama City Beach

Panama City Beach boasts 27 miles of sugar-white sand beaches bordering the clear, emerald-green waters of the Gulf of Mexico and St. Andrews Bay. The Northwest Florida community is home to St. Andrew’s State Park, a Top Two beach on the 2008 TripAdvisor list of America’s best beaches. Panama City Beach also enjoys recognition as a premier beach destination by Condé Nast Traveler, The Travel Channel, USA Today, Southern Living, Dr. Beach and the Clean Beaches Council. Family attractions, championship golf courses, sporting events, award-winning dining, predictably sunny weather and a vast number of recreational activities draw visitors to this seaside community. For more information, call 1-800-PCBEACH (850-233-6503) or check out the official Web site of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau, http://www.visitpanamacitybeach.com.

 

About Pier Park

Located in the heart of town across from the City Pier, the new Pier Park spans roughly 1 million square feet, making it Northwest Florida’s largest shopping / dining / entertainment venue. This open-air complex houses restaurants and stores comprising a colorful mix of popular national chains and favorite local boutiques and eateries. The Pier Park lineup includes: Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Dillard’s, Borders, JCPenney, Ron Jon Surf Shop, Candymaker Candy Stores, Massage Envy, Panera Bread, The Back Porch restaurant, Hofbrau Beer Garden, Ann Taylor Loft, Chico’s, ULTA Beauty and more. Plus, the Grand 16 Theatre -- a 16-screen, 3,000-seat movie theater complex - shows the latest blockbusters.

 

You can now follow the destination on Twitter.com, at PCBeach, to receive up-to-the-minute news and details on special offers and deals.

 

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