Frank Sinatra Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green to Headline Rochester International Jazz Festival 7th Edition June 13-21, 2008

Frank Sinatra Jr., Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green to Headline Rochester International Jazz Festival 7th Edition June 13-21, 2008

800+ Artists, 250+ Concerts

Tickets on Sale Friday April 11

ROCHESTER, N.Y., April 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Frank Sinatra Jr. & His Orchestra, Dee Dee Bridgewater with special guest Richard Bona Band, Boz Scaggs, and Al Green will headline the seventh annual Rochester International Jazz Festival (www.rochesterjazz.com) presented by M&T Bank. The nine-day Festival, June 13-21, will deliver a diverse lineup of creative improvised music with more than 800 artists from around the world performing in 250 concerts.

Held in 15 venues in Rochester's downtown cultural district, the Festival is presented in several series, the Eastman Theater Headliner Series, more than 59 free shows on three outdoor stages and 150 concerts in the Club Pass Series. For a complete concert schedule, artist bios, photos and past festival photos visit www.rochesterjazz.com.

Tickets for headliner shows range from $27.50 - $85 plus service charges and go on sale Friday April 11 at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and www.rochesterjazz.com.

Tickets for the Club Pass Series shows are $20 and $25, sold at the door only, no advance sales. Or, access Club shows for all nine days with the Club Pass, $125 plus $4 service charge until May 31, and $135 plus $4 service charge from June 1 if still available at all Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and www.rochesterjazz.com.

This year's Eastman Series features two special concerts:
-- "Gillespiana" - A Tribute To Dizzy Gillespie with special guests
Jeanie Bryson (Dizzy's daughter); Byron Stripling; Gerry Niewood and a
21-piece Jazz Orchestra conducted by Jeff Tyzik
-- Jazz at the Philharmonic - Celebrating the Jam Session starring Carmen
Lundy, Houston Person, Eric Alexander, Vince Herring, Nicholas Payton,
Jeremy Pelt, Slide Hampton, Peter Bernstein, Cedar Walton, Eric Reed,
Peter Washington, David Williams, Kenny Washington, and Louis Hayes.

"I am overwhelmed by the growing support we have received each year from all corners of the community," says Marc Iacona, Producer and Executive Director. "It gives us passion and energy to continue to bring a preeminent music event to this city that can enhance our quality of life, attract people from all over the world and favorably impact our area's economy."

"As event producers, our mantra and our driving force is to bring together diversity and the highest level of artistic creativity including all styles of the art form in our program," says John Nugent, Producer and Artistic Director. "The expansive landscape of jazz music's many forms and genres that have developed over the past several decades, will all come together and take center stage at this year's Festival."

"We're very proud to present hundreds of incredible improvising artists from the far reaches of Scandinavia to the boroughs of NYC, from downtown Rochester to the center of Russia, and from South America to the west coast of Africa," adds Nugent. "RIJF 2008 will see our strongest lineup assembled to date. As we say each year, 'it's not who you know, it's who you don't know!'"

Three of the Festival's Kilbourn Hall Concerts will be filmed in high definition by WXXI Television for broadcast nationwide on PBS. This is the third year that WXXI will be filming at the Festival. Six, half-hour shows filmed in high definition last year will be broadcast nationwide this year.

Back for its second year, the highly praised Nordic Series will showcase groups from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and the Faroe Islands, many of which have never played before in the U.S.

Nightly Jam Sessions led by Bob Sneider and his Trio are back for the seventh year starting at 10:30 p.m. nightly at The Rochester Plaza.

2008 Artist Lineup

Al Foster Quartet, Al Green, Alison Brown Quartet, Amina Figarova Sextet, Six Classic Jazz Films from Retro Rochester, Barbara Dennerlein, Beady Belle, Beaucoup Blue, Ben Britton Band, Ben Riley, Bill Tiberio Band, Billy's Band, Blake Tartare, Blue Vipers of Brooklyn, Boz Scaggs, Breit-Thomson, Carmen Lundy, Carolyn Wonderland, Catherine Russell, Cedar Walton, Cindy Blackman Quartet, Crittendon, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Dave Rivello Ensemble, Dave Samuels Caribbean Jazz Project, David Liebman Quartet, David Murray's Black Saint Quartet, David Williams, Dee Dee Bridgewater "A Malian Journey", Denis Parker & Scott Goudie "Rowdy Blues", Devon Allman's Honeytribe, Dharma Jazz, DJABE, Downchild Blues Band, Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers, Eastman Community Music School - Latin Jazz Combo, Saxology, Jazz Combo Showcase, Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra - Combo, Eddie Daniels Quartet, Eric Alexander, Eric Reed, Frank Sinatra Jr. "Sinatra Sings Sinatra", "Gillespiana" - Tribute to Dizzy Gillespie Directed by Jeff Tyzik, Guy Barker & Ian Shaw "Made in The UK", Henderson-Owens 3 Featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith, Herb Smith, Houston Person, Howard Alden, Iro Haarla Quartet, Jacky Terrasson, Jacob Anderskov, Jae Sinnett Quartet, Jake Shimabikuro, JazzKamikaze, Jeremy Pelt, Joe & Pat Labarbera, Joe Bonamassa, Joe Locke "Force of Four", John Beck Quartet featuring Mike Cottone, John Scofield Trio, John Viviani & Filthy Funk, Juliette Lloyd, Kenny Washington, Kris Davis Quartet, Kristian Blak & Yggdrasil "Ravnating", Lou Donaldson Quartet, Louis Hayes, Medeski Martin & Wood, Miguel Zenon Quartet, Music Educators Jazz Ensemble, Music Music Music, Nate Rawls Band, Neocollage, New Energy Jazz Orchestra, New Horizons Big Band, New York's Finest Jazz Ensemble, Nicholas Payton, Ola Kvernberg Trio, Peter Bernstein, Peter Washington, Rachel Z, Richard Bona Band, RIJF All Star Jam Session, Robi Botos Trio, Robin McKelle, Rochester Metro Jazz Orchestra, Sachal Vasandani, Saturday Night Fish Fry, Shirantha Beddage Quartet, Slide Hampton & Friends, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Soulive, Soulstew, Spam All Stars, Stephanie McKay, Supergenerous, Taylor Eigsti & Julian Lage, The Bad Plus, The Buddhahood, The Kentucky Headhunters, The Nighthawks, The Skatalites, The Sliding Hammers, The Yellowjackets, Third World, Tierney Sutton Band, Tim Blane, Timo Lassy Band, Todd Londagin Quartet, Trio East, Vince Herring, Wild Magnolias, and Wildbird & Peacedrums

Sponsors

City of Rochester, M&T Bank, Senator Jim Alesi, the Democrat and Chronicle, Eastman School of Music, Rochester Plaza Hotel, Toyota, Constellation Brands, The Community Foundation, Monroe County, Greater Rochester Association of Realtors, Presentation Source and Hamilton AV, 13WHAM TV, Brooklyn Brewery, Michelob, Spaten Beer, Visit Rochester, Mercury Print Productions, Harris Interactive, Jet Blue, DownBeat Magazine, Max of Eastman Place, Barnes and Noble, SUNY Brockport, and House of Guitars.

The Rochester International Jazz Festival is produced by John Nugent, Founder, Co-Producer and Artistic Director, and Marc Iacona, Co-Producer and Executive Director. Founded in 2002, it has become one of nation's largest and fastest growing music festivals, drawing fans from all across the U.S. and around the world. Attendance has grown annually from 15,000 in 2002 to a record 121,000 in 2007.

Source: Rochester International Jazz Festival

CONTACT: Jean Dalmath, +1-585-586-6650, or cell, +1-585-755-6911,
jean@rochesterjazz.com

Web site:

http://www.rochesterjazz.com/
http://www.ticketmaster.com/

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