News Release

Note: for links to photos, schedules and
coverage information, see end of story.

Afro-Latin jazz, ‘Essentially Ellington,’ 
more on tap for Carolina Jazz Festival

CHAPEL HILL — Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, directed by pianist Arturo O’Farrill, will headline the 2006 Carolina Jazz Festival, March 1-4 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra also will perform, with professional musicians Don Braden on tenor saxophone, Sean Jones on trumpet and Vincent Gardner on trombone – artists in residence for the 29^th festival.

The two concerts, in Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. March 3 and March 2, respectively, also will be part of the 2005-2006 Carolina Performing Arts Series.

These marquee festival performances will anchor four days of clinics, workshops, concerts by UNC jazz groups, a discussion with the visiting professional artists and late-night jams in local establishments.

This year, the festival’s customary daylong event for high school jazz musicians will break new ground, becoming the first North Carolina Regional "Essentially Ellington" High School Jazz Festival. Nationwide, only UNC and Temple University are offering such events this year.

"Essentially Ellington" is an educational arm of Jazz at Lincoln Center, a New York nonprofit organization dedicated to jazz. The Ellington program disseminates the music of Duke Ellington, in original arrangements, to high school musicians across the country for study and performance.

More than 300 high school students in 13 bands and seven combos from around the state will compete in the event, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (March 2). The event will conclude with an awards ceremony and a concert by the UNC Jazz Band and festival artists in residence.

"Each year the festival strives for a combination of public concerts and special opportunities for students, faculty musicians and high school band directors to learn with professionals," said James Ketch, a music professor in UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences and festival director. "We want our local audiences and student musicians to feel completely welcome to come to each and every event."

All events are open to the public, and many are free. Tickets for events where admission is charged are on sale at two campus box offices: Carolina Union (919-962-1449), open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and Memorial Hall (919-843-3333) open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, until intermission on performance nights during the week and from noon until intermission on Saturday and Sunday performance dates.

For festival information, call the music department at (919) 962-1039 or visit its Web site, http://www.unc.edu/music/jazzfest/. 

National and community sponsors of the festival include Jazz at Lincoln Center and "Essentially Ellington"; Double-Time Records; Yamaha; The Carolina Inn; The Herald-Sun; The Independent Weekly; The Jazz Foundation of North Carolina; WNCU-FM and WSHA-FM.

Campus sponsors include the Carolina Union Activities Board, music department, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonians, Center for the Study of the American South, Institute for African American Research: Boshamer Professorships, James M. Johnston Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Latin American studies program and the offices of the executive director of the arts, the vice chancellor for research and economic development and the vice provost for academic initiatives.

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Photo URLs: http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/memorial/afro-latin_jazz_orchestra.jpg 
http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/visiting/braden_don.jpg  
http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/visiting/jones_sean.jpg 
http://www.unc.edu/news/pics/visiting/gardner_vincent.jpg 

Coverage notes: Jazz at Lincoln Center’s policies for media planning to cover the March 3 performance of the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O’Farrill are available at http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/JazzCoveragePolicy.pdf 

A schedule for the "Essentially Ellington" festival is available at http://www.unc.edu/news/archives/feb06/JAZZ06highschools.pdf

Jazz Festival contact: James Ketch, (919) 962-7560, jketch@email.unc.edu
College of Arts and Sciences contact: Kim Weaver Spurr, (919) 962-4093, spurrk@email.unc.edu
News Services contacts: Print, L.J. Toler, (919) 962-8589; broadcast, Karen Moon, (919) 962-8595