Download 2010-07-26 Press Release, 2010 Cincy Blues Fest

Cincy Blues Fest - cincyblues.org
Media Contacts:
Mary Beth Weaver, PR Coordinator
937-554-9584, [email protected]
James Czar, Marketing Coordinator
513-233-7613, [email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JELLY ROLL MORTON ALIVE IN CINCINNATI
CINCY BLUES FEST PIANO STAGE HIGHLIGHTS MUSIC OF
JAZZ AND BOOGIE-WOOGIE LEGEND
CINCINNATI, OH - July 22, 2010: The boogie-woogie piano style was born from some of the
earliest forms of jazz music, but its popularity continues today through the work of some of
today's most talented pianists.
The 18th Annual Cincy Blues Fest, presented by Time Warner Cable, is once again bringing a
unique blend of music to the city on Friday August 6 and Saturday August 7, with more than 40
acts on four stages at Cincinnati's Sawyer Point Park.
Jelly Rolly Morton, the composer of the first jazz composition ever published, is widely
recognized as one of the most pivotal figures in early jazz, and one of the earliest practitioners of
boogie-woogie.
This year, Saturday's Boogie-Woogie Hall of Fame Piano Stage highlights the style of this New
Orleans-born jazz legend, featuring:
•
Vernel Bagneris, who wrote, directed and starred in the original Off-Broadway as well
as the 2002 Broadway production of One Mo' Time, its critically acclaimed sequel
Further Mo', and Staggerlee, with music by Allen Toussaint and starring the legendary
Ruth Brown. Mr. Bagneris wrote and starred in Jelly Roll!, conjuring the jazz genius in a
riveting recreation of Jelly Roll Morton's words and music.
•
Morten Gunnar Larsen, who graduated from the Norwegian Acadamy of Music in
1978, having specialized in classic ragtime and early jazz piano. He has also created
several musical programs, such as Memories of Eubie, based on Eubie Blake's music,
excerpts from Joplin's Treemonisha. Mr. Larsen also collaborated with Mr. Bagneris on
Jelly Roll!
•
Award-winning pianist and recording artist Stephanie Trick, who is a leading authentic
interpreter of stride piano today. One of the few female stride pianists to command
mastery of this technically and physically demanding jazz piano style, she has been called
"the next rising star in the stride world."
Closing in on two decades of success, Cincy Blues Fest continues to draw fans and families to
Cincinnati's riverfront for music, food, fun, and the best names in the blues.
More information about the rest of the festival is available on Cincy Blues Fest's website:
http://cincyblues.org
Cincy Blues Fest - cincyblues.org
Media Contacts:
Mary Beth Weaver, PR Coordinator
937-554-9584, [email protected]
James Czar, Marketing Coordinator
513-233-7613, [email protected]
About Cincy Blues Society
Cincy Blues Society is a member-supported, 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization whose purpose
is to promote and advance the culture and tradition of Blues music as an original American art
form. Cincy Blues Society has been in existence since 1990, and strives to fulfill its mission by
encouraging and facilitating both performance and educational events and projects. For more
information, visit http://cincyblues.org
About the Blues in the Schools Program
The Cincy Blues Society created a "Blues in the Schools" (BITS) program soon after the Society
was founded in 1990, as keeping the blues alive for another generation is an integral part of the
group’s mission. The BITS educational program has two areas of focus: presentations by
professional musicians and performances by young people who are learning to play the blues.
The program brings accomplished area blues musicians into local schools to educate students
about the history and significance of the blues, and keeps another generation listening to,
learning about, and performing this uniquely American music. Proceeds from the Cincy Blues
Fest support the Blues in the School program. More info is available at http://cincyblues.org
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