BILLY TAYLOR PRESENTS WOMEN IN JAZZ MONTH ON GMN.com

Global Music Network (www.gmn.com),the leading Internet destination for jazz, opera and classical music, and Dr. Billy Taylor present “Women in Jazz Month." GMN.com dedicates the month of June to Women in Jazz, featuring live webcasts and interviews from the Fifth Annual Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, which took place May 11-13, as well as performances from Birdland, and the 2000 IAJE convention. Dr. Billy Taylor, artistic advisor for jazz for the Kennedy Center Jazz Season, will conduct the interviews and serve as host for these exclusive Internet-only webcasts.

In an effort to honor the memory of pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams and recognize the tremendous contributions of women who perform in the jazz arena today, GMN will feature exclusive webcasts everyday in June from exceptional female artists. Webcasts will include legendary pianist Marian McPartland, who was presented with the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Award, which recognizes lifelong contributions to the art of jazz music. There will also be webcasts of performances by many vocalists including Flora Purim, Sheila Jordan, Kitty Margolis, and Nnenna Freelon as well as instrumentalists including pianist Joanne Brackeen, saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, and drummer Sherrie Maricle and Five Play. In addition, GMN.com will webcast rare video footage of Mary Lou Williams.

GMN.com is pleased to announce the first annual “GMN Women in Jazz Award." Women from around the world, of all ages, are invited to participate in this contest, on the GMN.com website. The winner, chosen by a panel of distinguished judges, which will be headed by Dr. Billy Taylor, will become a GMN.com Family Artist, joining such distinguished Jazz artists as Dr. Taylor, J.J. Johnson, David Liebman, Geoff Keezer, Kenny Davern and Maria Schneider. The contest, which will be announced during the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival at the Kennedy Center, begins on June 22nd, and will run for thirty days. The winner will be announced on the site on September 1, 2000.

All GMN.com webcasts are streamed exclusively on the Internet. To enjoy both audio and visual webcasts, use Windows Media Player or RealPlayer, which can be downloaded free of charge on the GMN.com site. Simply click on the help button and follow the easy to use instructions or go to http://www.gmn.com/guide/installingplayer.asp.

WEBCAST SCHEDULE
June 1 - Thursday, Deanna Witkowski (Kennedy Center)
June 2 - Friday, Claire Daly (KC)
June 3 - Saturday, Flora Purim (KC)
June 4