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CLEARWATER (July 8, 1998) — Celebrating its 20th anniversary, this year’s Clearwater Jazz Holiday will see a number of major changes for this year’s festival. First and foremost, the event is being expanded to six days, including two days and nights of music on the beach for the first time.
Recently named the top city beach in the Gulf Region of the United States by coastal geologist Dr. Stephen “Dr. Beach” Leatherman, Clearwater Beach will host the Clearwater Jazz Holiday’s first weekend October 9 & 10. The event heats back up October 14-17 at nearby Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater.
It is a great opportunity for visitors to enjoy the #1 city beach and some fantastic jazz without ever having to put their shoes on,” said Carole Ketterhagen, executive director for the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Topping the marquee for the expanded six-day event are Latin percussion legend Tito Puente; two appearances by noted drummer Jason Marsalis, including one with his Los Hombres Calientes band mixing Afro-Cuban beats with mainstream jazz; smooth jazz favorites Spyro Gyra, David Benoit, Michael Franks and Earl Klugh; jazz vocalists Oleta Adams, Nnenna Freelon and Patti Austin; and a big-band tribute to bebop trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie.
“This lineup exceeded even our wildest dreams when we began to plan this 20th anniversary edition of the Clearwater Jazz Holiday,” said Vicki Scotti, chairperson of the volunteer JazzForce responsible for planning and executing the community event. “I can safely say that we have run the gamut in the world of jazz. A little something for everyone.”
Highlights of the schedule to date include:
- The return of Tito Puente and his Latin Jazz All-Stars. Throughout his illustrious career Tito Puente has been awarded 4 Grammies as well as 8 nominations.
- The first appearance at the Jazz Holiday of Los Hombres Calientes, a New Orleans "supergroup" of young lions including drummer Jason Marsalis, percussionist Bill Summers and trumpet phenom Irvin Mayfield, who wowed crowds with his solo set a the New Orleans Heritage JazzFest this year. Los Hombres Calientes was named Album of the Year 1998 by JazzUSA.com and one of the Best Records of 1998 East Bay Express (Berkeley, CA).
- In addition to his Los Hombres Calientes set, Jason Marsalis will be playing appearing with his own band.
- David Benoit, who contemporary jazz fans the world over know as one of those rare artists whose unique sound and natural, unpretentious musical vision encapsulate all the charm, appeal and excitement of the genre.
- The 7-time Grammy Award-winning saxophone player Michael Brecker. In 1968 Brecker hit New York and participated with his brother, Randy, in the fusion band Dreams. A few years later, he was on the bandstand with Horace Silver. The jazz-obsessed siblings spent most of the 1970s wowing crowds with the popular funk of the Brecker Brothers.
- DIZZY ™ The Man & The Music Featuring: Jon Faddis, Randy Brecker, Paquito D'Rivera, Slide Hampton, Renee Rosnes, John Lee, & Mark Walker. With an all-star lineup like this, you can't go wrong, anyway. But mix in the music of one of bebop's most enduring voices (not to mention cheeks!) in Dizzy Gillespie, and this tribute is sure to be a memorable one.
- Other highlights including appearances by vocalists Michael Franks, Patti Austin and Oleta Adams; Billie Holiday Award-winner Nnenna Freelon; the boogie woogie, blues and jump jazz-inspired performances of Bellevue Cadillac and Deanna Bogart; smooth jazz favorites Spyro Gyra and Earl Klugh; Tom Scott and the LA Express; and Steve Reid's Bamboo Forest.
The 20th Anniversary sees a number of major changes for the festival. First and foremost, the event is being expanded to six days, including two days and nights of music on the Beach for the first time. In addition, the Jazz Holiday is marketing itself extensively outside of the Tampa Bay region thanks to a grant from the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.
This year's Clearwater Jazz Holiday is set for October 9 & 10 at Clearwater Beach and October 14-17 at Coachman Park. A new design and logo for the Jazz Holiday, featuring a trumpet player leaning against a palm tree on the beach, will be available on posters, T-shirts and other official Jazz Holiday merchandise, available starting later this year and at the festival itself.
In addition, Clearwater Jazz Holiday officials earlier this year announced a partnership with the nation's leading jazz music cable channel, BET on Jazz. As part of the deal, BET on Jazz is providing headliners for the Jazz Holiday, running national advertising and creating a contest to bring viewers to Clearwater for the six-day event. The Jazz Holiday's relationship with BET on Jazz began last year, when the cable network sponsored an appearance by jazz bassist and film composer Stanley Clarke that drew the largest one-night crowd ever seen at Coachman Park.
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area is best known for 35 miles of spectacular beaches, two of which are rated among the top 10 in the United States, and record-breaking sunshine. A variety of attractions, world-class museums, sporting activities and nature-related experiences are also readily available.
For more information on the St. Petersburg/Clearwater area, call 1-877-FL-BEACH (352-3224) in the U.S. and Canada, or 1-727-464-7200 internationally.Take a virtual visit to the area on the Internet at www.stpete-clearwater.com or write to: St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, 14450 46th Street North, Suite 108, Clearwater, FL 33762.
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