Panasonic Village Jazz Festival Features 10 Days Of Great Music, Films, Art, Records, Fair And Walking Tour Throughout The Village August 16 - 25

NEW YORK, JULY 22 - - The fourth annual PANASONIC VILLAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL returns August 16-25 with the Jazz Fair in the school yard of P.S. 41; a free concert in Washington Square Park featuring vocalist Dianne Reeves and her Group and saxophonist Kenny Garrett and his Quartet; walking tours of historic Greenwich Village jazz spots; a film series; an art exhibition and auction; a special concert for children led by Jazz Reach; and 10 nights of music at some of the area’s leading jazz clubs.
A new addition to the 1997 celebration of jazz is a night of Jazz and Salsa Dance at the Metronome on Wednesday, August 20, with Manny Oquendo and Libre, New York’s premiere Latin Dance band. Dance shoes are recommended!
The world of jazz unfolds at 11 clubs in the Village including Arthur’s Tavern, Blue Note, 55 Bar, Knickerbocker, Knitting Factory, Metronome, Small’s, Sweet Basil, Village Vanguard, Visiones, and Zinno. Joe Williams and the Count Basie Orchestra, Mike Stern, Georgia Brown Express, Steve Turre Sextet, Geri Allen Trio, Abraham Burton Quartet, Spirit of Life Ensemble, Cyrus Chestnut, Creole Cooking Jazz Band and Freddie Francis Trio are some of the artists who will perform at jazz clubs during the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival .
"Historic Greenwich Village is the ideal location for a jazz festival," said James Browne, well-known jazz aficionado and producer of the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival for International Music Factory (IMF).
"Because the Village has been the Mecca for jazz artists here and abroad, everyone has a story to tell about an experience in the Village, from the
fledging artist to the jazz elite. We’ve put together a series of events that not only provides hours of dynamic music, but shares these stories in many ways."
Portions of the proceeds of this year’s festival will benefit the Dizzy Gillespie Fund at Englewood Hospital and Greenwich House Music School.
The 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival is sponsored by Matsushita Electric Corp. of America (Panasonic), which markets Panasonic, Technics and Quasar
products.
"As the proud sponsor and partner of the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival, we are pleased to be a part of a musical event that features both traditional and cutting edge artists providing fans worldwide with unforgettable entertainment," said Justin Camerlengo, president, Panasonic Corporate Enterprises Company. "Our company is committed to produce and market sophisticated electronic products to enhance listening and viewing pleasure. We are delighted to have this opportunity to support this exciting festival and salute the artists who help make it happen."
The 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival kicks off Saturday, August 16, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. with a free JAZZ FAIR in the school yard of P..S. 41, Greenwich Avenue at Charles Street. The fair will include live entertainment featuring Russell Gunn’s Hip-Hop Jazz Sextet plus dozens of vendors offering vintage jazz records, new CDs and jazz-related crafts and merchandise.
Two premiere jazz performers of our time, majestic vocalist Dianne Reeves and her Group and saxophonist Kenny Garrett and his Quartet heat up the stage for an evening of rhythmic sensations and powerful vibrations. The free concert will be held in Washington Square Park on Monday, August 25, from 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Rain date is set for the same time on the following day.
JAZZ FOR KIDS featuring Jazz Reach will be held at noon on Saturday, August
23, at Tishman Auditorium at The New School, 66 West 12 Street. Jazz Reach is a performing arts and education outreach program for young people. Admission is $5.00. The concert is produced in cooperation with the Mannes Jazz and Contemporary Music Program.
Programmed by Bruce Ricker, the JAZZ FILM SERIES will be held August 18- 22 at the New York Film Academy, 100 East 17th Street at Park Avenue. Admission
to the films is $7.00 for the entire evening.

Films include:

August 18	Robert Altmans Jazz ‘34: Remembrances of Kansas City Swing	6:30 PM
	The Last of the Blue Devils	8:00 PM
	Chet Baker: Let’s Get Lost	9:45 PM
August 19	Tenor Titans	6:30 PM
	Reed Royalty	9:00 PM
	Space is the Place	10:10 PM
August 20	Eastwood: After Hours	6:30 PM
	Robert Altman’s Jazz ‘34: Remembrances of Kansas City Swing	8:40 PM
	Last Date: Eric Dolphy	10:00 PM
August 21	The Paramount Parade Classic Music Shorts (newly restored):
	Radio Rhythms	6:30 PM
	Jazz Cocktails	8:15 PM
	Blue Melodies	9:30 PM
August 22	Joe Williams: A Portrait in Swing	6:30 PM
	Eastwood: After Hours	7:40 PM
	Chet Baker: Let’s Get Lost	9:50 PM

See the historic jazz sites of Greenwich Village on the JAZZ IN THE VILLAGE WALKING TOUR. Beginning at Sweet Basil, tours will be conducted Saturdays and Sundays, August 16 - 17 and August 23 - 24 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The schedule includes brief stops at Cafe Bohemia, Boomer’s, Village Vanguard, Cafe Society, 55 Bar, Blue Note, Visiones, Cafe Reggio, Cafe Borgia, Le Figaro (formerly San Remo), Cafe Wha? and Minetta Tavern. Tours are $10.00 per person. For reservations, please call (212) 929-5149.
An art exhibit, nightly piano performances and an auction will be held at THE JAZZ GALLERY, 290 Hudson Street. "Jazz Piano," a visual tribute and multimedia art exhibit, will be on display from 1:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., August 16 - 25. Boogie Woogie by Andre de Krayewski, the original painting of the artwork for the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival, will be auctioned on August 26. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to a scholarship fund at the Greenwich House Music School.
Experience JAZZ AND THE SPOKEN WORD, creative interactions between artists, musicians and authors of prose and poetry, at Barnes and Nobles bookstores throughout the Village and Chelsea August 18 - 22 at 7:30 p.m. Spoken Word artists scheduled to perform include Carl Hancock Rux (8/18), Makeba (8/19), Words and Waistbeads with Marcia Jones (8/20) , Milan Jean-Giles (8/20), Nefertite Nguvu (8/20), Mariahdessa "Ekiere" Tallie (8/20), Sharriff Simmons (8/21) and Rafi Zabor (8/22).
THE JAZZ CAFE will serve refreshments and live jazz, no cover, August 18 - 22 from 4:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. The following artists are scheduled to perform at THE JAZZ CAFE, located on the Terrace at Loeb Student Center, New York University, 566 La Guardia Place:

August 18	JAZZ BRAZIL	Sid Texeira and Sergio Brandao
August 19	WOMEN IN JAZZ	Sue Terry Duo
August 20	BEBOP REVISITED	Ralph Lalama Duo
August 21	TAP MASTERS	Max Pollak, Rod Ferrone and Guests
August 22	TRIBUTE TO ECKSTINE AND HARTMAN	Kim Kalesti Trio

Back by popular demand is the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival COMPILATION CD, featuring selections from past and present festival artists. Proceeds from this CD, available at HMV, J&R Music, Tower Records, CD World in New Jersey, select jazz clubs and Panasonic dealers, will be donated to the Dizzy Gillespie Fund at Englewood Hospital.
Other supporters of the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival include Bandai, New York Film Academy, Time Warner Cable, Japan Airlines, JazzTimes, The Wiz, Village Voice, WBGO-FM/Jazz 88.3, Jazz Central Station and the City of New York Parks and Recreation.
To provide jazz fans with a greater opportunity to hear more music, the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival will offer special passes and shuttle bus service. The $25 pass includes free admittance to The Blue Note, The Knitting Factory, Sweet Basil, Village Vanguard and Visiones at specified times noted on the back of the pass. Admittance is according to availability. Festival pass holders can catch a club-to-club shuttle bus every hour, starting at 8:00 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
In addition to the Festival, International Music Factory (IMF) is active in artist management and produces and coordinates music recordings, videos, television programs and commercials. An essential link between the United States and Japan, IMF serves as a knowledgeable resource to provide better access to each country. Producer James Browne was a founder of the Greenwich Village Jazz Festival in 1982, but is best known in the jazz world through his 16-year association as an announcer with WBGO-FM/Jazz 88.3 and WBAI-FM. His smooth voice and incredible knowledge of jazz will keep him in the forefront for years to come.
For more information on the 1997 Panasonic Village Jazz Festival, please call the festival hotline at (212) 929-5149. For in-depth, on-line information, visit the worldwide web at http://www.villagejazz.com or JAZZ CENTRAL STATION at http://jazzcentralstation.com.