MUSIC

The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Labor Day Weekend Tanglewood Jazz Festival September 4-September 6, 2009 at the Orchestra's summer home in the Berkshire Hills in Lenox, Massachusetts. Jazz greats highlighting this year's festival include Paquito d'Rivera, Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon, Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, Dave Holland, Steve Nelson, Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Gary Smulyan, Jon Faddis, David Hazeltine, Wallace Roney, Sean Jones, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Harolyn Blackwell, and Mike Garson.

"Radio Deluxe" with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey will feature guest artists Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Harry Allen. Artists to perform in the Jazz Cafe will be Benny Reid, Steven Santoro, Michael Kaeshammer, Evgeny Lebedev and Ben Powell. For additional information, bios and photos on the performing artists, please review the electronic press kit at tanglewoodjazzfestival.org/presskit.

On Friday, September 4 at 8 pm, the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival will open with "An Evening with Paquito d'Rivera in which the famed clarinetist will perform pieces from his Latin jazz and classical repertoires. A 2005 NEA Jazz Master, winner of the 2008 Downbeat Reader's Poll for best clarinetist and guest artist on Yo-Yo Ma's most recent recording, Songs of Joy and Peace, d'Rivera has extensive expertise in both the jazz and classical musical worlds. The Friday night concert will be preceded at 6:30 by alto saxophonist, Benny Reid, in the Jazz Cafe. His first CD, Findings, is on Concord Records.

On Saturday, September 5 at 2 pm, John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molskey (in her Tanglewood debut) will tape their popular radio program, "Radio Deluxe," at the festival for later broadcast on more than 60 stations nation-wide. Normally broadcast from their living room "high atop Lexington Avenue", the Tanglewood program will officially take "Radio Deluxe" on the road for the first time. The show's format, marked by the duo's urban, sophisticated humor, inventive playlist and extensive knowledge of the Great American Songbook, is expanding its repertoire to include such rock era voices as Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell. "Radio Deluxe" from Tanglewood will feature guest artists guitarist (and John's father) Bucky Pizzarelli, violinist Aaron Weinstein and tenor saxophonist Harry Allen. "Radio Deluxe" will be preceded at 12:30 pm by pianist and vocalist Michael Kaeshammer. His upcoming CD, Lovelight, will be released in May.

On Saturday, September 5 at 8 pm, jazz violinist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Regina Carter will perform with her quartet in a program titled "Reverse Thread," which includes material from her Paganini project plus music from Mali, Senegal and Uganda. O Magazine said "Carter is a knockout violinist who leads a knockout band." "Reverse Thread" will be preceded at 6:30 pm by pianist Evgeny Lebedev and his trio in the Jazz Cafe. Following Ms. Carter will be Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon and classical vocalist, Harolyn Blackwell in "Dreaming the Duke," a program that celebrates the legacy and influences of the great Duke Ellington with innovative solo pieces, duets and chamber and jazz quartets and intimate vocal-piano selections. Noted pianist and arranger, Mike Garson, whose work with David Bowie and in jazz and classical genres has earned him high praise as an arranger, will perform as accompanist and musical director. They will perform classical Ellington standards and selections from Ellington's famed "Black, Brown and Beige Suite." The Sunday afternoon concert on September 6 will open at 2 pm with a rare and exclusive piano duet featuring Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller on two nine-foot Steinways performing spontaneous improvisations on original and jazz standard compositions. Performed at the 2005 Marciac Jazz Festival in France, the program has only been performed a few times in the U.S. and in Europe. Barron recently received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2008 Living Legacy Award by the Bank of New York/Mellon. The piano duet concert will be preceded at 12:30 pm by vocalist Steven Santoro and his quartet in the Jazz Cafe. Barron and Miller will be followed by one of the most enduring large jazz ensembles in the U.S. , the Grammy winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Founded by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, the orchestra received two Grammy nominations in 2008 for its recording Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard, (Planet Arts Records) and received the Grammy in the "Best Large Jazz Ensemble" category. For over four decades the Orchestra has performed on Monday nights at the world famous jazz club, the Village Vanguard in New York.

Closing the festival on Sunday, September 6, at 8 pm will be trumpeter Jon Faddis and his quartet with guest trumpeters Sean Jones and Wallace Roney. "A Triumph of Trumpets" is a celebration of the role of the trumpet in jazz throughout the past century from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and more. Preceding "A Triumph of Trumpets" will be violinist Ben Powell and his quartet in the Jazz Cafe. Following Jon Faddis will be bassist and big band leader, Dave Holland, with his all-star band including saxophonists Chris Potter, Antonio Hart and Gary Smulyan; vibraphonist, Steve Nelson; trumpeter Alex Sipiagian; drummer, Nate Smith; and trombonist, Robin Eubanks. A native of the United Kingdom, Holland worked extensively with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Jack DeJohnette and Herbie Hancock in addition to performing with chamber orchestras and classical composers. Tickets for the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival are available by calling SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200 or online at tanglewood.org and in person at the Symphony Hall Box Office.

For further information, please call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492 or visit our website at tanglewoodjazzfestival.org. The Tanglewood Jazz Festival is sponsored by JazzTimes Magazine. Our online media partner is jazzcorner.com.

2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival Ticket Prices

Friday, September 4, 6:30 p.m. Benny Reid Quartet Jazz Cafe Admission free with ticket to main stage event Friday, September 4, 8 p.m.

An Evening with Paquito d'Rivera $41/$48/$59/lawn $17

Saturday, September 5, 12:30 p.m. Michael Kaeshammer Jazz Cafe Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Saturday, September 5, 2 p.m. "Radio Deluxe" with John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey Special guests Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein, Harry Allen Live taping for national radio broadcast $32/$40/$55/lawn $18

Saturday, September 5, 6:30 p.m. Evgeny Lebedev Trio Jazz Cafe Admission free with ticket to main stage event Saturday, September 5, 8 p.m. "Reverse Thread" with the Regina Carter Quartet "Dreaming the Duke" with Nnenna Freelon, Harolyn Blackwell and Mike Garson $45/$60/$75/lawn $19

Sunday, September 6, 12:30 p.m. Steven Santoro Quartet Jazz Cafe Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Sunday, September 6, 2 p.m. "A Piano Duet" with Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller Vanguard Jazz Orchestra $32/$40/$55/lawn $18

Sunday, September 6, 6:30 p.m. Ben Powell Quartet Jazz Cafe Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Sunday, September 6, 8 p.m. "A Triumph of Trumpets" with the Jon Faddis Quartet and special guests Sean Jones and Wallace Roney Dave Holland Octet with Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Alex Sipiagian, Gary Smulyan, Nate Smith, Steve Nelson $41/$48/$59/lawn $17 All day lawn pass Saturday and Sunday $34