Festival News

WBGO's Michael Bourne to Host/MC the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Kent, CT

Source: All About Jazz
July 15, 2009

Litchfield Jazz Festival July 31 August 2, 2009 Kent School, Kent, CT 860-567-4162 Kent, CT-- The Litchfield Jazz Festival announces a celebrity host and MC for the 2009 Litchfield Jazz Festival, WBGOs Michael Bourne. Michael is a long-time jazz journalist and broadcaster: 40 years as a senior contributor to DownBeat Magazine, 37 years as a jazz jock, including 25 years with WBGO Jazz88 in Newark, NJ. He was honored with the Willis Conover/Marian McPartland ...

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St. Louis American's Chris King Reporting from Montreal Jazz Festival

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 15, 2009

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St. Louis Stompers Headed to Iowa for Bix Fest

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
July 15, 2009

The St. Louis Stompers once again will be one of the featured bands at the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival, which is scheduled this year for Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26 in Beiderbecke's hometown of Davenport, Iowa. The event is one of the longest-running and best-known traditional jazz festivals in the country, and the Stompers even merited mentions in preview stories about the event in both the local Quad Cities paper and the Chicago Tribune. For ...

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Chicago Jazz Festival Announces New Presenting Sponsor

Source: All About Jazz
July 14, 2009

The Chicago Jazz Festival is pleased to announce its brand new presenting sponsor, CareFusion Corporation. This year's festival includes headliners Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet, Dave Holland Big Band and The Arthur Hoyle Orchestra led by Muhal Richard Abrams. In a year where many festivals across the nation have been cancelled or put on hiatus, the 31st Annual Chicago Jazz Festival, September 4-6 in Grant Park, continues to thrive. The Chicago Jazz Festival presented by CareFusion is one of a series of ...

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Wrap-up of the 30th Edition of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal a Musical Dream... Come True

Source: Michael Ricci
July 14, 2009

The 30th anniversary of the Festival International de Jazz de Montreal enters the history books-and wasn't that a party! For 13 days and nights-two more than usual, a bonus for everyone, including our local hotels!-Montreal reveled in the best of jazz and its related musical genres in a historic and successful turning point for the Festival. Thousands of artists from around the world and virtually every musical style joined us this memorable anniversary celebration. Millions of visitors from near and ...

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Down on a Virginia Farm, a New Festival of Music

Source: Michael Ricci
July 14, 2009

CASTLETON, Va. After Lorin Maazel conducted his last concerts as New York Philharmonic music director with four performances of Mahlers grandiose “Symphony of a Thousand" in late June, you could hardly fault him for seeking escape at his country home.

Mr. Maazel, 79, however, has an idea of retreat that is different from most peoples: awaiting him at his 550-acre Virginia estate, Castleton Farms, were some 200 young singers, instrumentalists, conductors and theatrical designers, assembled for the first Castleton Festival. ...

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Abdullah Ibrahim, Manu Dibango & Others Highlight Brecon Jazz Festival

Source: All About Jazz
July 14, 2009

International jazz stars from around the world will be appearing at the 2009 Brecon Jazz Festival in Wales on Friday 7th through Sunday 9th August.

Held in locations across the town of Brecon, the festival will feature South African piano legend Adbullah Ibrahim, Cameroonian saxophonist Manu Dibango and the Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem. UK Jazz's biggest star, Courtney Pine, will also return to perform his new Sidney Bechet-inspired album, Tradition in Transition.

There will be over 50 talks and ...

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Davenport Celebrates Bix, Its Jazz Pioneer

Source: All About Jazz
July 12, 2009

Davenport celebrates a jazz pioneer Leon Bismark “Bix" Beiderbecke was one of the first great white jazz musicians, a live-fast, die-young icon of the Roaring '20s. But in his hometown of Davenport, Iowa, on the Mississippi River, the mantra is “Bix Lives." Helping to keep that flame burning for Davenport's most famous resident, the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival will bring in a slew of bands July 23-26, and in the process work to preserve traditional jazz as an American ...

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