Thursday, June 12, 2008

JVC Jazz Festival at NY Society for Ethical Culture

(Gene Bertoncini)

JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL NEW YORK DEBUTS
AT THE CONCERT HALL AT NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE
Nine Concerts Include Performances by Gene Bertoncini (pictured above), Billy Taylor, Charles Lloyd, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Cecil Taylor, George Cables, Ravi Coltrane and Geri Allen


The 2008 JVC Jazz Festival New York, produced by The Festival Network, LLC (FN), presents a "festival within the festival" at the Concert Hall at the New York Society for Ethical Culture (NYSEC), 2 West 64th Street at Central Park West.

Beginning June 17. the JVC Jazz Festival New York takes over the stage at the Concert Hall at NYSEC for nine nights of stellar tributes, exclusive groupings, piano giants, dynamic vocalists and more, Highlights include Ravi Coltrane's tribute to his mother, Alice, with Geri Allen, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette and Brandee Younger; A Celebration of 35 Years of Jack Kleinsinger's Highlights in Jazz with Billy Taylor, Bucky Pizzarelli, Wycliffe Gordon and others; Voices Beyond Boundaries with Raul Midón and Lizz Wright; Cecil Taylor and George Cables in a night of solo piano music, and a 90th birthday celebration of Hank Jones, the eldest of the prolific Jones brothers (Hank, Thad and Elvin).

Highlights of the NYSEC series continue with Bad Plus 1 featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel in a JVC New York exclusive with the band's introduction of a special guest for the first time ever; Empirical, making its U.S. debut after winning the first North Sea Jazz Festival band competition and being named as the best jazz band in the United Kingdom; Rising Stars Anat Cohen and Esperanza Spalding, whose quartets feature A-list bands made up of family and friends; Dee Dee Bridgewater (host of NPR's Jazz Set) presenting music from her new CD Red Earth: A Malian Journey and a stop on Charles Lloyd's 70th Birthday Tour.

"The concerts at the Society for Ethical Culture make a superb 'festival within the festival,'" said George Wein of Festival Network. "The artists presented here add a great deal of strength and excitement to the JVC Jazz Festival while offering a wide range of choices for music lovers."

The complete JVC Jazz Festival schedule* at the Concert Hall at New York Society for Ethical Culture is:

Tuesday, June 17 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
A Tribute to Alice Coltrane featuring Ravi Coltrane, Geri Allen, Charlie Haden,
Jack DeJohnette, Brandee Younger

Wednesday, June 18 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
A Celebration of 35 Years of Highlights in Jazz: A Tribute to Jack Kleinsinger
Billy Taylor, Bucky Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Byron Stripling, Ted Rosenthal,
Wycliffe Gordon, Gene Bertoncini, Jay Leonhart and Lewis Nash

Thursday, June 19 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
Voices Beyond Boundaries - Raul Midón and Lizz Wright

Friday, June 20 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
The Solo Piano - Cecil Taylor and George Cables (Co-produced by Jill Newman Productions)

Saturday, June 21 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
Celebrating 90 Years of Hank Jones, Hosted by Dr. Billy Taylor - Hank Jones
with Special Guests, including Roy Hargrove, Frank Wess, Russell Malone,
Roberta Gambarini, George Mraz, Willie Jones, III and more

Tuesday, June 24 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
A JVC New York Exclusive! - Bad Plus 1 featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel plus Empirical

Wednesday, June 25 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
Rising Stars - Anat Cohen with Special Guests Yuval Cohen, Avishai Cohen
and Jason Lindner plus Esperanza Spalding Quartet with Leonardo Genovese,
Ricardo Vogt and Horacio Hernandez

Friday, June 27 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
Dee Dee Bridgewater - Red Earth: A Malian Journey

Saturday, June 28 - 8 pm ($45, $50, $55)
70th Birthday Tour Celebrating Life and Music of Charles Lloyd featuring Charles Lloyd, Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers and Eric Harland
*********
*The previously announced A Tribute to Carlos "Patato" Valdez: The Conga Kings featuring Giovanni Hidalgo, Candido Camero and Francisco Aguabella on Sunday, June 22, has been cancelled.

For tickets and more information, visit www.ticketmaster.com/venue/290 or call (212) 307-7171. For information and a Festival brochure, call (646) 862-0458 weekdays from 10 am to 6 pm, or visit the official JVC Jazz Festival New York Website at www.festivalnetwork.com.

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