NEW YORK, N.Y – Some of the world’s most sought after musicians, including Soul diva Patti LaBelle, Air Supply and James Ingram, will join top Caribbean-born acts like Shaggy, Morgan Heritage and the Mighty Sparrow, for the annual Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival next month.
The three-day festival will get underway at the Rose Hall Resort and Country Club in Montego Bay, Jamaica from Thursday, January 26 through Saturday January 28 and promises to be a special treat for ticket holders.
The entire line-up reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ list, a feat for any jazz festival promoter the world over. Apart from LaBelle, who’s known for classics like “On My Own,” and Air Supply and Ingram, who popularized ‘Power Of Love,’ and ‘I Don’t Have The Heart,’ respectively, other top international performers include gospel singer Rev. Al Green, influential rock guitarist Bo Diddley, master flutist and composer Nestor Torres and the Reunion Jazz Quartet.
But the festival will not be limited to just veterans of the jazz and blues genre. New artists who have made headlines recently including KEM, who recently topped the charts for seven weeks in a row with ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You;’ celebrated singer/songwriter/producer, Chester “Lyfe” Jennings, who last year released his ‘Lyfe 268-192,’ album on Sony Records and Nicole Miller, who last year released her jazz album, ‘The Nearness of You,’ will also perform.
And some of the region’s best-known artists will perform alongside them. On opening night, Thursday January 26, internationally known reggae artist ‘Mr. Boombastic’ Shaggy along with the popular group, Morgan Heritage, will perform along with Jennings, Torres and Legend.
On Friday night, Richie Stephens, who has been called one of reggae’s most versatile personalities, will perform along with the international cast of Rev. Green, Air Supply, Henry and Diddley. Maxi Priest along with KEM, LaBelle, Ingram and the Reunion Jazz Quartet will heat things up on Saturday night, the finale, along with other top calypso and reggae artists who will pay tribute to Soca icon, Byron Lee, who many call the Dragon.
Sparrow, Arrow of ‘Hot, Hot, Hot,’ fame, the Merry Men, Marcia Griffiths, Ken Lazarus, Keith Lyn and Pluto, are just some of the regional acts who have worked with Lee over the half-a-century and who will gather to pay tribute to this musical genius.
An event pass for the three-day festival costs US$160 while individual ticket prices range from US$50 for the Thursday night performance, $55 for Friday night and $60 for the final tribute night, Sat. Jan. 28.
Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is a Turn Key Productions and has been running continuously for the past ten years. Sponsors include Air Jamaica, Jamaica Tourist Board, American Express, Digicel, Rose Hall Resort & Country Club, NCB Bank of Jamaica, Half-Moon Resort, Coral Cliff hotel, Holiday Inn, Jampro, Heineken beer, Supreme Ventures, AnBell and PanCaribbean.
For JazzFest packages call Air Jamaica vacations at 1-800-LOVEBIRD or for more information, log on to: www.airjamaicajazzandblues.com.
Tickets will be available at the venue or through your favorite travel agent.
