Third Annual Panama Jazz Festival Set For January 19-21, 2006

Top International and Panamanian Artists Set To Perform:
Randy Weston African Group, David Sanchez Group, Kurt Rosenwinkel Group featuring Mark Turner, University Panama Big Band Led by Vitin Paz with Maurico Smith Jr and Panamanian guest vocalist Patricia Vlieg , Carlos Garnett Quartet, Santi Debriano and the Sounds of Ash From the U of Massachusetts Dartmouth, New England Conservatory Ensemble, Mauricio Smith's Tribute Band and Folk Panamanian Musicians

“The reawakening of a country's soul is a splendid thing to witness, especially when it's a place as beautiful and intriguing as Panama." --John Murph, JazzTimes

“Panama, for one weekend, the hub of jazz universe." --Larry Katz, Boston Herald

“...thousands of Panamanians poured into the capitol's historic Old City over the weekend to celebrate an art form with deep roots here: jazz." --Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

Festival founder and artistic director Danilo Prez is proud to announce the third annual Panama Jazz Festival, scheduled for January 19 -21, 2006. Having grown in stature each year, the 2006 three day event will feature the Randy Weston African Group, the David Sanchez Group, the Kurt Rosenwinkel Group featuring Mark Turner, the New England Conservatory Ensemble, the University Panama Big Band, led by Vitin Paz with special guests, Santi Debriano and the Sounds of Ash From the University of Massachusetts, the Carlos Garnett Quartet, the New England Conservatory Ensemble, Mauricio Smith's Tribute Band, Folk Panamanian Musicians among other national and international musicians.

The Prez Foundation is organizing the Festival along with the sponsorship of Ricardo Prez, SA (Toyota Distributor of Panama) and the continuous support of Panama City's Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro. In addition to ticketed concerts held at the Anayansi Theater of the Atlantic Pacific Convention Center, there will be a free concert at the Cathedral Plaza, in el Casco Antiguo and jam sessions led by local jazz players and international musicians. The Prez Foundation and the PJF will also join forces with the New England Conservatory of Music, (Boston, MA) to provide music workshops for students at the Belle Arts Department of the University of Panama. “One of the main reasons for doing this festival is to develop the musical education of our country and the Perez Foundation will provide different ways to do so," says Prez.

Prez's manager, Robin Tomchin, who is also the International Coordinator of the Panama Jazz Festival, added, “This festival has been a dream of ours, since Danilo and I began working together over twelve years ago. The event is wonderfully received by the people of Panama, who openly embrace the music and the artists--even if they are unfamiliar with them. It's also especially gratifying to have the support of the entire country, from the office of the President, to the mayor of Panama City to the newspapers and television. We hope to continue to grow the festival over time."

If the response to the second annual Panama Jazz Festival is any indication, Danilo Prez is beginning to see his dream realized. For years, Danilo has focused on broadening the country's horizons by introducing the world to the rich cultural and musical legacy of his homeland. “(Danilo Prez) presented his homeland with a spectacular gift," noted Larry Blumenfeld, in Jazziz. “Prez is determined to bring the world's greatest jazz musicians to Panama, as much as he is advocating for talented Panamanian musicians to be heard on a global basis," said Aaron Cohen in Downbeat. Writing in the Chicago Tribune, Howard Reich noted, “a great deal of what (Prez plays) has been dedicated to extolling Panamanian culture to the United States and to the rest of the the world, through the international currency of jazz."

Each year the Festival is dedicated to one of Panama's musical giants, a musician who exemplifies Panama's rich musical landscape. For the 2006 Festival, the honoree is Mauricio Smith, who died in 2002. Flautist, reeds player, musical director, composer, arranger, guitarist, keyboardist, percussionist and chorus singer; Smith was equally at home in various genres, including. Classical, Latin, calypso, jazz, R&B, pop, show music, movie scores, zouk and compas. Prez's first met Smith when he was 14. At the time, Prez didn't have any genuine ambition to become a professional musician. But Smith saw something special in Prez's playing. “He came to me and said, 'You gotta practice. You're going to be a musician.' I was like, 'Man, this is just a hobby.' He said, 'No man, you have talent.' So, I owe him a big part of my decision to be serious about music," Danilo noted in a JazzTimes interview.

Pianist and composer Danilo Prez has made an indelible mark on contemporary jazz as a leader of his own ensembles, and as a member of the new Wayne Shorter Quartet and other acclaimed jazz groups. His latest CD, Live at the Jazz Showcase was released on Artist Share earlier this year. Notable for his insightful and innovative treatments of the standard jazz repertoire and as a leading exponent of Pan-American jazz music, Prez is a shining beacon among the current generation of jazz and Latin jazz musicians. He has earned three Grammy nominations, numerous awards, and critical acclaim for his recorded works and passionate live performances.

The 2006 Panama Jazz Festival is being sponsored by Ricardo Perez, SA (Toyota Distributor for almost 50 years)/ The Festival is being supported by Panama City's Mayor Juan Carlos Navarro and the Presidency of the Republic, the Institute of Tourism (IPAT), the National Institute of Culture (INAC), Herman Bern and Glen Champion of Bern Hotels and Resorts Panama, Copa Airlines and the Yamaha Corporation of Panama.

The Panama Jazz Festival will take place in Panama City, Panama January 19 -21, 2006.