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The 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition

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XM 70 Real Jazz Will Air the 17th annual Jazz Competition and Gala Concert Monday September 13th at 7:30pm ET Live from The John F. Kennedy Center for the performing Arts, Eisenhour Theatre

The 2004 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition sponsored by General Motors
Hosted by Herbie Hancock and Billy Dee Williams with Special Guest Quincy Jones


Plus Jazz All-Stars Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Georege Duke, Lonnie Plaxico, Carl Allen, Terence Blanchard, Thelonious Monk, Jr., Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath and others.

The 2004 Competition will feature three finalists out of 13 of the world's most outstanding emerging jazz vocalists who will be competing for over $60,000 in scholarships and prizes.

The three finalists will perform with a group of Jazz All-Stars in the Eisenhower Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Along with performances by the finalists, the event will feature a performance by pianist Misha Piatigorsky, this year's winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Composer's Competition sponsored by BMI. The $10,000 Composer's Award is presented annually to the young, aspiring composer who best demonstrates originality, creativity, and excellence in jazz composition. This year's Composer's Competition is devoted to compositions featuring creativity in jazz vocals.

Each year the Competition shines a spotlight on young artists from varying jazz disciplines which have included piano, bass, drums, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and guitar. This year's jazz vocalists will be reviewed by an illustrious panel of judges including internationally renowned jazz artists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau and Jimmy Scott. Accompanying the singers will be a jazz combo featuring Carl Allen on drums, and Lonnie Plaxico on bass and George Duke on piano, who also serves as the event's Artistic Director.

The second half of the event will feature performances by the vocals competition judges. They will be joined by Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk, Jr., Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, George Duke, and others, along with the very talented students from around the world who study in the degree program of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the University of Southern California. The Institute's Maria Fisher Founder's Award will be presented Senator Orrin Hatch, who has made outstanding contributions to the Institute and the world of jazz.

The Competition, compared in stature to that of the classical Tchaikovsky and Van Cliburn Competitions, is the most prestigious jazz competition in the world, and is widely known for discovering jazz stars of tomorrow. It has launched the careers of vocalists Jane Monheit and Tierney Sutton, saxophonist Joshua Redman, and pianists Marcus Roberts and Jacky Terrasson, to name a few. These artists and dozens of others from past competitions have forged successful careers as performing and recording artists as well as music educators. They have earned worldwide respect and media attention while helping preserve the legacy of jazz.

A Gala VIP After-Party fundraiser hosted by Senator and Mrs. Ted Stevens and Joseph E. Robert, Jr. will immediately follow the Competition Finals in the Kennedy Center's Atrium. Honorary Vice Chairs include: Senators Lamar Alexander, Thad Cochran, Susan Collins, Elizabeth Dole, Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter and John Sununu; Congressmen John Conyers, Norm Dicks, John Dingell, David Dreier, Harold Ford, John Lewis, Ed Markey and George Miller; Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi; and Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert.

Tickets for the Gala After Party and Competition are $300, $500, $1,000 and $2,500. For information about sponsorships or to receive an invitation to the Gala, please contact Judy Brophy at 202-364-7272 or e-mail [email protected]. General admission tickets are available through the Kennedy Center box office and InstantCharge by calling 202-467-4600.

The competition will be taped as a documentary for Black Entertainment Television and the BET Jazz cable network. The documentary will feature performances by the semifinalists, backstage interviews with the finalists and judges, and footage from the post-competition reception.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz (www.monkinstitute.org) was established in 1986 in memory of the renowned jazz pianist and composer. Its mission is to preserve America's legacy of jazz through performance and education. The Institute offers the world's most promising young musicians college level training by America's jazz masters and presents school-based jazz education programs for young people around the world. Additionally, the Institute provides scholarships, performance opportunities, and worldwide recognition to gifted young musicians through its many jazz education programs. The Institute's most recent project is Jazz in America: The National Jazz Curriculum, a free internet-based curriculum for 5th, 8th and 11th grade public school students, located at www.jazzinamerica.org.

Tickets for the September 13th Finals at the Kennedy Center Eisenhower Theater may be purchased at the Kennedy Center box office, by calling Instant Charge at 202-467-4600 or on the web at www.kennedy-center.org.

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