Featuring a Saturday night Jazz88 Winter Gala with a silent & live auction in support of KBEM-FM  88.5 and 12 Hours of Jazz on 5 Stages on Sunday at the Millennium Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis.

Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 31, 2005 - The Jazz88 Twin Cities Winter Jazz Fest returns to Downtown Minneapolis on Saturday and Sunday, March 12 and 13, 2005. On Saturday, March 12, the Jazz88 Winter Gala and silent & live auction will be held at the Millennium Hotel, located at 1313 Nicollet Mall, from 6:00 p.m. to Midnight. With live entertainment by pianist Chris Lomheim, funky sax man Dan Kusz and more, a host of valuable auction items and wine tastings, the event will benefit KBEM-FM 88.5 (Jazz88) and its efforts to keep jazz alive on Twin Cities radio. On Sunday, March 13, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., the festival features live music on five stages at the Millennium Hotel. Over 20 jazz, big band and world music artists will perform including jazz great Slide Hampton, vocalist Diane Witherspoon, the Artists' Quarter All Stars, the Dakota All Stars, the Cedar Avenue Big Band and much more.

Tickets for the Saturday night Jazz88 Winter Gala and silent & live auction are $25. Tickets for the Sunday festival are also $25. Winter Jazz Fest Madness Passes covering both Saturday and Sunday are available for $40 (available at the door only on Saturday night). Tickets for both days will be available at the door and through 'tctix' locations at all Marshall Field's stores.

The Millennium Hotel is offering special Jazz88 Twin Cities Winter Jazz Fest room and dinner packages by calling (612) 332-6000.

The entire Twin Cities jazz community has been generous in helping Jazz88 raise the funds necessary to provide the best programming possible. In that spirit, the Artists' Quarter, the Dakota Jazz Club and The Times Bar & Cafe and will hold fund raising events for Jazz88 for jazz fans who don't make it to the Millennium Hotel.

For more information about the Jazz88 Twin Cities Winter Jazz Fest, call (612) 668-1735 or log on to www.jazz88fm.com. Performance schedule follows. Twin Cities Winter Jazz Fest

2005 Performance Schedule (Schedule subject to change. More acts to be added. Visit www.jazz88fm.com)

Millennium Hotel 1313 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Saturday, March 12

6:00 p.m. - Midnight Jazz88 Winter Gala and Auction with live entertainment by Chris Lomheim (with special guests) (6:00 pm), Dan Kusz (9:00 pm) and more acts to be announced. Proceeds benefit KBEM-FM 88.5 (Jazz88). Jazz88 is a vital resource to the Twin Cities jazz community and needs your help due to budget cuts.

Sunday, March 13

• MAIN STAGE
  • 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm The Artists' Quarter All Stars
  • 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Slide Hampton
  • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Slide Hampton
  • 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm Diane Witherspoon
  • 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm The Dakota All Stars
• MILLENNIUM LOUNGE
  • 11:30 am - 12:30 pm Second Nature
  • 1:30 pm - 9:30 pm Twin Cities Vocalists Showcase - Hosted by Lucia Newell & Bruce A. Henry (Minnesota Jazz Vocal Coalition)
  • 10:00 pm - 11:00 pm Open Stage
• DOME - SUMMIT STAGE
  • 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Reuben Ristrom
  • 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Clay Moore
  • 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm Robert Bell
  • 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm Kent Saunders
• HORIZON STAGE
  • 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Triplicate
  • 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm Red Planet
  • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm TBA
• BIG BAND STAGE
  • Noon - 1:00 pm Minnetonka High School Jazz Ensemble
    Director - Miles Mortenson
  • 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Jazz on the Prairie Big Band
  • Eden Prairie Non Profit Community Jazz Orchestra
    Director - Don Bates
  • 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm University of Minnesota Jazz Ensemble I
    Director - Dean Sorenson
  • 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm Century Jazz Ensemble
  • In Residence at Century College, White Bear Lake
    Director - Larry Neumann
  • 6:30 pm - 7:40 pm Cedar Avenue Big Band
    Director - Steve Devich