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Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor,
Sugarland, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett,
Earth, Wind & Fire, Kings of Leon, Neville Brothers, Wilco,
Bonnie Raitt, Allen Toussaint, The O’Jays, Erykah Badu, Dr.
John are among hundreds scheduled to appear at this historic edition
of Festival!
Tickets
On Sale Now, Special Hotel Rooms & Rates Available
New Orleans, LA (December 16, 2008)—The 2009 New Orleans Jazz
& Heritage Festival Presented by Shell (April 24-26 & April
30-May 3) will celebrate 40 years of musical and cultural history
at next year’s star-studded event. Started in 1970, the Jazz
& Heritage Festival continues to showcase the most important names
in music history alongside many of Louisiana’s favorite entertainers.
A true heritage festival, Jazz Fest stands alone in presenting the
highest caliber artists in such varied genres as gospel, blues, traditional
and contemporary jazz, rock, pop, R&B, Cajun, zydeco and much
more.
Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin, Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor,
Sugarland, Joe Cocker, Ben Harper, Tony Bennett, Earth, Wind, and
Fire, Kings of Leon, The Neville Brothers, Wilco, Bonnie Raitt, Allen
Toussaint, The O’Jays, Erykah Badu, Etta James, Johnny Winter,
Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, Robert Cray, Toots and the Maytals, Dr. John,
Spoon, Third World, Common, Orishas, Emmylou Harris, Irma Thomas,
Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly,
Mavis Staples, The Whispers, Hugh Masekela, Doc Watson, Pete Seeger,
John Mayall, Solomon Burke, Jakob Dylan, Rance Allen, Chuck Brown,
Meter Men; Zig, George, & Leo, Kinky, Drive-By, Truckers feat.
Booker T. Jones, Better Than Ezra, Avett Brothers, Pete Fountain,
Galactic, Marcia Ball, Roy Haynes, Patty Griffin, Kurt Elling, Poncho
Sanchez, John Scofield & the Piety Street Band, Marc Broussard,
Rebirth Brass Band, Esperanza Spalding, Kind of Blue @ 50 Tribute
to Miles Davis, Del McCoury Band, Aaron Neville, the Lincoln Center
Jazz Orchestra, Odadaa of Ghana, The Genius of Sydney Bechet: A Tribute
feat. Bob Wilber, Guy Clark, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Roy Rogers,
Chris Owens, VaShawn Mitchell, Dew Drop Inn Revisited hosted by Deacon
John, George Wein and Friends w/ Randy Brecker, Kermit Ruffins and
the Barbeque Swingers, Terence Blanchard, Ivan Neville & Dumpstaphunk,
Tab Benoit and the Wetland Allstars, Anointed Jackson Sisters, Ellis
Marsalis, Dirty Dozen, Robert Mirabal, Trombone Shorty, The Vettes,
Cedric Burnside, Lil’ Ed & the Imperials, Stephanie Jordan,
Radiators, Buckwheat Zydeco, Amanda Shaw, The Ebony Hillbillies, Cowboy
Mouth, Trout Fishing in America, Harlem Blues & Jazz Band, Tribute
to Danny Barker, Amameresso Agofomma of Ghana, Crocodile Gumboot Dancers
of South Africa, Ori Danse Club of Benin, Ladysmith Redlions of South
Africa, Cheick Hamala Diabate of Mali and hundreds more are scheduled
to appear at the 40th anniversary celebration.
(The complete weekend by weekend schedule is available at nojazzfest.com.)
“From day one in 1970, the goal of the Festival has remained
unchanged as Jazz Fest continues to celebrate the living breathing
culture of New Orleans and Louisiana,” said Quint Davis, producer/director
of Jazz Fest. “While the size and impact of the Festival have
dramatically increased, we have never lost sight of the original goal
of presenting this unique culture to the world through music, the
finest in local cuisine, and the sheer celebration of life.”
Jazz & Heritage Festival Founder and Executive Producer, George
Wein, proudly stated, “It is wonderful to see the Festival continue
the joyous legacy that began almost four decades ago in Congo Square.
There can only be one festival this grand, entertaining and important,
because there is only one New Orleans.”
Randy Philips, president & CEO, AEG Live, which co-produces the
Festival said, "The 40th Anniversary Jazz Fest is one of the
most highly anticipated events of 2009. AEG Live is proud to play
a part in taking this legendary annual celebration to new heights."
Wynton Marsalis, the preeminent jazz artist and ambassador of his
generation and one of New Orleans’ favorite sons, will headline
the first day of the Festival, Friday, April 24, performing the epic
composition Congo Square, featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
with Yacub Addy and Odadaa! "It’s an honor to be part of
the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival’s 40th anniversary,
thanks to the ongoing leadership of our friend George Wein,”
stated Wynton Marsalis, Artistic Director, Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“Yacub Addy and I wrote and dedicated Congo Square to the great
city of New Orleans and in April 2006, with the Jazz at Lincoln Center
Orchestra and Yacub’s group, Odadaa!, we debuted the music on
the actual site of Congo Square. We look forward to bringing the music
back, celebrating New Orleans and this momentous anniversary for the
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.”
Tickets for the Festival, which takes place at the Fair Grounds Race
Course, went on sale today. For the first time ever, a limited number
of discount ticket packages including tickets to each day of a particular
weekend of the Festival will be offered. Ticket packages purchased
for all three days of the first weekend (April 24, 25 & 26) will
be $105, while second weekend packages purchased for all four festival
days (April 30, May 1, 2 & 3) will be $140. (Tickets included
in each package are day-specific.) Advance single day Jazz Fest tickets
are still only $40 with the gate price of $50. Children’s tickets
(ages 2 - 11) are only $5 in advance or at the gate. Single day tickets
to Jazz Fest are on sale by specific weekend, with each ticket valid
for a single day’s attendance.
The Festival’s popular Big Chief VIP Experience ticket package
and the Grand Marshal VIP Pass return for the 40th anniversary celebration,
as well as the newly unveiled Krewe of Jazz Fest VIP Pass that allows
for special covered seating at the Acura Stage audience area plus
other amenities. All the hugely popular VIP packages are on sale now
while very limited supplies last. (See
nojazzfest.com for details.)
Tickets are available at www.nojazzfest.com
and www.ticketmaster.com,
at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets
can be purchased in person at the Jazz Fest ticket office located
at the Louisiana Superdome Box Office (Gate A, Ground Level) or the
New Orleans Arena Box Office. All Jazz Fest tickets are subject to
additional service fees and handling charges.
A listing of hotels offering special Jazz Fest rates is posted at
www.nojazzfest.com,
where patrons can effortlessly reserve their hotel rooms for the event.
Festivalgoers can peruse room availability and book their accommodations
early taking advantage of some of the best prices offered at participating
hotels.
Shell is the Presenting Sponsor of the Festival. Acura is proudly
celebrating its 10th year as sponsor of the Festival’s main
stage. People’s Health, Miller Lite, Louisiana Department of
Culture, Recreation & Tourism, AT&T, Fair Grounds Race Course
& Slots (A Churchill Downs Company), Capital One Bank, Sheraton
New Orleans Hotel, Pepsi, Rajen Kilachand and St. Charles Vision are
all also official Jazz Fest sponsors.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc.
is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz &
Heritage Festival presented by Shell, and uses the proceeds from that
festival for year-round activities in the areas of education, economic
development and cultural programming. Programs and assets of the foundation
include: radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage
Foundation Archive, the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School
of Music, the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series, the Jazz Journey
concert series, the Community Partnership Grants program and the Raisin’
the Roof housing initiative. The foundation also produces community
events such as the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Fiesta
Latina, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Down by the Riverside
concerts and others. For more information, please call the New Orleans
Jazz & Heritage Foundation at (504) 558-6100 or visit www.jazzandheritage.org.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is
a co-production of Festival Productions, L.L.C.(a wholly owned subsidiary
of Festival Productions, Inc.-New Orleans) and AEG Louisiana Production,
L.L.C.(a subsidiary of AEG Live)
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