(New York, NY) December 20, 2004 - Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola -- located in The House of Swing, Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall – will feature Holiday Jazz with The Cyrus Chestnut Trio and special guest Donald Harrison (alto saxophone) December 21-26. Every night will be a spirituals-to-swing holiday with Cyrus Chestnut's joyous jazz jamboree featuring Donald Harrison's Mardi Gras hard bop explosions.

Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Additional set on Friday & Saturday at 11pm.

Soulful. Sweet. Serious. These are common words used when describing a ‘live' performance by pianist Cyrus Chestnut. The musician is made up of one part mystic, one part purveyor of joy and one part musical wonder, giving audiences of all ages, from all walks of life, something precious to connect with.

"Whether on stage or in the studio Cyrus Chestnut always delivers a ‘resonant lyricism and swinging, bluesy swagger." -NPR

Chestnut first studied piano with his father at the age of five, and by the age of nine he was already enrolled in the prep program at the Peabody Institute. Upon graduation from Berklee, Chestnut started working with several musicians occupying seats in the upper echelons of jazz, including Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison (who appears with him at Dizzy's). Chestnut recorded his first solo CD at the age of 30, with his latest being You Are My Sunshine. He explains the music on this recording as his, "attempt to dig deep into the spiritual force that drives music."

About his engagement at Dizzy's, Chestnut states, "I am elated to perform in a place that represents a new home for jazz in New York as well as the world. A place that carries Dizzy Gillespie's name will be a place where jazz in its many forms can and will hopefully be heard. Voices of old and voices of new will have a forum to share musical ideas." Chestnut continues, "This program will contain music of old as well as music of new. This means music from all of my albums and especially brand new music. I am currently working side by side on a full program of gospel music as well as a full program of the music of Fats Waller." He adds, "I most importantly am moved by the spirit of the moment so anything can and will happen. What I do hope is that for all who come to have a great time and leave feeling better than when they arrived."

Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola offers spectacular views and serves a jazz inspired menu seven days a week through the collaboration between Great Performances and Spoonbread culinary creators. Reservations can be made at 212-258-9595 or via the Jazz at Lincoln Center web site http://www.jalc.org.

Monday, December 20: UPSTARTS! STUDENT SHOWCASE
• 7:30PM: Juilliard Jazz Ensemble (doors open at 6pm)
• 9:30PM: Ali Jackson Trio (doors open at 9pm)

"I've been fortunate to work with talented students, but never this many at one time. When the big band performed at Dizzy's, we were playing Dizzy's music, serious, but entertaining, like Umbrella Man. That tells you about the level of the students." – Victor Goines, Juilliard Jazz – Artistic Director, on UPSTARTS!

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, December 21-25 After Hours: John Hicks and Curtis Lundy Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am

Since relocating to New York City from St Louis more than 30 years ago, John Hicks is so firmly established among the most in-demand, prolific jazz pianists and composers on the recording and live appearance scenes, critics seem to have permanently affixed the adjective "ubiquitous" to his name. As a leader or first-call sideman, playing inside the chord changes or outside, presenting sparkling ballads or burning up the keyboard at torrid tempos, Hicks is as versatile as he is omnipresent. Bassist Curtis Lundy has performed and/or recorded with a who's who of jazz, including The George Coleman Octet, Charlie Persip's big band, Louis Hayes, Sam Rivers, Dameronia, Betty Carter, Kenny Washington, John Hicks, Geri Allen, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Art Blakey, Johnny Griffin, Freddie Hubbard, Pharoah Sanders and many others. Lundy is also a bandleader, co-leading Against All Odds with saxophonist Bobby Watson.

Come celebrate John Hicks' 63rd birthday at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on December 21st.

****NEXT WEEK AT DIZZY'S CLUB Coca-Cola****

Swing In The New Year At Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola
With Two Distinctive Sets Featuring
The Cyrus Chestnut Trio & Special Guests

• 1st Set 8:15-9:30pm - $95 — includes three-course meal (plus tax and gratuity)
• 2nd Set 10pm - $155 — includes three-course meal plus champagne toast (plus tax and gratuity

Come out to celebrate New Year's Eve at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola with two special programs of music led by pianist Cyrus Chestnut and his trio, featuring alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, trumpeter Marcus Printup, and other special guests. Doors will open at 7pm to kick off the first set of music from 8:15pm to 9:30pm. Then at 10pm, the second set will be seated, music beginning at 11pm. Each set will include a three-course meal, with a champagne toast included in the 10pm set. At 11pm Cyrus Chestnut's New Year's Eve performance at Dizzy's will be part of Toast of the Nation, to be broadcast on NPR (on more than 100 stations) and WBGO Jazz 88.3.

Tuesday, December 28 through Sunday, January 2:
Cyrus Chestnut Trio with Frank Morgan & Marcus Printup

Two full artist sets at 7:30pm & 9:30pm. Additional set on Friday & Saturday at 11pm.

This week pianist Cyrus Chestnut is joined by Frank Morgan on alto saxophone and Marcus Printup on trumpet. Morgan, one of the living masters of bebop and ballads, is a poll-winning musician and a protégé of the legendary Charlie Parker. Frank Morgan's story is one of overcoming adversity. Following his mid-80's comeback from three decades of drug addiction and prison, the saxophonist was showered with mainstream media attention rare for a jazz musician (including a Jane Pauley primetime special). Morgan's latest recording is City Nights, recorded live over Thanksgiving weekend in 2003 at the Jazz Standard for High Note Records. The CD spent seven weeks in the Top Ten on the JazzWeek radio charts. Marcus Printup was born on January 24, 1967, and raised in Conyers, Georgia, where his first musical influences were the spirituals and gospel music he heard in church. He discovered jazz as a senior in high school, and while attending the University of North Florida, he won the International Trumpet Guild Competition. In 1991, Mr. Printup met and began touring with pianist Marcus Roberts, who introduced him to Wynton Marsalis. Mr. Printup has performed and/or recorded with Dr. Billy Taylor and Betty Carter, Carl Allen, Dianne Reeves, and Mr. Roberts, among others. Currently, Mr. Printup tours and performs regularly with the LCJO and his own band. He has recorded four solo albums, Songs for the Beautiful Woman, Unveiled, Hub Songs with trumpeter Tim Hagans, and most recently, Nocturnal Traces. Printup made his screen debut in the 1999 movie Playing by Heart and also recorded on the film's soundtrack.

AFTER HOURS SETS
Tuesday-Saturday, December 28-January 1
John Hicks (piano) and Curtis Lundy (bass).

Tuesday-Thursday set starts at 11pm; Friday & Saturday set starts at 12:30am.

Monday, December 27 and Monday January 3: UPSTARTS! STUDENT SHOWCASE
7:30 and 9:30pm: Ali Jackson Trio & Friends – Holiday Jam Session

A Dizzy Atmosphere
Last week, with the Marcus Roberts Trio performing at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, there was another special night of swingin' with the stars. During the second set on Thursday night, from the stage, Marcus called up audience members Wynton Marsalis and Harry Connick Jr. (who learned to play piano from Wynton's dad, Ellis Marsalis). Jason Marsalis was on drums. It was a good ol' New Orleans get-together. They also played Happy Birthday to Cicely Tyson, who was in the crowd. Earlier in the week, Kevin Spacey dropped in after performing his concert in the neighboring Rose Theater. Additionally, the NBC news program Extra! filmed an interview with trumpeter Chris Botti in the club that aired nationally on Friday night.

You never know who's going to show up at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola.

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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 Julliard 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, President & CEO Hughlyn F. Fierce, Executive Director Derek E. Gordon, Chairman of the Board Lisa Schiff and Jazz at Lincoln Center Board and staff, Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce hundreds of events during its 2004-05 season. This is the inaugural season in Jazz at Lincoln Center's new home — Frederick P. Rose Hall — the first-ever performance, education, and broadcast facility devoted to jazz.  

For more information on Jazz at Lincoln Center, please visit www.jalc.org.