Caramoor Jazz Festival Artist Change - Pianist Kirk Lightsely to Appear Aug. 5

The 2006 Caramoor Jazz Festival has announced the addition of pianist Kirk Lightsey to its August 5th all-day event. Lightsey will travel from Paris to perform a tribute to his old friend, the much beloved pianist John Hicks, who passed away on May 10th. John Hicks was to be featured at this year's Caramoor Jazz Festival, two full days of jazz on July 29th and August 5th.

Kirk Lightsey, who has lived in Paris for the last decade, developed his sound within the hard bop tradition in the US, working with some of the major headliners in jazz. He gained some attention in 1965 when he recorded with Sonny Stitt and appeared on five Prestige records with Chet Baker, and became even more well-known when he toured with Dexter Gordon from 1979 to 1983 and became part of The Leaders in the late '80s. Lightsey has played and recorded with such jazz stars as Yusef Lateef, Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Jimmy Raney, Clifford Jordan, Benny Golson, and Woody Shaw, and has led his own sessions for the Criss Cross and Sunnyside labels, including piano duets with Harold Danko. He released the duo album The Nights of Bradleys with bassist Rufus Reid on Sunnyside in 2004.