Eighth Annual Healdsburg Jazz Festival Line-Up

HEALDSBURG, CA - From June 1-11, the quiet, bucolic town of Healdsburg and its surrounding vineyard appellations will reverberate with the sounds and beats of the world's greatest jazz performers. The 2006 Healdsburg Jazz Festival, one of Northern California's premiere annual cultural events, is pleased to announce that McCoy Tyner and his trio will appear as this year's Festival headliner.

Tyner, one of the most gifted jazz pianists of the past quarter century, and six-time Grammy Award nominee, jazz singer Mark Murphy are just a sampling of the world-class jazz musicians that will perform during this ten day jazz musical extravaganza in the heart of the Sonoma wine country.

Recording star McCoy Tyner has been described by many of his peers as one of today's most important and influential living proponents of straight-ahead jazz. He was the pianist in the history making John Coltrane Quartet of the '60s, and his Coltrane association, including their 1960-65 recordings with bassist Jimmy Garrison and drummer Elvin Jones on the Impulse! label, are still regarded by jazz historians as major landmark events. His contributions are considered to have been crucial to the maturation and evolution of the genre.

Tyner's glittery credentials stretch back to the '50s and in addition to stints as the piano player for Benny Golson and his 'Jazztet', he has worked and recorded with Art Farmer, Joe Henderson, Ron Carter, Lee Morgan, Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins and Michael Brecker, among others. His 1970 album Sahara received two Grammy nominations and was named by DownBeat Magazine as 'Album of the Year'.

As a companion event, the Festival will feature jazz hipster Mark Murphy, the singer about whom critic Rex Reed once said, 'He is arguably the best male jazz singer in the business.' Murphy is another veteran performer who traces his beginnings back to the early '50s, when he was discovered in his hometown of Syracuse, New York by Sammy Davis Jr. His first big hit, 'This Could Be the Start of Something Big', was recorded in 1959 after he and Steve Allen, the song's writer, had introduced it to a national audience on The Tonight Show.

The Healdsburg Jazz Festival, Inc., is a non-profit corporation. Among its other projects are jazz education programs held in area elementary and secondary schools to teach area youth about jazz music and its role in American heritage. For more information visit http://healdsburgjazzfestival.com or call (707) 433-4633.

The Festival's entire all-star line-up and the various venues are as follows:

Thursday, June 1
Louie Bellson in Concert with the Musician's Warehouse Big Band
Gala Fundraiser for music education programs in the schools
Auction, Dinner, Concert, and Dance
6:00 p.m. Tickets: $125 per person.
Location: Furth Center, 8400 Old Redwood Hwy., Windsor

Friday, June 2
Bruce Forman Trio with guest Noel Jewkes plus John Witala on bass and Vince Lateano
8:00 p.m. Tickets: $20 per person (includes a glass of Geyser Peak wine or soda).
Location: Barndiva, 231 Center St., Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: Geyser Peak Winery

Saturday, June 3
Marc Cary Focus Trio with David Ewell and Sameer Gupta
8:00 p.m. Tickets: $20 per person (includes a glass of Geyser Peak wine or soda).
Location: Barndiva, 231 Center St., Healdsburg
Event sponsor: Geyser Peak Winery

Sunday, June 4
Jazz Night at the Movies with Mark Cantor
7:00 p.m. Tickets: $10.00 per person.
Location: Raven Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg
Event sponsor: KRCB Radio 91.1 FM

Monday, June 5
Stephanie Ozer Trio with Mary Fettig and Scott Thompson
Jazz and Wine Dinner
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Location: Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: Hotel Healdsburg

Tuesday, June 6
Rebecca Mauleon Sextet
Concert, Dance, and Record Release
6:00 p.m. Free town concert.
Location: Healdsburg Plaza, Healdsburg

Wednesday, June 7
Mad and Eddie Duran Trio with Chris Amberger
Jazz and Wine Dinner
7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Location: Dry Creek Kitchen, 317 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: Hotel Healdsburg

Thursday, June 8
Shea Breaux Wells with Noam Lemish, David Ewell, and Alex Aspinal plus special guest Bill Ortiz
7:00 p.m. (two sets). Tickets: $10.00 per person.
Location: Flying Goat Coffee, 325 Center Street, Healdsburg

Friday, June 9
Heath Brothers Tribute to Percy Heath in Film and Music
7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. - The movie Brotherly Love with introduction by movie's producer, Danny Scher.
9:00 p.m. - A concert with the Heath Brothers.
Tickets: $25 per person general seating; $35 per person Gold Circle seating.
Location: Raven Theater, 115 North Street, Healdsburg

John Heard Trio with Danny Grissett and Lorca Hart
9:00 p.m. to midnight. No cover.
Location: Hotel Healdsburg Lobby, 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg
Event sponsor: La Crema Winery

Saturday, June 10
Mark Murphy
1:00 p.m. Tickets: $30 per person (outdoor seating).
Location: Quivira Vineyards, 4500 West Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: Quivira Vineyards

Christian Foley Beining and Gary Johnson Duo
4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No cover.
Location: La Crema Tasting Room, 235 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg
Event sponsor: La Crema Winery

Charlie Haden's Quartet West with Ernie Watts, Alan Broadbent, and Billy Hart
8:00 p.m. Tickets: $30 per person general seating; $45 per person Gold Circle seating.
Location: Raven Theater, 115 North St., Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: River Rock Casino

John Heard Trio with Danny Grissett and Lorca Hart
9:00 p.m. to midnight. No cover.
Location: Hotel Healdsburg Lobby, 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg
Event sponsor: La Crema Winery

Sunday, June 11
McCoy Tyner Trio with Charnett Moffett and Eric Kamau Gravatt
Produced in association with Jill Newman Productions
Opening Act: Billy Hart Trio with Santi Debriano and Julian Lage
3:00 p.m. Tickets: $45 per person. General outdoor seating on the lawn; low chairs allowed; umbrellas along the back fences only.
Location: Rodney Strong Vineyards, 11455 Old Redwood Hwy., Healdsburg
Event Sponsor: Rodney Strong Vineyards