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Jazz at Lincoln Center Celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in New York

· 2 p.m. & 4 p.m. Free Concerts w/Wycliffe Gordon and performances by Middle School Jazz Academy Ensemble

· 7 p.m. Free Screening of CNN Broadcast from Washington, D.C. of "A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA" with Wynton Marsalis and The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor

· 7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m. Performances by Cyrus Chestnut & Friends - Let Freedom Swing!


Who/What/Where/When:
January 19, 2009

2:00 p.m. & 4:00 p.m.

Two family-friendly performances by trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, opening with Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy Ensemble. Concerts to take place in the Irene Diamond Education Center, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street; free and open to the public. No reservations, first come, first served. Seating is general admission.

Snacks and beverages for the afternoon events are graciously donated by Whole Foods Market Columbus Circle.

7:00 p.m.

Free screening of CNN broadcast from the Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theater in Washington, D.C. of "A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA" with Wynton Marsalis and The Honorable Sandra Day O'Connor presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center and generously underwritten by The Rockefeller Foundation. The program will look back on the life of one of the greatest of all Americans, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and forward to a new era under a new President. An all-star cast will illustrate that American democracy and America's music - jazz - share the same tenets and embody the same potential for change, hope and renewal, which Dr. King himself called America's "triumphant music." Screening to take place in Rose Theater, Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60th Street. Free and open to the public. No reservations, first come, first served. Seating is general admission.

7:30 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut headlines A Celebration of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with tenor saxophonist Stacy Dillard and friends in Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, on Broadway at 60th St. Cover charge is $20 with a $10 minimum for tables and $5 minimum at the bar. Students' cover charge is $10. Reservations can be made by calling 212.258.9595.

All events are recommended for ages 6 and up.

How:

For more information, visit: www.jalc.org/letfreedomswing.

Background:

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a music lover. He once said, "Jazz speaks for life. The blues tell the story of life's difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph. This is triumphant music. Modern jazz has continued in this tradition, singing the songs of a more complicated urban existence. When life itself offers no order and meaning, the musician creates an order and meaning from the sounds of the earth which flow through his instrument."

Sponsorship:

Jazz at Lincoln Center in partnership with Target honor the intellect, bravery, passion and ingenuity of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with community events in Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center.

"A CELEBRATION OF AMERICA" concert in Washington D.C. by Jazz at Lincoln Center has been generously underwritten by The Rockefeller Foundation.

For more information:
Bridget Wilson
Associate, Public Relations
Jazz at Lincoln Center
212.258.9868
bwilson@jalc.org