The 13th Annual Litchfield Jazz Festival kicks off on Friday, August 1st with the “Friends of the Festival Gala" from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the Winvian Luxury Resort & Spa in Morris, CT. Winvian is co-hosting this year's opening night party which will offer hors d'oeuvres with fresh seasonal ingredients by Winvian's Executive Chef, Chris Eddy and premium wines and microbrews from Northeast Beverage Company of Connecticut. Featured wines include a Pouilly Fuisse Cave des Grand Crus and exceptional wines from Chile, Australia and New Zealand. Music will be provided by outstanding Litchfield Jazz Camp students.
The party is followed by the Opening Night performances at Goshen Fairgrounds. At 7:45 pm saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Paquito D'Rivera appears accompanied by the Zaccai Curtis Trio. Mr. D'Rivera is the winner of 9 Grammy Awards, National Medal of Arts, NEA Jazz Master Award, Guggenheim Fellowship and the Kennedy Center Jazz Legend Award. Mr. D'Rivera was commissioned to premier a new work for his performance on The Festival. The performance and commission are made possible in part by the NEA Jazz Masters on Tour.
Next on the double-bill, at 9:15 pm, is two-time Tony & Emmy Award winning actress, singer and dancer, Ms. Bebe Neuwirth, best known as Lilith on Cheers and Frasier, with pianist Scott Cady. Ms. Neuwirth will be performing a series of story songs she calls “Stories with Piano." This will include some classic songs like “As Time Goes By," as well as songs made famous by dith Piaf. Other compositions by Kurt Weill, Tom Waits and song writing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb will be included in the show. Kander and Ebb are perhaps most famous for their music and lyrics for the musical Chicago for which Ms. Neuwirth received a Tony Award for her performance of Velma Kelly.
The Litchfield Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism, Steinway & Sons, The Republican-American, DownBeat Magazine, NEA Jazz Masters on Tour, Heritage Hotel in Southbury, Winvian Luxury Resort & Spa, Northeast Beverage Corporation of Connecticut, Magic Hat, Crystal Rock Water, Jazz Corner, Litchfield Magazine, Home Living Connecticut, Connecticut Business Magazine, Linktothearts.com, WSHU Radio, LPA Members and others. Litchfield Jazz Camp students, who perform at the festival on the student stage and study for up to a month prior, participate through the generous support of the CT State Department of Education Interdistrict Grants and additional assistance from Shure, Keilwerth, Friendship Fund and Crystal Rock Water.
Proceeds from the opening night “Friends of the Festival" gala support the need-based scholarship program at the Litchfield Jazz Camp. Premium tickets are $350 for Best Friends weekend passes, which include the Friends Gala, and $150 for the “Friends of the Festival" gala and performance. These include upfront seating and VIP parking. Advance-purchase general admission tickets are $35 for lawn and $55 for tent.
Visit litchfieldjazzfest.com for more information and to purchase tickets. Any other questions call 860-567-4162.
For more information contact All About Jazz.
