Asian Jazz Night Highlights The 2005 Houston International Jazz Festival

For Immediate Release

Contact: Tracy Scott or Sheldon T. Nunn
Ph: (713) 839-7000 or (281) 773-9346

Houston, Texas - The Houston International Jazz Festival kicks-off its 15th year with three days of exceptional entertainment at Bayou Place and the Verizon Wireless Theater. The event begins its international focus with Asian Jazz Night on August 5th featuring Hiroshima. On August 6th, a titillating night of Latin Jazz serves as the second international component with Tito Puente, Jr. along with local vocal sensation Norma Zenteno and her band. To close-out the Festival on August 7th, an evening of exhilarating Smooth Jazz is the highlight. "Guitars & Saxes" rolls into Houston on the heels of Mindi Abair, Jeff Golub, Warren Hill and Wayman Tisdale to create an atmosphere of highly charged jazz entertainment. These headliners along with the Summer Jazz Workshop and any number of local and national bands will culminate 15 years of excellence as one of the finest festivals of its kind anywhere.

The Summer Jazz Workshop serves as the primary beneficiary of the Houston International Jazz Festival. The Workshop is a 5-week intensive youth-oriented educational program that focuses upon the music business and jazz fundamentals in a structured classroom setting. Under the auspices of Jazz Education, Inc., a non-profit organization, the program has other implications for participating students. At the end of the Workshop, participating students also perform in the festival. They are just one of the featured acts during the three-days of activities.

The Asian Jazz portion of the Festival is in its first year. In previous years, Latin Jazz Night has been the international highlight of the Festival. Celia Cruz, La India, Arturo Sandoval and Poncho Sanchez have been featured artists just to name a few.

Although the Houston International Jazz Festival is in its 15th year, Asian Jazz has now become another component. Two years ago in 2003, Latin Night was introduced as a major international highlight. This event is funded in part by grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, Time Warner Cable, ABC-13 KTRK-TV, The Houston Chronicle, Clear Channel Entertainment, KTSU 90.9 FM, Kroger, Univision, KHJZ 95.7 FM and The Hilton Americas, the official hotel.

All proceeds from the Houston International Jazz Festival benefit Jazz Education, Inc. Additional information is available upon request. www.jazzed@jazzeducation.org">www.jazzed@jazzeducation.org”>www.jazzed@jazzeducation.org