Festival News
CLICK HERE TO WATCH PALM BAY'S ERICA MITCHEL LEAD THE BRIDGE STREET CREW THROUGH A WINE TASTING!
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Photos: Jackiem Joyner, Antonio Hart, 33 DC
NORTHEAST JAZZ &
WINE FESTIVAL BRINGS THE COOL TO SUMMER
(SYRACUSE, NY,
JUNE 28, 2011)—Jazz and
wine are the perfect combination! The Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival
returns to Clinton Square, Syracuse, NY again this July with three days of free
jazz, blues, world, and RnB programming on three stages from July 29 through
31, 2011. That’s three days of diverse, world-class acts; quality wines and
wine-tasting events; and mouth-watering food guaranteed to make Syracuse
the cool place to be this summer!
Some of the festival highlights include:
- -A new partnership between CNY
Jazz and the Spanish Action League. La Liga is providing talent for “World Jazz
Sunday” (Sunday, July 31 starting at 1 p.m.
on the Main Stage in Clinton Square).
Ricky Encarnacion, who has toured with Shelia E., Bryan Ferry, and Tito Puente,
has designed the day’s music and will act as music director. World Jazz Sunday will showcase 33 DC; Heaven
Report, featuring Paoli Mejias and Tower
of Power’s Norbert Stachel; and the
ADANFO African Ensemble. Plus, new sponsor Dunkin’ Donuts will provide free
pastries and coffee for the first 250 attendees.
- -Legendary Syracuse-based nine-piece powerhouse Atlas
will celebrate three decades in the business with its “30th Anniversary RnB
Dance Party” on Friday, July 29 with sets at 7:00
p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
- -World-class jazz saxophonist Antonio Hart will perform
Saturday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m.
backed by a trio led by local pianist Noah Kellman. This bandleader engagement
represents a significant career step for Kellman, a graduate of Manlius
Pebble Hill School
and a Dave Brubeck Fellow. This act was made possible in part thanks to CNY
Jazz’s first social media appeal, the “Jazz Angels” appeal. Hart also will act
as scholastic festival teaching artist, providing feedback to student musicians.
- -Also on Saturday, July 30, Texas-based jazz and blues
singer Dee Dee Williams will perform followed by saxophonist Jackiem Joyner, a
graduate of Fowler High
School in the Syracuse
Central School District
and a winner of Smooth Jazz News’ Debut Artist of the Year.
- -The Scholastic Festival will take place on the Main
Stage on Saturday, July 30 from noon
to 2 p.m., featuring the Stan Colella
Syracuse Parks & Recreation All-Star Big Band and the Paul V. Moore High
School Vocal Jazz Ensemble. It will be followed by the “Battle
of the Community Jazz Bands” from 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m.
- -Once again, major sponsor Palm Bay International will
provide educational wine tasting courses in the Wine Tasting Pavilion. More
details are available at http://www.nejazzwinefest.org.
- -Away from the Main Stage, jazz fans can enjoy music all
weekend long in the World Beat Pavilion (with The J Project, E.S.P., and the
SOHO Trio) and the Mardi Gras Pavilion (with Dave Hanlon’s Cookbook, Jeff
Stockham’s Jazz Police, and AudioInflux). Plus, an eclectic range of food and
arts and crafts vendors will add to the festival atmosphere!
“The Northeast
Jazz and Wine Festival continues to provide Syracuse
with one of the most diverse, family-friendly, and exciting festivals in our
city’s calendar. It is, after all, the biggest festival of its kind east of the
Rockies!” says Larry Luttinger, Executive Director, CNY
Jazz Arts Foundation (CNY Jazz), the
organizer of the festival. “We look forward to welcoming tens of thousands to
downtown Syracuse, an audience we
can boast thanks in part to our ongoing collaboration with Syracuse ArtsWeek;
the key sponsorship by Palm Bay International; support from State Sen. John
DeFrancisco; and our new partnership with La Liga. Let the good times roll!”
For the second year, the Northeast Jazz & Wine
Festival continues its partnership with the regional chapter of the American
Red Cross. All donations to the festival will support the Red Cross.
Individuals and businesses can learn how to donate to this cause at
www.nejazzwinefest.org.
The Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival remains the
performing arts anchor of Syracuse Artsweek, a visual and performing arts
“festival of festivals” that includes the Syracuse Arts & Crafts Festival,
the Syracuse New Times Street Painting Festival, and the Blue Rain ECOfest,
Central New York’s only family-friendly sustainability festival (also organized
by CNY Jazz, www.bluerainecofest.org). A
proven total audience of more than 50,000 will attend Syracuse Artsweek.
The Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival marks the 10th
year of jazz programming in downtown Syracuse
organized by CNY Jazz. The original downtown
jazz festival—Jazz in the Square—was created in response to overwhelming public
opinion that indicated Syracuse residents and businesses desired a free jazz
event to boost the Salt City’s cultural scene and local economy.
What sets the
successor Northeast Jazz & Wine Festival apart is that it is produced by a
not-for-profit regional performing arts organization, the Central New York Jazz
Arts Foundation. In all, CNY Jazz provides
11 days of free music programming for Syracuse
and Central New York and, with the unfortunate demise of
the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra, it now serves the largest art music audience
in the region.
In addition to Palm Bay International and State Sen. John
DeFrancisco (NY-50), the following have continued their support of the festival
in 2011: ADWORKS; American Express;
Bond, Schoeneck & King; City of Syracuse; The Downtown Committee; DUMAC;
Eastwood Litho; Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield; Green & Seifter; Inalign; Lockheed Martin Employees’ Federated
Fund; National Grid; SRCTec; Syracuse New Times; Ra-Lin; Sunny 102; Syrasoul;
Sheraton Syracuse University; Syracuse New Times; Syracuse Teachers
Association; Time Warner Cable; Unimar;
Volvo; WAER; and YNN. In addition, the Northeast Jazz & Wine
Festival welcomes new sponsors CNY Sales,
Dunkin’ Donuts, G.M. Crisalli & Assoc., Scarab Body Arts, and Washington
Street Partners.