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FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE: FIVE
AMERICAN JAZZ TRIOS TO TOUR
(Washington, DC, March 10) In August 1999 the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the United States Department of State selected ten jazz trios to represent American music overseas as Kennedy Center-Department of State Jazz Ambassadors, five for Fall 1999 and five for Spring 2000 tours. The Spring 2000 Jazz Ambassadors will now kick off their tours with free 6 p.m. concerts on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Tuesday, April 25, and Wednesday-Saturday, May 3-6. The Jazz Ambassadors will perform under the auspices of American Embassies in sixty countries in Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Latin America. All the trios, who hail from throughout the United States, were selected by competitive auditions held in New York. The Department of State will provide their overseas traveling expenses and a modest honorarium for each Jazz Ambassador. The tours, which usually last four to six weeks, are designated for countries that are not often visited by American musicians. In addition to public concerts, the visiting Jazz Ambassadors will conduct master classes and lecture-recitals for local musicians. While on tour, the Jazz Ambassadors' performances will highlight the work of Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington. The Kennedy Center and the Department of State are entering the fourth year of a partnership created to showcase some of this country's most talented musicians in performances that include contemporary American music. In 1997, the Kennedy Center and the DOS joined in presenting classical musicians as Artistic Ambassadors; in 1998, the Kennedy Center and the DOS jointly presented jazz musicians in the Jazz Ambassadors program, which will continue through the year 2001. [For an application and more information about the Jazz Ambassador program, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org/ambassadors] Kennedy Center President Lawrence J. Wilker commented, "As these Jazz Ambassadors showcase the work of Duke Ellington, the preeminent jazz ambassador, the Center is pleased to present these talented performers in concert and conversation across the globe." Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs William B. Bader added, "The Jazz Ambassadors deliver a very positive message about the dynamism of our multicultural society and American values. These talented musicians also give foreign audiences an opportunity to hear one of the U.S.'s primary cultural contributions to the world-jazz. The Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is delighted to continue our partnership with the Kennedy Center, which has resulted in singular success in the Jazz Ambassador program." The ten 1999-2000 Jazz Ambassador trios, plus three alternate trios, were selected from among 60 trios who submitted applications and auditioned for this exciting program. The jury panel consisted of trumpeter Jimmy Owens, vocalist Vanessa Rubin, pianist Junior Mance, pianist Stanley Cowell, and Derek E. Gordon, vice president for education at the Kennedy Center. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, under the leadership of James A. Johnson, chairman, and Lawrence J. Wilker, president, is the nation's performing arts center and a Presidential Memorial. The Center's programs reflect the institution's commitment to the recognition and celebration of the rich heritage of the American people through the presentation of the finest and most diverse performing arts offerings from the United States and throughout the world. To nurture the continued vitality of the arts in America, the Center's Education Department, under the direction of Derek E. Gordon, vice president for education and jazz programming, holds as its mission the provision of opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn about and to experience the performing arts. For more information about the Kennedy Center and its programs, please visit its web site: http://www.kennedy-center.org. Jazz Ambassador applications and information may be obtained from: http://www.kennedy-center.org/ambassadors The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs fosters mutual understanding between the United States and other countries through international educational and training programs. The bureau does so by promoting personal and professional collaborations between private citizens and organizations in the United States and abroad. The bureau also presents the diversity of United States history, society, art and culture to overseas audiences. For more information about the DOS and its programs, please visit its web site: http://e.usia.gov/education Biographies of Artists, Millennium Stage Dates and Tour Schedules Attached KENNEDY CENTER
PUBLIC INFORMATION:
BIOGRAPHICAL
AND TOUR INFORMATION FOR Millennium Stage, Tuesday, April 25: Angela Hagenbach, Joe Cartwright, and Steve Rigazzi Angela Hagenbach, vocalist and percussionist, returns to the Jazz Ambassadors Program after a 1998 tour in Africa. Her contralto voice has been described as possessing "an extraordinary range, excellent phrasing and a singular style" by Patricia Meyers of Jazz Times. Since beginning her career in Kansas City in 1990, Hagenbach founded her own record label, Amazon Records, through which she has released three recordings. As a performer, clinician, and educator, she has graced the stage at many venues including Jazz in Marciac, France; the Kennedy Center, Washington, DC; Jazz Aspen at Snowmass, Colorado; as well as festivals and colleges throughout the United States. Joe Cartwright, pianist, makes his home in Kansas City, Missouri, where he has performed and taught jazz for the last 20 years. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music, he has composed film scores, produced albums, and performed on numerous recordings. During his 30-year career he has worked with such internationally recognized jazz artists as John Clayton, Eddie Harris, Sheila Jordan, Kevin Mahogany, Max Roach, Clark Terry, Mel Torme, and Jimmy Witherspoon. Cartwright toured Africa in 1998 as a Department of State Jazz Ambassador and has performed throughout the world at such diverse locations as Seville, Spain and Hong Kong, China. Steve Rigazzi, a self-taught bassist, began his formal musical training under the tutelage of New York jazz bassist Cecil McBee in 1990. In 1996 he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in music from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Prior to this formal education, Rigazzi performed and traveled with the United States Air Force Band and the NATO Band backing such internationally known musicians as Chet Baker, Enrico Rava, Ed Shaughnessy and Chris Vadala. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TOUR DATES
Millennium Stage, Wednesday, May 3, 2000: Vinny Valentino, John Benitez, and Gilad Dobrecky Vinny Valentino, guitarist/composer/arranger, has been described by jazz musician George Benson as a "young genius with brilliant tone and fresh ideas." A jazz studies graduate of Howard University, he has recorded five solo albums, including The Distance Between Two Lines and Now and Again, two acclaimed international releases. He has performed with such jazz greats as Gary Bartz, George Benson, Keter Betts, Charlie Byrd, Steve Gadd, Richie Morales, Bob Moses, John Pattitucci, Patrice Rushen, and Tom Scott. Valentino has been a grant recipient of the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts for a series of works entitled "New Music for Three Guitars." Gilad Dobrecky, percussionist and composer, has been recognized by JAZZIZ magazine as one of the world's top 12 percussionists. A native of Israel, Dobrecky's performance and compositional styles draw on a diverse range of musical traditions-Middle Eastern, North African, West African, Brazilian and Indian. Since moving to New York in 1990, he has performed and recorded with Jeff Andrews, Randy Brecker, Ornette Coleman, Dave Kikoski, Joe Lock, and Joshua Redman. He has also composed and recorded music for the Discovery Channel and Warner Brothers. Dobrecky recently appeared on releases by the Sam Newsome & Global Unity band, the Freddie Bryant Brazilian Jazz band, the Hernan Romero Flamenco Jazz quintet, and the world-famous clarinetist and klezmer musician, Giora Faigman. John Benitez, bassist/composer/arranger, was a widely acclaimed musician in the jazz, R&B, and Latin scenes in his native Puerto Rico by the age of 19. He studied at the Puerto Rico Conservatory of Music with master bassist Federico Silva. He also studied with legendary acoustic bassist Ron Carter and with electric bass guitarist Anthony Jackson in New York. A Grammy award-winning musician, Benitez has performed with many well-known American and Latin artists including Lucecita Benitez, Batacumbele, Justo Betancourt, Joe Madrid, Wynton Marsalis, Cuco Peña, Tito Puente, Lalo Rodriguez, Hilton Ruiz, Dave Samuels, Chucho Valdez and Bobby Watson. Benitez has also recorded with numerous performers such as David Sanchez, Eddie Palmieri and Roy Hargrove's Grammy award-winning Crisol Band. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TOUR DATES
Millennium Stage, Thursday, May 4: Matt Ray, Mike Hawkins, and Aaron Thurston Matt Ray, pianist/composer/arranger, has recently been honored as a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition. The 27-year-old musician earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music and has performed with jazz greats like Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, and Joe Lovano. He produced, performed, and co-wrote the music for the CD Ja-HFU Tactics, which was released in 1995. Mike Hawkins, bassist and music educator, graduated from Virginia State University in 1997 with a Bachelor's degree in music education. In addition to his work teaching in the Virginia public schools, he has performed with many jazz greats including Antonio Hart, John Hicks, Buck Hill, Marlon Jordan, Mulgrew Miller and Cecil Payne. Hawkins is currently working on a master's degree in music from Queens College. Aaron Thurston, percussionist, recently completed a Kennedy Center-Department of State Jazz Ambassadors tour of South Asia and the Middle East. A graduate of Berklee College of Music in drums and percussion, he has shared the stage with many of today's jazz masters including Wessell Anderson, Roy Hargrove, Christian McBride, and Danilo Perez. He was invited to participate in the highly selective Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at Snowmass, Colorado in 1998. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TOUR DATES
Millennium Stage, Friday, May 5: Gene Rush, Tim Goodwin, and Renardo Ward Gene Rush, pianist, is professor emeritus of jazz and studio music at the University of Memphis where he has coordinated the graduate and undergraduate jazz studies programs for 20 years. In a music career that spans nearly four decades, he has appeared on 23 albums and has performed with many international recording artists, from John Abercrombie to Attila Zoller. He has also arranged and conducted recording sessions for Roberta Flack, Cybill Shepherd, and other artists. A former governor of the Memphis chapter of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), Rush served as chairman of the chapter's arranging/composing craft committee for ten years. He is also former president of the Tennessee unit of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE). Since 1981, Rush has directed instructional programs at the Attila Zoller Vermont Jazz Center. Tim Goodwin, bassist, has been active in the recording industry in both South Florida and Memphis since 1980 and has performance credits on numerous albums. He has performed with Randy Brecker, Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath, Jon Hendricks, Clifford Jordan, Michele LeGrand, Mulgrew Miller, Diane Schuur, Clark Terry, James Williams, and a number of other jazz greats. Goodwin holds a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Miami and is coordinator of jazz and studio music at the University of Memphis where he has been teaching since 1984. He is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and is a former governor of the Memphis chapter. Renardo Ward, percussionist, is a first-call musician for performances in the Memphis area. He has performed with such jazz masters as Donald Brown, George Coleman, Frank Foster, Milt Jackson, Bill Mobley, Roseanna Vitro, and James Williams. He has also been a featured artist with the Memphis Symphony. Since completing the curriculum for a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Memphis, Ward has pursued state certification as an educator in Tennessee. He is a member of the national Percussive Arts Society (PAS). DEPARTMENT OF STATE
TOUR DATES
Millennium Stage, Saturday, May 6: Joyce Diamond, Steve Homan, and Joe Gilman Joyce Diamond, vocalist, has performed extensively at jazz venues in northern California for the last 20 years. During her career as a vocalist and entertainer, she has performed with such world-class musicians as Joe Gilman, Steve Homan, the Mark Little Quartet, Tony Savage, and Jessica Williams. She has also shared the stage with Sammy Davis Jr., Al Plank, Shorty Rogers, Grady Tate, Kenny Rankin and Jimmy Smith. Diamond is a former member of the hit-selling group The Chiffons and toured Asia, Canada, and Hawaii with the popular dance band Firelite in the early seventies. Steve Homan, self-taught guitarist and composer, has performed with a variety of top name jazz artists including Howard Alden, Herb Ellis, Anita O'Day, Diane Schuur, Jimmy Smith, and Joe Williams. He has appeared on recordings with Anita O'Day, Pete Jolly, and Gene Estes and performed at the 1998 International Jazz Festival in Scotland with the Jimmy Smith Quartet. In 1997 he recorded an album with vibraphonist Gene Estes titled In a Sentimental Mood on Arbor Records. He also composed and arranged music on the 1998 album Organization, featuring the Delbert Bump Organ Trio. As a 1998 Kennedy Center-Department of State Jazz Ambassador, Homan toured West Africa. He currently teaches music at summer jazz programs and at American River College. Joe Gilman, pianist, holds a doctoral degree in education from the University of Sarasota and currently heads the jazz studies program at American River College in Sacramento. He has performed with George Duke, Slide Hampton, Eddie Harris, Bobby Hutcherson, Bob Mintzer, and Woody Shaw and has recorded with Joe Henderson, Tom Peron, Henry Robinett, and Jeff Watts. In addition to being selected as a 1998 Kennedy Center-Department of State Jazz Ambassador to West Africa, Gilman received a 1998 Emerging Artist fellowship from the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and earned first runner-up at the 1997 Great American Jazz Piano Competition in Jacksonville, Florida. He earned his degrees in jazz studies from Indiana University and the Eastman School of Music. DEPARTMENT OF
STATE TOUR DATES KENNEDY CENTER
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