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The 13th Litchfield Jazz Festival brings out the best, August 1, 2, 3 |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Saturday, 05 July 2008 |
 Paquito D'Rivera © Andrea Canter
Paquito D'Rivera, Cuban-born composer and musician, has received many awards including 9 Grammy Awards; the National Medal for the Arts; the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award; a Fellowship in Music Composition by the Guggenheim Foundation; and a Living Jazz Legend Award at the Kennedy Center and the National Hispanic Academy of Media Arts and Sciences paid tribute to Paquito for his "outstanding body of work."
With over 30 albums in jazz and Latin music, he is the first artist to win Latin Grammys in both Classical and Latin Jazz categories. In his passion to bring a Latin repertoire to greater prominence, he created, championed and promoted all types of classical compositions, including three chamber works recorded live in concert with Yo-Yo Ma at Carnegie Hall in 2003. He is the artist in residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and Arts for 2007-2008. A gifted author, Mr. D'Rivera has two books in print, My Sax Life, and Oh, La Habana both published originally in Spain.
Mr. D’Rivera will be performing with the Zaccai Curtis Trio. Pianist Zaccai Curtis is a graduate of New England Conservatory. He is a talented composer who received the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers Award in from 2003 to 2006 and was awarded the CT Commission on Culture and Tourism’s Artist Fellowship for original composition in 2007.
 Dave Brubeck © the Milken Family Foundation
Over the span of his career, Mr. Brubeck, who is now 87 years old, has played with the likes of Cal Tjader, Ron Crotty, Paul Desmond, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Rushing, Carmen McRae, Roy Hargrove, and many more. Beyond the jazz world, he has collaborated with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic and with the Murray Louis Dance Company on an international tour.
Brubeck has received numerous awards, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, induction into thePantheon of the Arts at the University of the Pacific and the International Jazz Hall of Fame, Down Beat Hallof Fame, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, the National Medal of the Arts, the NEA Jazz Masters Award, the Connecticut Arts Award, he was designated a Living Legend of Jazz (2007), and he holds six honorary doctorate degrees.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet is Dave Brubeck on piano, Bobby Militello on alto sax and flute, Michael Moore on bass, and Randy Jones on drums. This is Mr. Brubeck’s third appearance at The Litchfield Jazz Festival.
 Cyrus Chestnut
As Cyrus was absorbing experiences as a sideman, he was also developing as a leader, recording and playing live around the world. To date he has fourteen albums as a leader including the 1998 release, Cyrus Chestnut (Atlantic), the 2000 release of the A Charlie Brown Christmas (Atlantic), the 2001 release of Soul Food, (Down Beat’s “best records of 2001”), and his most recent, the 2007 release of Cyrus Plays Elvis (KOCH International Jazz). His leadership and prowess as a soloist has led him to be a first call pianist in big bands including the Dizzy Gillespie Alumni All Star Big Band, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra.
Chestnut continually tours with his trio, playing live at jazz festivals around the world as well as clubs and concert halls. Cyrus is also a jazz educator teaching seminars worldwide and also occasionally teaching jazz at Middlebury College in Vermont. Cyrus Chestnut’s trio is Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Litchfield Jazz Camp alumnus, Dezron Douglas on bass and Litchfield Jazz Camp teaching artist Neal Smith on drums.
2008 Litchfield Jazz Festival Line-up Bebe Neuwirth
Friday, August 1st - 5:30-7pm Friends of the Festival Gala - at Winvian Resort & Spa
- 7:45 pm Paquito D’Rivera with Zaccai Curtis Trio
- 9:15 pm Bebe Neuwirth
Saturday, August 2nd - noon Winard Harper Sextet
- 1:45 pm Nicole Zuraitis Quartet
- 3:30 pm Kenny Werner Trio
- 5:15 pm Wayne Shorter Tribute Big Band led by David Weiss
- 7:00 pm Dave Brubeck Quartet
- 8:45 pm Conrad Herwig’s Latin Side of Miles & ‘Trane
- After Party & Open Jam, Immediately Follows at the Heritage Hotel, Southbury, CT
Sunday, August 3rd - noon Claire Daly’s "Rah! Rah!" Band
- 1:30 pm Peter Madsen Trio
- 3:15 pm Jimmy Greene Quartet
- 5:00 pm Cyrus Chestnut Trio
- 6:45 pm John Pizzarelli, Dear Mr. Sinatra with Orchestra
For details visit www.litchfieldjazzfest.com
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 Monday, 01 December 2008
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