SummerStage to Present Shuggie Otis, José James, Hiatus Kaiyote and DJ sets by OP! (I Love Vinyl), 8/4

On Sunday, August 11, SummerStage will present a free show with Shuggie Otis, José James, Hiatus Kaiyote and DJ sets by OP! (I Love Vinyl) at Central Park, Manhattan. Recommended arrival time is 1:30 p.m. Showtime is 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Shuggie Otis is a musician's musician, a reclusive genius from Los Angeles whose name has been spoken in reverential tones by his peers for more than four decades. After a long absence, Shuggie returns as a concert headliner with dates across North America in April 2013. Although an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, Shuggie is best known for writing "Strawberry Letter 23," a #5 Pop hit for The Brothers Johnson in 1977, and for his guitar playing with Al Kooper, Frank Zappa, Etta James, and Bobby "Blue" Bland, among many others. Under Shuggie's personal supervision, his highly-acclaimed third and final solo album, 1974's Inspiration Information, was released on April 16, along with "Wings of Love," his first new music since 1974.

Artist Website: http://www.shuggieotismusic.com/

José James is a trailblazer in the music world for his intoxicating blend of Jazz, Hip-Hop, R&B and Electronica. His new album NO BEGINNING NO END is a seamless musical experience that moves between different styles with remarkable fluidity, bound together by his transcendent voice. James is a musical omnivore who resists being pigeonholed, equally at ease on stage with Jazz legend McCoy Tyner as he is in the studio with Electronica pioneer Flying Lotus. The New York Times recently wrote that "James's cool and confident new album sounds like the result of the black-pop continuum, jazz and soul and Hip-Hop and R&B, slow-cooked for more than 50 years." NPR marvelled at how he "skirts categories with ease, fitting in with current R&B innovators like Frank Ocean or Miguel, yet maintaining a strong awareness of a lineage that stretches from Ray Charles to Marvin Gaye to Lou Rawls to Maxwell."

Artist Website: http://www.josejamesmusic.com

Based in Melbourne, Australia, Hiatus Kaiyote consists of a four-piece band that fuses Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop and Electronic beats along with flavors of Latin, Jazz and Opera, all presented with a cinematic sheen. The band formed in mid-2011, and ever since, they have been racking up accolades, including Breakthrough Artist Of The Year at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards, and album of the week on Peterson's radio show on BBC Music 6. Led by enigmatic songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Nai Palm, Hiatus Kaiyote has created intricate compositions, rich with color and mystery, both of this world and of worlds unseen. Their debut release, TAWK TOMAHAWK, showcases the breadth of the band's expertise as musicians and attention to detail in the complex arrangements. Ultimately, through the musicians' symbiosis, they have created an innovative and rare sound, unique in every way.

Artist Website: http://hiatuskaiyote.bandcamp.com/

Known in NYC and around the globe as a purveyor of all things soulful, OP! (I Love Vinyl) is a talented DJ and tastemaker who can hang on just about any dance floor. From Hip-Hop, House, and Classics to Future Soul, UK Funky and South African House, OP! can finesse them all, adopting musical diversity and focusing it into a beautifully cohesive vibe. OP! has been instrumental in shining a light on underground and global soul, and continues to champion its relevance on the world stage.

Artist Website: http://www.ilovevinyl.org

ABOUT CITY PARKS FOUNDATION:

City Parks Foundation (CPF) is the only independent, nonprofit organization to offer park programs throughout the five boroughs of New York City. We work in over 750 parks citywide, presenting a broad range of free arts, sports, and education programs, and empowering citizens to support their parks on a local level. Our programs and community building initiatives reach more than 600,000 people each year, contributing to the revitalization of neighborhoods throughout New York City.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

SummerStage reminds our patrons that in the interest of public safety the following items cannot be brought into the Central Park venue: glass bottles, cans, coolers, folding chairs, bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, beach umbrellas, video cameras, tape recorders, professional camera gear or pets. All bags are subject to search. Bringing alcoholic beverages into any NYC park is forbidden and the distribution or sale of unauthorized promotional materials is not allowed. Beer and wine are on sale at the Central Park venue for on­site consumption only.

SUMMERSTAGE SPONSORS:

The 2013 SummerStage festival is presented by AT&T.

Time Warner, Blue Point, Ommegang, Six Point, Chipotle, Disney, JWT, Bloomberg, ConEd, JPMorgan Chase, Forest City Ratner, and City Winery are also official SummerStage Sponsors.

Additional funding is generously provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies; The Harkness Foundation for Dance; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; J.E. & Z.B. Butler Foundation; New York Community Trust Program for Performing Arts Groups; The Norman E. Alexander Family M Foundation; The Shubert Foundation; New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; New York State Council on the Arts; National Endowment for the Arts, through the Access to Artistic Excellence program; NYC Council Member Rosie Mendez; NYC Council Member Joel Rivera; and NYC Council Member Debi Rose.

Media sponsors include:

Time Out New York, Metro, Relix, El Especial & El Especialito, Zoom Media & Marketing, WNYC, WFUV, WBGO, NBC New York, Big Screen Project, Fusicology, UPlanMe, Challenge Post, Noisemaker Media, and Globe Star Media and Entertainment.

In all of its programming and activities, City Parks Foundation partners with the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation to improve neighborhood parks and the communities they serve.

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