Atlanta, GA (Top40 Charts/ Atlanta Jazz Festival) - Whether it's out-of-this-world improvisation or boogie-woogie notes of Big Band music that moves you, the 33rd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival embodies the spirit of Jazz and will unite the City of Atlanta for 31 days of amazing music during the '31 Days of Jazz' this May. The month-long celebration culminates in Piedmont Park on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 29 and Sunday, May 30, with music from local and nationally-renowned artists including Marcus Miller 'Tutu Revisited the music of Miles Davis' featuring Christian Scott, Spyro Gyra, MF Production's Celebration of Lionel Hampton featuring
Diane Schuur & Jason Marsalis,
Stanley Clarke Band featuring
Hiromi and more of all that jazz!
Regardless of race, nationality, sexual orientation or religion, music is the common denominator that unites people across Atlanta, the nation and the world. The City of Atlanta is known as a culturally diverse melting pot and has introduced and brought to the limelight artists from a variety of musical styles. One of the premier free jazz events in the county, the Atlanta Jazz Festival is a fantastic family-oriented event whose mission is to expose and educate audiences, young and old, to the rich heritage of the jazz genre and is the perfect location to unite jazz lovers from far and wide. From the Nightlife Series to Dinner & Jazz and Eclectic Jazz to Jazz Etc., there will literally be '31 Days of Jazz' in May to experience one of the country's oldest and purest music forms.
'The City of Atlanta is excited to bring such a talented group of jazz musicians to our cultured and diverse city and festival and back to Piedmont Park,' says Camille Russell Love, Director of the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. 'Jazz is a very expressive artform that has been influenced by every single country and culture. We really try and bring in artists from every form to many diverse venues during the 31 Days of Jazz and Memorial Day weekend to celebrate that diversity and help Atlantans to experience new sounds and learn everything they can about jazz! It is our goal that locals and visitors alike, especially those who are new to Atlanta or haven't attended in the past, can come together to simply enjoy the music!'
Recording artist, performer, composer, conductor, arranger, producer and film score composer Stanley Clarke is one of the most celebrated bass players in the world - a living legend. Known for his ferocious dexterity and consummate musicality, he is a true musical pioneer. The Stanley Clarke Band will be joined by Hiromi, heralded as one of the brightest new lights on the piano jazz landscape since her 2003 debut Another Mind.
Audience favorite, Spyro Gyra, a band from Buffalo, NY jokingly named after the scientific term spirogyra, has endured through more than three decades because they have a style that sounds like nothing that came before it. An instrumental hybrid, incorporating elements of R&B, Latin and Brazilian with accessible pop qualities and happy uplifting tones, Spyro Gyro spun out hits like their 1970's breakthrough songs 'Morning Dance' and 'Shaker Song' that audiences still go crazy over.
Two-time Grammy Award winner Diane Schuur and American jazz drummer and composer Jason Marsalis will join forces to perform MF Production's Celebration of Lionel Hampton. A longtime disciple of Dinah Washington and other legendary jazz singers of the '40s and '50s, Shuur's rich, resonant vocals and mix of embracing both the jazz of her parents' generation and the pop music of her youth during the late 1950's and '60s, has led to an amazing career spanning nearly three decades.
Marcus Miller, along with featured artist Christian Scott, will be bringing to Atlanta one of the most important recordings in the history of jazz music: the Marcus Miller-written and Miles Davis-produced album Tutu. Miller notes that Tutu, originally recorded more than 20 years ago, was 'music for that time,' and Miller has assembled a perfect combination of artists to play his "Tutu Revisited, the Music of Miles Davis" at the Atlanta Jazz Festival.
The Atlanta Jazz Festival Presented by American Family Insurance is proud to have the generous support of Publix, Coca-Cola, Anheuser Busch and the Loews Hotel.
WHAT: The 33rd Annual Atlanta Jazz Festival Presented by American Family Insurance
WHEN: May 1 - May 31, 2010 (31 Days of Jazz); Memorial Day Weekend Festival - May 29-30, 2010
WHERE: Various venues throughout Atlanta culminating in a 2-Day Festival in beautiful Piedmont Park
TIMES: Times vary per event - Full time schedule will be available at www.atlantafestivals.com
COST: Free
