NEW YORK, April 8, 2008 – The 2008 JVC Jazz Festival New York, presented by The Festival Network, LLC (FN), revs up the city June 15 – 28 with 35 spectacular concerts plus nearly 200 additional events at clubs, schools, museums, retails outlets and other venues throughout New York. Tickets go on sale April 9.

Highlights of this year’s JVC Jazz Festival New York include 2008 Album of the Year Grammy® Award Winner Herbie Hancock and The River of Possibilities Tour; a celebration of 50 years of Bossa Nova starring João Gilberto; a JVC exclusive with Bad Plus 1 featuring Kurt Rosenwinkel, JVC Jazz Festival New York debuts by Jill Scott, Mos Def Big Band with special guest Gil Scott-Heron, Charlie Haden Quartet West and Bill Frisell Trio; all-star tributes to pianist Hank Jones, Art D’Lugoff’s Salsa Meets Jazz and Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz, as well as stellar performances by Chris Botti, Al Green, Cecil Taylor, George Cables, Sergio Mendes, Soulive with special guest Joshua Redman, and Charles Lloyd.

“JVC Jazz Festival New York demonstrates the convergence of an incredible array of musical talent – well known and on the rise – with our great business partner JVC. Add to that an audience that fully appreciates the opportunity to savor some of the best music around, in one of the world’s great cities, and you have all the ingredients for a terrific experience,” said Tom Shepard, chief executive officer, FN. “We are pleased to apply Festival Network’s resources and skills to further enhance this event, which already has a rich history, as we have with others throughout our network of properties.”

“I have been producing festivals and events for more than half of my life, but watching the JVC Jazz Festival unfold across New York for 14 consecutive days is still one of my favorite times of the year,” said world-renowned jazz impresario George Wein. “It is exciting for me to be part of The Festival Network team. Its added energy and interest in increasing awareness of the JVC Jazz Festival through innovative programming complements our history of unique musical presentations.”

The JVC Jazz Festival New York presents seven concerts at Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium at 8 pm, beginning on Friday, June 20:

• Friday, June 20: The Real Thing: An Evening with JILL SCOTT
• Saturday, June 21: Nouveau Bossa featuring SERGIO MENDES and ZAP MAMA
• Sunday, June 22: 50 Years of Bossa Nova with JOÃO GILBERTO
• Monday, June 23: 2008 Grammy Award Winner, Album of the Year,
  HERBIE HANCOCK and The River of Possibilities Tour, featuring
  DAVE HOLLAND, VINNIE COLAIUTA, CHRIS POTTER,
  LIONEL LOUEKE and SONYA KITCHELL, plus show opener
  LIONEL LOUEKE TRIO,
• Tuesday, June 24: An Evening with CHRIS BOTTI
• Friday, June 27: The Soul of Jazz starring AL GREEN and DIANNE REEVES
• Saturday, June 28: MOS DEF BIG BAND with special guest GIL SCOTT-HERON.

The Brad Mehldau Trio kicks off the four 8:30 pm concerts at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall:

• Sunday, June 22: A Taste of Genius: BRAD MEHLDAU TRIO
• Monday, June 23: Dick Hyman & Friends with DICK HYMAN, KEN PEPLOWSKI,
  WYCLIFFE GORDON, RANDY SANDKE, HOWARD ALDEN,
  JAY LEONHART and EDDIE LOCKE,
• Tuesday June 24: Presenting Ms. Tierney Sutton featuring TIERNEY SUTTON BAND
• Saturday, June 28: Tangaria with RICHARD GALLIANO TANGARIA 4TET.

The JVC Jazz Festival New York is pleased to make its debut at the New York Society for Ethical Culture with 10 dynamic concerts, most tailor-made for the Festival. All concerts start at 8 pm:

• Tuesday, June 17: Jump starting the series is A Tribute to Alice Coltrane featuring
  RAVI COLTRANE, GERI ALLEN, CHARLIE HADEN,
  JACK DeJOHNETTE and BRANDEE YOUNGER
• Wednesday, June 18: A Celebration of 35 Years of Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights in Jazz with BILLY TAYLOR, BUCKY PIZZARELLI, KEN PEPLOWSKI, BYRON STRIPLING, TED ROSENTHAL, WYCLIFFE GORDON, GENE BERTONCINI, JAY LEONHART and LEWIS NASH
• Thursday, June 19: Get a taste of old Mexico from LILA DOWNS and New Mexico from RAUL MIDÓN
• Friday, June 20: The Solo Piano featuring CECIL TAYLOR and GEORGE CABLES
• Saturday, June 21: Hank Jones Celebration with NEA Jazz Master HANK JONES
• Sunday, June 22: A Tribute to Carlos “Patato” Valdez: THE CONGA KINGS
  featuring GIOVANNI HIDALGO, CANDIDO CAMERO,
  FRANCISCO AGUABELLA
• Tuesday, June 24: Be among the number to catch A JVC New York Exclusive of
  BAD PLUS 1 featuring KURT ROSENWINKEL plus EMPIRICAL
• Wednesday, June 25: Rising Stars ANAT COHEN with special guests YUVAL and
  AVISHAI COHEN, plus JASON LINDNER and ESPERANZA SPALDING QUARTET with LEONARDO GENOVESE, RICARDO VOGT and HORACIO HERNANDEZ
• Friday, June 27: DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER RED EARTH: A MALIAN JOURNEY
• Saturday, June 28: CHARLES LLOYD featuring JASON MORAN, REUBEN ROGERS and ERIC HARLAND


The Festival makes it debut at Le Poisson Rouge with six concerts, but as the former Village Gate, the venue comes with its own venerable history. Don’t miss the JVC Jazz Festival New York debut of CHARLIE HADEN QUARTET WEST on Wednesday, June 18, and the New York debut of the new BILL FRISELL TRIO, Thursday, June 19. There are shows both evenings at 7:30 and 10 pm. On Saturday, June 21, catch E.S.T. and AETHEREAL BACE with ERIC McPHERSON, NASHEET WAITS and ABRAHAM BURTON at 7:30 pm and SIMONE and KJ DENHERT at 11 pm.

One of New York’s hottest homecomings is set for 7:30 pm, Monday, June 23, at Le Poisson Rouge, at 7:30 pm when JVC Jazz Festival Salutes Art D’Lugoff and Salsa Meets Jazz featuring PONCHO SANCHEZ, in the room where D’Lugoff hosted world-renowned jazz and Latin music greats until his Village Gate closed 15 years ago. Groove to the beat at Turntables & Samples Meet Jazz on Wednesday, June 25, at 8 pm with MARCO BENEVENTO TRIO, DJ LOGIC PROJECT LOGIC and MOCEAN WORKER. Come back for A JVC New York Exclusive with SOULIVE with special guest JOSHUA REDMAN on Thursday, June 26, and Friday, June 27, at 7:30 pm.

The JVC Jazz Festival New York returns to the Rubin Museum of Art for three concerts, all starting at 7 pm:
• Friday, June 21 THE BILLY HART ACADEMY featuring THEO CROKER
• Wednesday, June 25 THE AARON GOLDBERG TRIO
• Friday, June 27 TIM BERNE and CRAIG TABORN.

Experience jazz at three other venues – including the site of the Festival’s opening concert:

• Think no more about what to get Dad: Take him to A Father’s Day Gift with the KENNY BARRON TRIO at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture on Sunday, June 15, at 3 pm.
• Make It Funky! with MACEO PARKER and LETTUCE at another new JVC Jazz Festival venue, Brooklyn Masonic Temple, on Wednesday, June 18, at 8 pm.
• Art greets jazz when the BILLY HARPER QUINTET takes the stage at Studio Museum in Harlem on Thursday, June 26, at 7:30 pm.

JVC Jazz Festival New York presents three free concerts at two area parks:

• MEDESKI, MARTIN & WOOD, MARC RIBOT’S CERAMIC DOG and TAYLOR McFERRIN are set to perform at the Prospect Park Bandshell on Thursday, June 19, at 7 pm. A $3 contribution to Celebrate Brooklyn! is requested.
• Grab a blanket and pack a snack and head to Union Square Park – South Plaza for DownBeat Presents: Jazz Combos with THE UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS JAZZ ENSEMBLE, THE NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY LIBERACE JAZZTET and GREATER HARTFORD ACADEMY JAZZ ENSEMBLE, on Thursday, June 19, at 12:30 pm, while The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music Presents: THE NEW SCHOOL JAZZ ENSEMBLE on Thursday, June 26, at 5:30 pm.

Throughout the Festival, the 2-for-1 Club Night series will offer special discounts to JVC Jazz Festival ticket holders for select shows at The Blue Note, Birdland, Cachaça, Iridium Jazz Club, Smoke and Zinc.

Additional support for the JVC Jazz Festival New York is provided by NYC & Company and media partners The Village Voice and Jazz 88/WBGO-FM. The Buckingham Hotel, located at 101 West 57th Street at Sixth Avenue, is the official host hotel of the JVC Jazz Festival New York. For the special festival rate, call (212) 246-1500, extension 3201, and mention the JVC Jazz Festival or visit www.buckinghamhotel.com.

Tickets and information for JVC Jazz Festival New York concerts are available at respective box offices, online or by telephone:
The Blue Note, 131 W. Third Street, (212) 475-8592, www.bluenote.net;
Birdland, 315 W. 44th Street, (212) 581-3080, www.birdlandjazz.com;
Brooklyn Masonic Temple, 317 Claremont Ave at Lafayette Avenue, (866) 468-7619, www.masonicboom.com;
Cachaça, 35 W. Eighth Street, (212) 388-9099, www.cachacajazz.com;
Carnegie Hall, W. 57th Street & 7th Avenue, (212) 247-7800, www.carnegiehall.org;
Iridium Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, (212) 582-2121, www.iridiumjazzclub.com;
New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W. 64th Street & Central Park West,
(646) 862-0458, www.nysec.org;
Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker Street, (646) 862-0458, www.myspace.com/lepoissonrougenyc;
Prospect Park Bandshell, 9th Street & Prospect Park West, Park Slope, Brooklyn, (718) 855-7882, www.briconline.org/CB;
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th Street, (212) 620-5000, www.rmanyc.org;
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcolm X Boulevard & W. 135th Street, (212) 491-2200, www.nypl.org/research/sc;
Smoke, 2751 Broadway, (212) 864-6662, www.smokejazz.com;
Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 W. 125th Street, (212) 864-4500, www.studiomuseum.org;
Union Square Park – South Plaza, 14th Street between Broadway & Union Square West, www.unionsquarenyc.org;
Zankel Hall, W. 57th Street & 7th Avenue, (212) 247-7800. www.carnegiehall.org;
Zinc, 90 W. Houston Street, (212) 477-8337, www.zincbar.com