Featuring Roy Haynes, Paquito D'Rivera, Randy Weston, Dr. John, John Scofield with Mavis Staples, Poncho Sanchez, Roy Hargrove
Charles Fishman, Dizzy Gillespie's former personal manager and producer, has lived in the Adams Morgan neighborhood of Washington, DC, for 21 years. Throughout his time in the city, he wondered why Washington was the only major capital city in the Western world without a jazz festival. He thought it was a shame since jazz was invented in this country, and DC was the birthplace, musical training ground and home of the legendary Duke Ellington.
On September 28, 2005, with the support of the Government of the District of Columbia, Congressional resolution HR501 and numerous national and local sponsors, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival debuted in honor of one of the 20th century's most celebrated musical geniuses.
This effort to make DC a premier jazz destination and further bolster its reputation as a vibrant arts center continues with the 2nd annual Duke Ellington Jazz Festival to be held October 4-8th Many of the shows are FREE including the capstone of the festival on Saturday, October 7th, when heavyweight artists Poncho Sanchez; Dr. John; Roy Hargrove; John Scofield, performing the music of Ray Charles, with special guest Mavis Staples; and Nasar Abadey & SuperNova will play on The National Mall.
Like the inaugural festival, this year's event presents major artists from around the country, from around the world and also introduces emerging artists. In addition to the grand free jazz showcase on The National Mall, prominent featured locations for festival events include the Lincoln Theatre, The Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, National Gallery of Art and neighborhood spots like the U Street Corridor's Busboys & Poets, the historic Bohemian Caverns and Twins Jazz Club. I want the fans to realize that jazz happens everywhere in our city and by holding events on U Street, we honor its historic jazz legacy, especially as it relates to Duke, Fishman explains.
The 2006 lineup features headline artists: Paquito D'Rivera; Roy Haynes; Randy Weston; Dr. John; John Scofield with special guest Mavis Staples; Poncho Sanchez; Roy Hargrove; Janis Siegel (of Manhattan Transfer); Luciana Souza; Michael Philip Mossman; Stephanie Jordan; Wallace Roney; and Geri Allen. International artists featured include: *Paquito D'Rivera (Cuba) & the United Nation Orchestra; *Poncho Sanchez (Mexican-American); *Eugenio Toussaint (Mexico); *Na'Rimbo (Mexico) *Edmar Castaneda (Colombia); *Diego Urcola (Argentina); Luciana Souza (Brazil); Victor Masondo & Lalela (South Africa); Thembi Mtshali-Jones (South Africa); Gino Sitson & Vocal Deliria (Cameroon); and Eli Degibri Quartet (Israel). [* Special note of October as Hispanic Heritage Month].
More highlights of the 2006 planned events include:
Viva Las Americas, a kick-off invitational gala sponsored with Inter-American Development Bank, in celebration of music of the Americas with Paquito D'Rivera;
Awarding of the 2nd Duke Ellington Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Billy Taylor;
An NEA Jazz Masters concert with D'Rivera & The United Nation Orchestra and the Roy Haynes Quartet;
An International Jazz Showcase events featuring artists from (6) countries;
A recreation of the legendary Cotton Club at The Willard Hotel with Avery Brooks & The New Washingtonians (Duke's original band was The Washingtonians), conducted by DC native, Davey Yarborough (head of jazz at Duke Ellington School of Arts), with guests D'Rivera and Roy Hargrove, both Artists-in-Residence for the Festival;
Duke Ellington's arrangement of Tchaikovksy's “Nutcracker Suite," performed by the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, the first presentation in DC;
South Africa Digs Duke, a tribute to Duke Ellington, featuring South African jazz artists Victor Masondo & Lalela with special guest Roy Hargrove and American pianist, Randy Weston.
p>Overview of Creation and Impact:
In 1987 jazz was designated by the US Congress as a “rare and valuable American national treasure," transcending differences of nationality, religion, language, culture, socio-economic status and race. Aware of this from a career spent in jazz, respected producer and Grammy-Award winner, Charles Fishman, worked with the Government of The District of Columbia, with Members of Congress, and with local and national sponsors to create and present the first-ever Duke Ellington Jazz Festival.
The inaugural festival premiered on September 28, 2005, with a program on Capitol Hill hosted by the festival's Honorary Congressional Committee, comprised of more than 100 Members of Congress. District of Columbia Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton presented Dave Brubeck with the first Duke Ellington Jazz Festival Lifetime Achievement Award. The festival attracted more than 30,000 people and performers included Brubeck, Wayne Shorter, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Chuck Brown, the Chico O'Farrill Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra, Sunny Sumter and Jerry Gonzalez.
The 4th largest metropolitan area in the U.S., Washington, DC, welcomes more than 20 million visitors annually. With the addition of the world-class Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, the city - and its surrounding region including Maryland and Northern Virginia - broadens its appeal even further and adds another significant cultural event to its list of annual attractions. Over time, the city expects to experience significant economic benefits from the jazz festival, which has set a goal of attracting 50,000 people over the five-day event. Mayor Anthony Williams, also Honorary Chair of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, comments, As this festival grows over the years, we believe it can be a tourist boon for the city, attracting a diverse audience of music enthusiasts from across the country and from around the world.
For more information contact JANLYN PR - Jana La Sorte.
