HSBC Jazz Festival Announces Performers for NOKIA Theatre Times Square, 3/25-3/28

THE HSBC JAZZ FESTIVAL
March 25, 27, & 28, 2010

The NOKIA Theatre Times Square
http://www.smoothjazznewyork.com/events/67-HSBC-Jazz-Festival

SPYRO GYRA & JONATHAN BUTLER
March 25, 8:00PM
http://www.smoothjazznewyork.com/events/68-Spyro-Gyra-Jonathan-Butler

We're kicking off The HSBC Jazz Festival with two acts that are sure to keep you coming back for more! These high energy, highly talented artists put on a live show like you've never seen before, and for the first time ever you can see them both on one night, on one stage! Get ready for a night of jazz that will keep the town buzzing for months to come and this is only the beginning.

SPYRO GYRA

For more than three decades, Spyro Gyra has maintained the well-deserved reputation as a viable and highly versatile creative force. Since their earliest recordings in the mid 1970s, they have taken a fresh approach to their craft by borrowing from a range of sources and distilling them into an unmistakable Signature Sound.

This innovative and eclectic sensibility has earned the band 10 GRAMMY nominations overall, and has fueled the sale of 11 million records -- including one platinum and two gold records. In the midst of the achievements and accolades, Spyro Gyra keeps moving and grooving, having logged over 5,000 high-energy performances in their prestigious and prolific career.

JONATHAN BUTLER

Jonathan Butler has led a life few could imagine. Born under the shadow of South African apartheid and raised in poverty, Butler while still in his teens, became the first non-white artist to be played on white mainstream radio and appear on national South African television. Nelson Mandela credits Butler's music as having inspired him during his long days of imprisonment.

He has three decades of international acclaim and has topped the Billboard charts with Contemporary Jazz, R&B, and Gospel albums. His live performances are legendary - captivating and heart stirring.

March 25 - PURCHASE TICKETS:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000443DBE6A5CD2?artistid=737861&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=4

Al Jarreau & CHRISTIAN SCOTT
March 27, 8:00PM
http://www.smoothjazznewyork.com/events/69-Al-Jarreau-Christian-Scott
Witness one of jazz's greatest artists and discover a jazz legend in the making. Come see how the genre has evolved over the years as we bring together the classic vocals of jazz great Al Jarreau with the new, fresh sounds of budding trumPeter Christian Scott.

Al Jarreau

Al Jarreau's distinctive voice has enthralled fans for more than 30 years. His passion, emotional honesty and astonishing sound have contributed mightily to the popularity jazz vocals enjoy today. Perhaps more than any popular vocalist, he embodies the notion of the voice as a pure instrument. Recognized with 6 GRAMMY Awards, he is the only vocalist in history to net GRAMMY Awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively). Jarreau is considered by many to be the greatest jazz singer alive.

CHRISTIAN SCOTT

Twenty six year old, New Orleans native, Christian Scott is a GEAMMY nominated jazz trumpeter, composer and producer. He has been heralded by JazzTimes magazine as "the Architect of a new commercially viable fusion" and "Jazz's young style God." NPR stated "Christian Scott Ushers in New Era of Jazz." Billboard Magazine callEd Scott's major label debut, Rewind That "arguably the most remarkable premiere the genre has seen in the last decade." The magazine highlighTEd Scott as one of the "10 Faces to Watch in 2006" and featured him on its cover twice that year. His critically acclaimed first album earned him the GRAMMY nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album in 2006.

March 27 - PURCHASE TICKETS:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/00004442AD98AC2B?artistid=734054&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=4

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Patti Austin & TUCK AND PATTI
March 28, 7:30PM
http://www.smoothjazznewyork.com/events/70-Patti-Austin-Tuck-and-Patti

Rounding out a momentous weekend of jazz are two phenomenal acts that are sure to bring the house down. Don't miss the finale of The HSBC Jazz Festival with performances by GRAMMY-Award winning vocalist Patti Austin and power duo Tuck & Patti!

Patti Austin

Native New Yorker Patti Austin made her professional debut at the Apollo Theater when she was 5 years old. Quincy Jones and Dinah Washington have proclaimed themselves her Godparents. She's had over twenty songs on the Billboard charts. She has sung duets with George Benson, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, and in 2008 won the GRAMMY for Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

TUCK AND PATTI

If ever a musical pair embodied the term "simpatico" it would be guitarist Tuck Andress and singer Patti Cathcart. More than 20 years into their marriage and musical partnership, Tuck & Patti continue to make beautiful and impressive music together while nicely preserving the art of minimalism. Tuck & Patti aren't your ordinary duet team, however. Patti Cathcart has one of the warmest, richest voices in jazz. Her honey-toned, nimble vocals are matched by her partner and husband Tuck Andress' guitar artistry. With his technique of plucking, strumming and slapping the strings, often with both hands, he makes the guitar sound like several people playing together, not just one.

March 28 - PURCHASE TICKETS:
http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/0000443ED7BB5816?artistid=734472&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=202