New Orleans, LA (December 15, 2009)—The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell today announced the music lineup for the star-studded 2010 Festival scheduled for April 23-25 & April 29-May 2. Now entering its fifth decade, Jazz Fest continues to showcase the most important names in music alongside Louisiana’s favorite entertainers. A true heritage festival, Jazz Fest stands alone in presenting the highest caliber artists in such varied genres as gospel, blues, traditional and contemporary jazz, rock, R&B, Cajun, country, zydeco and much more.
Some of the many highlights of the 41st edition of the Jazz & Heritage Festival include Pearl Jam’s Jazz Fest debut, Aretha Franklin’s much-anticipated return, Louis Prima’s 100th anniversary celebration featuring Keely Smith, along with one major artist to be added to the lineup soon. First-time Festival appearances by My Morning Jacket, Anita Baker, Jeff Beck, Gipsy Kings, The Dead Weather, The Levon Helm Band, Drake, Johnny Lang and others are also set. Returning Fest favorites for 2010 include Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Allman Brothers Band, Widespread Panic, The Black Crowes, and B.B. King. Of course, legendary local Louisiana artists such as the Neville Brothers, Irma Thomas, Pete Fountain, Dr. John, Galactic, Juvenile & DJ Mannie Fresh, Trombone Shorty, Dixie Cups, Buckwheat Zydeco, Zion Harmonizers, Better Than Ezra, The Radiators and hundreds more round out the “Only at Jazz Fest” schedule:
The Neville Brothers, Pearl Jam, Artist TBA, Aretha Franklin, Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Allman Brothers Band, Anita Baker, My Morning Jacket, Widespread Panic, Imagination Movers, B.B. King, Jeff Beck, Darius Rucker, Irma Thomas, Gipsy Kings, The Dead Weather, Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes, The Black Crowes, Drake, Teena Marie, Keely Smith, Johnny Lang, Allen Toussaint, Band of Horses, Jose Feliciano, The Levon Helm Band, Baaba Maal, George Clinton & Parliament / Funkadelic, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Average White Band, Dr. John, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Pete Fountain, Kirk Franklin, Steel Pulse, Wayne Shorter Quartet, Gov’t Mule, Clarence Carter, Juvenile & DJ Mannie Fresh, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats, Ledisi, Take Six, Derek Trucks & Susan Tedeschi Band, Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Marcia Ball, Galactic, Sax for Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Jeff Lorber, and Kirk Whalum, Gil Scott Heron, Shawn Colvin, Old Crow Medicine Show, Richie Havens, Pastor Smokie Norful, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Elvin Bishop, The Radiators, Chocolate Milk, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Cowboy Mouth, funky Meters, Anders Osborne, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Rebirth Brass Band, Blues Traveler, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Martin Sexton, Bernard Allison, Tye Tribbett, Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke Band feat. Hiromi, Campbell Brothers, Better Than Ezra, Sam Bush, Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars, Voice of the Wetlands Allstars, Joe Lovano Us Five, Ruthie Foster, Jimmy Johnson, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, Sonny Landreth, Preservation Hall Jazz Band with special guests, Dala, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, Dee Dee Bridgewater – A Celebration of Lady Day, Davell Crawford & One Foot in the Blues w/ special guests Jon Cleary and Dr. John, Tributes To Louis Prima feat. Louis Prima, Jr, Lena Prima, and Bobby Lonero, Jewel Brown and the Heritage Hall Band, Selvy Singers of Arkansas, The Inspirational Souls of Chicago, Aaron Neville, and hundreds more are scheduled to appear at the event.
(Click here for the complete weekend by weekend schedule)
“Jazz Fest continues to expand its cultural horizons and its embrace of our diverse musical family,” said Quint Davis, producer/director of Jazz Fest. “This year’s Festival is as deep and broad as any we have ever presented. Musically, it is one of our very favorites.”
Randy Philips, president & CEO, AEG Live, which co-produces the Festival said, “Once again, Jazz Fest will be one of the most highly anticipated music and cultural events of 2010. AEG Live is proud to play a major part in the production of this world-class Festival.”
The Jazz Festival offers three distinct VIP opportunities to experience the event in style: the Festival’s popular Big Chief VIP Experience ticket package provides special viewing access at most of the Festival’s stages; the Grand Marshal VIP Pass allows for up-close access at the three major stages; and the Krewe of Jazz Fest VIP Pass which entitles patrons to special covered seating at the Acura Stage audience area only. All of the hugely popular VIP packages are on sale now while very limited supplies last. (See attachments for details.) The Festival offers a special layaway arrangement for any of the VIP packages. For information on layaway, please visit www.nojazzfest.com.
Tickets for the Festival, which takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course, went on sale today. A limited number of discount ticket packages including tickets to each day of a particular weekend of the Festival will be offered. Ticket packages purchased for all three days of the first weekend (April 23, 24 & 25) will be $120 ($40 per day), while second weekend packages purchased for all four festival days (April 29, 30, May 1, & 2) will be $160 ($40 per day). (Tickets included in each package are day-specific.) Advance single day Jazz Fest tickets are only $45; the gate price is $60. Children’s tickets (ages 2 – 10) are still only $5 and are available at the gate only. Single day tickets to Jazz Fest are on sale by specific weekend, with each ticket valid for a single day’s attendance.
Tickets are available at www.nojazzfest.com and www.ticketmaster.com, at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling (800) 745-3000. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Jazz Fest ticket office located at the New Orleans Arena Box Office or the Louisiana Superdome Box Office (Gate A, Ground Level). All Jazz Fest tickets are subject to additional service fees and handling charges.
A listing of hotels offering special Jazz Fest rates is posted at www.nojazzfest.com, where patrons can effortlessly reserve their hotel rooms for the event. Festivalgoers can peruse room availability and book their accommodations early taking advantage of some of the best prices offered at participating hotels.
Shell is the Presenting Sponsor of the Festival. Acura, Peoples Health, Miller Lite, Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots (A Churchill Downs Company), Pepsi, Bing, Rajen Kilachand, Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, Zatarain’s and St. Charles Vision are all also official Jazz Fest sponsors.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that owns the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The Foundation uses the proceeds from Jazz Fest for year-round activities in the areas of education, economic development and cultural events. Education programs include the Don “Moose” Jamison Heritage School of Music and the Tom Dent Congo Square Lecture Series. Economic Development initiatives include the Community Partnership Grants, the Raisin’ the Roof housing program, the Sync Up conference and the Jazz & Heritage Talent Exchange web site. Cultural events include the Jazz Journey concert series and free community festivals: the Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival, Fiesta Latina, the Congo Square Rhythms Festival, the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival and the Tremé Creole Gumbo Festival. The Foundation also owns radio station WWOZ 90.7-FM, the Jazz & Heritage Archive, the Jazz & Heritage Gallery and the Jazz & Heritage Center. The Jazz & Heritage Gala raises funds for Foundation programming with a black-tie event to start the Jazz Fest season on Thursday, April 22. For more information, please call the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation at (504) 558-6100 or visit www.jazzandheritage.org.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell is a co-production of Festival Productions Louisiana, LLC. (a wholly owned subsidiary of Festival Productions, Inc.-New Orleans) and AEG Louisiana Production, LLC.(a subsidiary of AEG Live).
