Jazz at Lincoln Center
33 West 60th St., 11th floor
New York, NY 10023
www.jalc.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 05.03.04 (updated June 2)

For More Information, Please Contact:
MARY FIANCE FUSS, Director, Public Relations – (212) 258-9829, mfuss@jalc.org
JUDEE SIDORSKY, Edelman for Jazz at Lincoln Center (212) 704-4530, Judith.sidorsky@edelman.com

Downloadable photos available at:
Wynton Marsalis: www.jalc.org/presenters/images/index.html
Guest Artists: http://www.jalc.org/spring_gala_2004/

New York, NY (May 3, 2004) Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) will present a once-in-a-lifetime evening with some of music's greatest talents - Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Al Jarreau, Branford Marsalis, the Wynton Marsalis Septet, Renee Olstead and other special guests - on Monday, June 7, 2004 at 7:30pm. Hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, the concert, held at the Apollo Theater at 253 West 125th St., will be the centerpiece of the arts organization's 3rd Annual Spring Gala 2004 themed "Teach Me Tonight." The proceeds of the evening will benefit the hundreds of performance and educational programs produced by Jazz at Lincoln Center, the not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to enriching the artistic substance and perpetuating the democratic spirit of American's music.

The evening will begin with the concert, conveying the living traditions of jazz and the art form's influence on these extraordinary artists, followed by a festive gala dinner in an adjacent tent. For information and tickets for the full gala evening, priced at $1000 and up, including dinner, please call JALC Special Events at (212) 258-9961. Lead corporate co-sponsors for the event are JP Morgan Chase and Studley. The participating sponsor is Cadillac. The gala co-chairs are Ashley R. Schiff and Vicki Fuller. The corporate co-chairs are Lewis Jones of JPMorgan Chase and Michael Colacino of Studley. Honorary gala co-chairs are Mica and Ahmet Ertegun.

Cedric "The Entertainer" is best known for his crowd-pleasing roles in the recent hit films Barbershop with Ice Cube, Intolerable Cruelty with George Clooney, and The Original Kings of Comedy, MTV’s documentary feature directed by Spike Lee.  On the big screen, Cedric has also been seen in Barbershop 2, Big Momma’s House with Martin Lawrence, Kingdom Come with Whoopi Goldberg, Serving Sara with Matthew Perry as well as displaying tremendous vocal talent in Dr. Doolittle 2 and Ice Age.  Additionally, in April 2004, Cedric was star and producer of the box office hit Johnson Family Vacation (ranked the #1 comedy in America for two consecutive weeks).  He will next be seen in The Honeymooners, in which he will star as Jackie Gleason’s famed character "Ralph Cramden," Be Cool, (the sequel to Get Shorty) with John Travolta, Lemony Snicket with Jim Carrey, and Back to School (the remake of Rodney Dangerfield’s classic comedy).  Cedric has celebrated many career successes spanning television, live performances and film.  Some notable accolades include nabbing The Aftra Award of Excellence in Television Programming for his Fox Television series "Cedric ‘The Entertainer’ Presents…," a record breaking four consecutive NAACP Image Awards or Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" for his portrayal of the lovable "Coach Cedric Robinson" on the WB’s number one-rated "The Steve Harvey Show," which ran for six seasons.  His first comedy book, Grown-Ass Man, was released in January of 2002 and sold out across the country.  In 2001, a viewing audience of over 144 million saw Cedric star in the Bud Light commercial that landed in the number one spot during the Super Bowl broadcast (subsequently, USA Today dubbed him Madison Avenue’s Most Valuable Player).  And, in 1994, Cedric received The Richard Pryor Comic of the Year Award from Black Entertainment Television for his ground-breaking work as host of Def Comedy and BET’s "Comic View" (1994-95 season).  Now helming his own production company, A Bird and a Bear Entertainment, Cedric will develop and produce feature films.  Johnson Family Vacation is the first feature under the new company.  As a philanthropist, Cedric founded The Cedric ‘The Entertainer’ Charitable Foundation, which provides scholarships and outreach programs to enhance the lives of inner-city youth and their families in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri.  He plans to extend the foundation nationally.

Undoubtedly one of the most influential artists of the rock era, singer/songwriter Bob Dylan has released over 45 albums since his 1962 debut and remains an extremely influential musical figure to this day. Dylan was discovered in Greenwich Village by the visionary John Hammond of Columbia Records, who made possible his 1962 debut Bob Dylan and the 1963 hit The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan , both in the folk music tradition of Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger. In 1965, Dylan brought about a fusion of folk and rock 'n' roll when he added an electric backing band on half of Bringing It All Back Home. Soon after, he released one of the most influential singles of his career, "Like A Rolling Stone," which was an inspiration to the counter-cultural movement of the 1960s. Highway 61 Revisited and Blonde On Blonde followed, and are widely considered Dylan's all-time classics. Dylan went on to incorporate country influences in Nashville Skyline , and in 1974 released Blood on the Tracks , his most widely acclaimed album of the '70s. Dylan toured extensively in the '70s and '80s and in 1988 began what became known as "The Never-Ending Tour," which lasted through the '90s. In 1993, he released the folk album World Gone Wrong , which won the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album. Time Out of Mind was released in 1997 to great success, and went on to garner Grammys for Best Album of the Year, Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Male Rock Vocal. Dylan continues an active touring schedule, with extensive North-American and European travel this year alone. Dylan truly lives up to his name as the voice of a generation; as Bruce Springsteen once noted, "Elvis may have freed our body, but Dylan freed our soul."

James Taylor not only set the precedent for solo singer/songwriter/instrumentalists achieving success as recording and touring artists, he made it a cool and desirable role – one to which millions of earnest singer/songwriters have since aspired. His warm and inviting tenor instinctively seems to attract the inflections and embellishments that grace his unforgettable melodies. His distinctive voice is among the most recognized and beloved in popular music.   Another facet of his prodigious talent is his guitar playing, which significantly raised the standard for singer/songwriters accompanying themselves with six strings. James started writing music in the mid 1960s as a student at a New England boarding school, far removed from his family and friends in the Piedmont Hills of Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Over the course of his career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum, and multi-platinum awards. In 1971, Taylor was featured on the cover of Time magazine, who heralded him as the harbinger of "the singer/songwriter era." For his extraordinary achievements, James Taylor was honored with the 1998 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest accolade, bestowed for distinguished creative achievement. The year 2000 saw Taylor's induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriter's Hall of Fame.   When James Taylor picked up his Best Male Pop Vocal Performance trophy at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony in February for "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight," it was the latest in a string of Grammy wins for the artist going back three decades.

Born in Milwaukee Wisconsin on April 12, 1940, Al Jarreau has broken the mold as the one of the rare artists to receive Grammy awards in the three different categories of jazz, pop, and R&B. Performing a highly sophisticated form of vocalese, Jarreau's style displays numerous influences, including music from within the world of jazz as well as sounds and rhythms from both African and oriental languages. Jarreau began his singing career by playing small clubs throughout the West Coast, eventually joining a trio headed by jazz giant George Duke. In 1975, he signed a contract with Warner Bros. Records and soon released We Got By, earning great acclaim for his unique brand of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Mathis. After 1976s Glow , Jarreau issued Look to the Rainbow , a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album charts. In 1977, he embarked on his first world tour; that same year, he earned the first of five Grammy Awards for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. With 1981s Breakin' Away , he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of hits with "We're in This Love Together" and the title track, and attracting a broader audience. After recording 1986s L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Jarreau scored a hit with the theme to the popular television program Moonlighting. In the 1990s, Jarreau released Heaven and Earth (1992) and Tenderness (1994). He has since signed with the GRP label, releasing Tomorrow Today in 2000 and All I Got in 2002. His next album, entitled Accentuate the Positive , is scheduled for release in August of this year.

Though first and foremost a jazz musician, world-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis has made his mark in the worlds of classical, pop, and jazz music. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, Marsalis joined his brother Wynton Marsalis in Art Blakey and theJazz Messengers, and also toured with Clark Kerry's Orchestra. A member of his brother Wynton's quintet for three years, Branford also worked with renowned musicians including Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis, and was a member of Miles Davis' group from 1984 to 1985. In 1985, Marsalis displayed his versatility when he became a founding member of a band led by English rock icon Sting, which played a combination of rock, bop, and soul. Marsalis went on to work with his own quartet, but continued to collaborate with great pop icons including the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby. In 1993, he won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance for his album I Heard You Twice the First Time , and another in 1994 for "Barcelona Mona," a single he recorded with Bruce Hornsby. Branford also gained great notoriety from his two-year tenure as musical director of "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Marsalis has extended his work to producing, both for Columbia Records and now for his own music label, Marsalis Music. He has also collaborated as both composer and featured soloist on film scores, including Mo' Better Blues , Malcolm X , Clockers , The Russia House , and Sneakers . With such a varied career, Branford Marsalis has established himself as one of today's most versatile jazz musicians.

Since the age of five Renee Olstead has been winning hearts in front of the microphone.   But what starts as sheer surprise quickly turns to utter delight at the stylish sensibility of this Texas-born prodigy.   And music is only one element of her portfolio.   A natural actor, 14-year old Renee has been lighting up the screen almost as long as she has been singing.   In addition to appearing in such major motion pictures as The Insider with Russell Crowe and 13 Going On 30 starring Jennifer Garner, the young entertainer also has an impressive television resume, most recently co-starring in the CBS-TV comedy Still Standing. Even while juggling her busy schedule, Renee found time for music.   After a recording she made found its way to Grammy® winning producer David Foster—famed for his efforts with stars like Josh Groban and Celine Dion—a recording contract wasn't far behind.   Renee Olstead's debut album on 143/Reprise Records is a collection of some of the most beloved standards in the great American songbook, from "Summertime" to "Someone To Watch Over Me," "What A Difference A Day Makes" to "Sentimental Journey," and including "A Love That Will Last."

Wynton Marsalis is the Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC). Born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1961, Mr. Marsalis began his classical training on trumpet at age 12 and soon began playing in local bands of diverse genres.   He entered The Juilliard School in 1979 when he was 17 years old, joining Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers that same year. M arsalis made his recording debut as a leader in 1982, and has since recorded more than 30 jazz and classical recordings, which have won him nine Grammy Awards.   In 1983, he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz Grammys in the same year and repeated this feat in 1984.   In 1997, Mr. Marsalis became the first jazz artist to be awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize in music, for his oratorio Blood on the Fields, which was commissioned by JALC.   In 1999, he released eight new recordings in his unprecedented "Swinging into the 21st" series, and premiered several new compositions, including the ballet Them Twos , for a June 1999 collaboration with the New York City Ballet. That same year he premiered the monumental work All Rise , commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic along with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO) and the Morgan State University Choir. Mr. Marsalis signed to Blue Note Records in 2003, and his debut CD, a quartet recording entitled The Magic Hour, was released March 9, 2004.   Marsalis is also an internationally respected teacher and spokesman for music education, and has received honorary doctorates from dozens of universities and colleges throughout the U.S.   He conducts educational programs for students of all ages and hosts the popular Jazz for Young People SM concerts produced by JALC.   Marsalis has also been featured in the video series Marsalis on Music and the radio series Making the Music .   He has also written two books: Sweet Swing Blues on the Road in collaboration with photographer Frank Stewart, and recently released Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life with Carl Vigeland. On March 20, 2001, Mr. Marsalis was named a United Nations Messenger of Peace by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. He is helping to lead the effort to construct JALC's new home – Frederick P. Rose Hall – the first education, performance, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz, which will open in October of 2004.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is a not-for-profit arts organization dedicated to jazz. With the world-renowned Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education, and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children's concerts, lectures, adult education courses, film programs, and student and educator workshops. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis and President & CEO Hughlyn F. Fierce, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2003-04 season. Currently, Jazz at Lincoln Center is building its new home – Frederick P. Rose Hall – the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz, which will open in fall 2004.

JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER SPRING GALA LISTING INFORMATION
Producer: Jazz at Lincoln Center
Event: Teach Me Tonight - Spring Gala 2004
Hosted by CEDRIC the ENTERTAINER Featuring BOB DYLAN, JAMES TAYLOR, AL JARREAU, BRANFORD MARSALIS, the WYNTON MARSALIS SEPTET, RENEE OLSTEAD
Sponsored by Cadillac, JPMorgan Chase, Studley
Date/Time: Monday, June 7, 2004
Concert: 7:30pm at Apollo Theater
Dinner: 9:00pm in tent adjacent to the Apollo Theatre
Place: Apollo Theatre, 253 West 125th St., between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd. (7th) and Frederick Douglass Blvd. (8th)
Gala Tickets: $1000 and up; please call JALC Special Events at 212.258.9961
Sponsorship Lead corporate Co-Sponsors for the event are JPMorgan Chase, Studley.
Participating Sponsor is Cadillac.
Gala Co-Chairs: The Gala Co-Chairs are Ashley R. Schiff and Vicki Fuller.
Honorary Gala Co-Chairs are Mica and Ahmet Ertegun.