Events Chase Winter Blues Away in Carrollton

The University of West Georgia's 20th anniversary season at the Townsend Center for the Performing Arts brings an internationally acclaimed acoustic steel guitarist and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble to town this month. Both shows are sure to chase those January doldrums away.

Often cited as one of the world's top finger style, steel-string guitarists, Grammy nominee Alex de Grassi brings a unique voice to the art of acoustic guitar with his show, “Now and Then,” on Saturday, January 10, at 7:30 p.m.

De Grassi's long held trademark to create a highly orchestrated sound in his solo guitar music will take the listener beyond the instrument into a canvas of evocative compositions and arrangements.

The musician's most recent recording, “Now and Then: Folk Songs for the 21st Century” on 33rd Street Records features contemporary arrangements of 11 treasured tunes from the American standards repertoire. His playing weaves together melody, bass, harmony, rhythm and cross-rhythms.

Sponsored by the West Georgia Community Foundation, “Now and Then” is de Grassi's attempt to tell a few American stories and weave a musical fabric whose threads reach through time to unite the present with the past...music for now and then.

“In rediscovering these songs I came to appreciate that folk music is a living tradition, and that each generation will find relevance and a way to reinterpret these songs," the musician explained. “In that spirit, I have arranged traditional melodies to reflect the musical idioms and social climate of today's multicultural landscape.”

De Grassi will also host a workshop for steel guitar fans before the concert at 2:30 p.m. in the theatre. Space for the workshop and remaining tickets are limited and early reservations are recommended.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $9 for seniors and active military and $5 for children. The workshop is free. To learn more about the artist, visit www.degrassi.com or www.townsendcenter.org.
Two weeks after de Grassi's appearance, the Townsend Center will offer its second annual Live Art at the Townsend Center series with The Chicago Jazz Ensemble starring Jon Faddis on Saturday, January 24, at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by the University of West Georgia Foundation, Inc., Live Art soars into the stratosphere with this preeminent jazz big band of the Mid-West.
Celebrated by critics and audiences alike, the 21-member Chicago Jazz Ensemble is an elite group of Chicago jazz musicians, ranging from international stars to acclaimed Columbia College Chicago faculty. Founded in 1965 by distinguished composer and conductor William Russo, the ensemble entered a new phase in its history when Jon Faddis took the helm.

Tickets are $42 for adults, seniors, active military and children. To learn more about the ensemble, visit their website at www.chijazz.com or the Townsend Center's website at www.townsendcenter.org. Ticket subscription packages are also available for three or more shows at the Townsend Center at significant discounts.

The Townsend Center Box Office reopened on Monday January 5. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and one hour before a performance. For more information, call 678-839-4722.

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Montreux Jazz Festival Announces Alexandria Jackkson as Atlanta Representative for Competition

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ALEXANDRIA JACKSON AS THE ATLANTA REPRESENTATIVE IN THE MONTREUX JAZZ VOCAL COMPETITION 2008

Since 1967, the world’s greatest jazz singers have graced the stages of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The opportunity to perform at this premiere jazz event and network with some of the best jazz artists requires hard work and a commitment to the genre that so few are afforded. This prompted Claude Nobs, the Montreux Jazz Festival founder and director, to create an international voice competition for emerging professional jazz vocalists. Competition organizers receive entries from over fifty different countries. In the spring, around fifteen vocalists are selected to take part in the semi-finals and finals at the Montreux Jazz Festival held in Switzerland. On July 6 - 10, artists representing over fifty countries will perform in front of a jury of professionals and a discerning international audience. The representative for the City of Atlanta for the Montreux Jazz Voice Competition 2008 will be Alexandra Jackson.

Although Alexandra Jackson was born in Atlanta into a family of politicians (daughter of former Mayor of Atlanta Maynard Jackson) and civil rights activists, she prefers to do her advocating for social justice-and love-through her music. The 24 year old began appreciating music while just a toddler. At 4, she began what would become ten years of classical training and two years of jazz piano. Throughout high school, she was an outstanding performer in music and drama. After singing with the school’s jazz band, she decided to major in jazz instead of drama. Four years later, she graduated from the prestigious Studio Music and Jazz Vocal program at the University of Miami with a Bachelor of Music degree with a minor in Music Business. After graduation, Jackson performed in the Florida Grand Opera’s production of AIDA. She also sang back up for Gloria Estefan in the opening gala for the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami. Alexandra was a featured performer for the 2007 Montreux Jazz Festival in Atlanta produced by the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.

"This is an honor for me… and my family. I am all too aware of the huge responsibility this is as I will be representing Atlanta, my birthplace,” says Alexandra Jackson. “I’ve followed the Montreux Jazz Festival since high school and have always wanted to go as an observer. But to go as a performer is beyond my greatest dream. I’m not thinking of this as a competition, but a phenomenal opportunity to enjoy the other artists and soak up as much as I can.”

The first prize winner of the Montreux Jazz Festival Voice Competition receives CHF 5,000.- Swiss francs ($4,755.00) and a week’s recording time at Balik Farm Studio located in the breathtaking scenery of Switzerland’s Toggenburg region, and an invitation to perform at the annual meeting of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) in January of the following year and in summer, plays as the opening act for one of the world-class artists performing at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Musicians, record company representatives and producers seeking new talent will be seated among the general public.

“We are excited and pleased that Alexandra will represent us at Montreux this year. She is a tremendous talent and an appropriate ambassador for the artistic community of Atlanta. She will represent us well.”- Camille Russell Love, Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs

The 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival Wraps Up At Woodruff Park

On Thursday, September 21, 1978, the Atlanta Free Jazz Festival began with opening ceremonies at the Central City Park Amphitheater. The city evolved into a vibrant metropolis and the jazz festival evolved with it. Thirty one years have passed and the Atlanta Jazz Festival has come full circle, the Atlanta Free Jazz Festival became the Atlanta Jazz Festival and Central City Park became Woodruff Park. This year the festival celebrated its 31st anniversary with its original host, Ernest Gregory, in one of its original locations, Woodruff Park, and a legendary line-up that included artists from the original roster, Joe Jennings and Howard Nicholson’s Lifeforce and Ojeda Penn Experience.

To truly celebrate Atlanta, the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival incorporated the theme, 31 Years |31 Days | Atlanta, which promoted Atlanta’s cultural scene. In his 1977 election, Mayor Jackson said, “Jazz music is America’s only original art form, and I think Atlanta, with its growing reputation as an international center of the arts and education, has both the opportunity and the responsibility to promote an art form whose roots are indigenous to the South.”

Though 31 years have passed, the City of Atlanta still has a commitment to spotlighting jazz in the city. The festival exposed jazz aficionados and ordinary citizens to the great things the city of Atlanta has to offer and allowed them to visit some of the best restaurants, nightclubs and concert venues all in the name of jazz. The City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs expanded the successful 31 Days of Jazz with the addition of the Neighborhood Jazz Series. The series highlighted the explosion of culture in three of Atlanta’s eclectic neighborhoods, Castleberry Hills, Virginia Highlands, and Midtown culminating with The Atlanta Jazz Festival over Memorial Day Weekend, May 24th through May 26th, 2008, in Woodruff Park. Nearly 80,000 people came out and enjoyed the Neighborhood Jazz Series, 31 Days of Jazz and the Memorial Day Celebration.

“Jazz music, created over 100 years ago in the alleys and halls of the poor and the often disenfranchised, transcends cultural barriers and unites people around the world in its beauty,” said Mayor Shirley Franklin. This was an incredible year for the Atlanta Jazz Festival and having the event at Woodruff Park provided festival lovers of all creeds and colors with the chance to see a different side of Atlanta and heightened their cultural experience. "I’m happy to see local artists performing at the festival and I’m glad they moved it downtown," said native Atlantan Claudia Edmondson. "The whole community is involved and you can really enjoy the festival here. It’s intimate and cozy!”

The Atlanta Jazz Festival is committed to providing public access to jazz that inspires all generations to be creative and the festival featured a line-up of artists that allow us to explore what the direction the genre of jazz is going. Since the festival’s beginning, there has been an explosion of interest in junior high and high schools and winners of the Youth jazz band competition were able to open the festival each day and festival attendees were able to sample the sounds of the Future of Jazz Competition winners. Festival attendees enjoyed performances by international sensation Serenata Band, the celebrated Gordon Vernick and the GSU Faculty Jazztet, and young gun Mike Phillips to name a few. "Local people want the festival to stay around and the local artists want to express themselves," said Ron James of Ron James and the Truth. “I am so happy to be a part of this year’s festival.” With vendors and restaurants providing food, interactive games and festivities for all ages, this 3-day celebration proved to be fun for the entire family and was the perfect place to be on Memorial Day Weekend.

“There are so many things that contributed to the 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival’s success – talented Atlanta based musicians, our great sponsors, favorable weather and park patrons all enhanced the jazz experience,” said Camille Russell Love, Director of the City of Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs. “This year was all about Atlanta and the Memorial Day Weekend celebration was all about the music. We thank Atlanta residents and visitors for their support year after year!”

The 2008 Atlanta Jazz Festival would like to thank its sponsors: Anheuser Busch Companies, BET J, Coca Cola Company, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Publix Super Markets, Inc., Central Atlanta Progress, MARTA, Brand Atlanta, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bank of America, JazzTimes, Spelman College, 91.9 WCLK, Gibson Guitars, Ephiphone, SmartMusic, JW Pepper, Sheraton Atlanta Hotel, CONNECT Magazine, Smooth Atlanta, TD Entertainment, Upscale, Rolling Out, and City Living Home Furnishings.