Widely acknowledged as one of the great figures in music of the late 20th century, Braxton's work as a saxophonist and composer has broken new conceptual and technical ground in the jazz and experimental musical traditions as defined by legends such as John Coltrane, Paul Desmond and Ornette Coleman, by he and his own peers in the historic Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) in Chicago, and by composers such as Charles Ives, John Cage, Arnold Schoenberg, and Karlheinz Stockhausen. His recordings and writings have received critical praise and span four decades. His past collaborators include Leo Smith, Dave Holland, Chick Corea, George Lewis, Max Roach, Hank Jones, Marilyn Crispell and Mark Dresser.

JOHN LEE HOOKER, JR. TO HEADLINE 2005 KC MUSIC BLUES AND JAZZ FESTIVAL KANSAS CITY, KS. – Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival organizers have announced that John Lee Hooker, Jr. will headline this much anticipated show, Sept. 3-4 at the Woodlands Horse Track in Kansas City, KS.

Hooker, Jr., a favorite among blues and jazz enthusiasts, will kick-off the Labor Day weekend with a performance on Saturday, Sept. 3. The show starts at noon with eleven acts leading up to the second-generation blues legend. Festival doors open at 11 a.m. and more than 24 musical artists are scheduled to appear during the two-day event. This is the first time the Woodlands has provided their facility for such an entertainment venue. “John Lee Hooker, Jr. is tearing up the big festival circuit this summer,” says Mark Valentine, Kansas City Music Blues and Jazz Festival founder. “He’s hot. He’s been touring Europe, California, Colorado and now Kansas City -- big names like his make for a big show.”

Seattle's major annual jazz festival, now in its 17th year, is presented by the non-profit jazz-support organization, Earshot Jazz. The festival brings important musicians from around the world and presents Seattle's finest jazz artists in a world-class festival setting. Festival programs also include a jazz film series, jazz poetry events, photo exhibits, and educational events.

Some of the featured artists this year include: trumpeters Dave Douglas and Wallace Roney, pianists Bill Charlap and Robert Glasper, one-of-a-kind vocalists Patricia Barber and Mose Allison, new Cuban artists Omar Sosa and Dafnis Prieto, Brazilian vocalists Luciana Sousa and Virginia Rodrigues, and NEA Jazz Master Gerald Wilson. Wilson will be in residence with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. More than 40 concerts are planned. Many more artists and events will be announced, with updates on www.earshotjazz.org.

Festival-goers will again enjoy what makes Satchmo SummerFest so special - free jazz performances, delicious local cuisine in Red Bean Alley, educating seminars, children's activities, art exhibits, a "Satchmo Club Strut," a very special evening concert, a Jazz Mass and authentic second-line parade, and much more. With so many festivities planned, it's no wonder why Satchmo SummerFest has quickly become a summertime favorite and one of the Southeast Tourism Society's Top 20 Events. All events held at the Louisiana State Museum's Old U.S. Mint are free and open to the public.

Four outdoor stages on the grounds of the Mint will highlight traditional and contemporary jazz, funky New Orleans brass band music, and performances geared for kids. Traditional jazz performers this year include Armstrong protégé Chris Clifton, Kermit Ruffins, Dr. Michael White, Papa Henry Butler and Banu Gibson. New Orleans legend Ellis Marsalis, jazz innovator Donald Harrison Jr., Philip Manuel, Troy Andrews, and New Orleans Jazz Vipers will be featured on the contemporary stage, and the Brass Band Stage will display the horns of ReBirth Brass Band, Andrew Hall’s Society Brass Band, Pinettes Brass Band, Lil’ Rascals Brass Band and Tremé Brass Band, promising a real blow-out.

The free four-day seminar series includes discussions about the life of Louis Armstrong, and will feature many fascinating speakers: Ellis Marsalis, Jr., as keynote speaker; George Avakian, Armstrong’s producer at Columbia Records in the 1950s and '60s; Michael Cogswell, director of the Louis Armstrong House and Archives, Queens College, NY; John Edward Hasse, Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.; Dan Morgenstern, Curator of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University; and Michael “Mr. Jazz” Gourrier.

The event, which runs September 3-4 at the Woodlands Horse Track, will showcase 24 stellar musical acts over two days. Show organizers are prepped fill the facility's 30, 000 seats and say it's the first time the venue has hosted an event of this magnitude.

"We're really 'jazzed' to be at the Woodlands for this festival, " says Mark Valentine, event founder and himself a professional musician. "It's never been offered for an event like this, and yet it's the perfect venue for blues and jazz lovers."