Legendary Producer & Composer Quincy Jones To Headline14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival in October

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Legendary producer & composer Quincy Jones (or “Q” as he has come to be known amongst fans and friends alike) and boxing–turned–entertainment promoter Rock Newman today unveiled the growing group of award-winning musicians that will assemble to perform with Quincy for one weekend only at the 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival.

“Quincy Jones and Friends” will be staged over three days from October 29-31 2009, in a spectacular setting on the tip of the island of Bermuda, surrounded by crystal blue waters and performed under the stars. On the final night, October 31st (Halloween) there will be a special performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – 25 years after the best-selling album of all-time was first produced by Quincy Jones.

During this historic weekend of performances, Bermuda’s Premier Dr. the Hon. Ewart F. Brown, JP,MP will honor Quincy Jones’ lifetime contributions to culture and humanity with the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Award. Jones changed the way music and philanthropy interact through his star-studded collaboration “We Are the World”, the best-selling single of all time. Produced and arranged by Quincy Jones, this single raised $63 million for Ethiopian Famine Relief and shined a much-needed spotlight on the Ethiopian drought.

He continues his worldwide philanthropic efforts through music, in collaboration with institutions such as Harvard University, entertainers including Bono and Oprah Winfrey, and through his personal foundation, The Quincy Jones Foundation.

Quincy Jones said, “It is my distinct honor to receive the African Diaspora Award from Premier Brown and the people of Bermuda and to join with them to celebrate the beauty and wonder of Bermuda during the 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival. The line-up of artists that we have assembled for this year’s festival are some of the most talented performers of their generation and, like me, understand and respect the diverse musical and spiritual influences that are reflected in Bermuda’s rich cultural history. I promise that this year’s festival will be one that you definitely will not want to miss… it’s going to be hot.”

The Bermuda Music Festival, sponsored by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, broke all attendance records last year when Beyoncé and Alicia Keys performed on the island.

This October, the Festival will take its musical presentation to another level by showcasing the many talents of living legend Quincy Jones – a 27 time Grammy Award winner, with a record 79 Grammy nominations. The prolific Jones will conduct, arrange and perform with artists who share his passions, many of whom he has mentored or guided at different points in their careers.

Today at 6pm AST, festival promoter Rock Newman and Wyclef Jean – recently in the studio recording a song for the yet-to-be-released Quincy Jones Tribute Album – will make an exclusive LIVE appearance on www.BMF09.com/chat. Quincy described Wyclef’s performance at the Montreaux Jazz Festival this summer as “a show that nobody in the world could follow.” Wyclef will share his insights with Rock into Quincy’s magic, their shared musical history, and what can be expected from this star-studded orchestra of “Friends” in Bermuda in October.

The lineup – like Quincy’s own career – mixes a broad variety of talent, range and style. The elite group of musicians share both musical roots and – in some cases personal ties – with the man who has collaborated with talents as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and Ella Fitzgerald. The 2009 Bermuda Music Festival artists, with over 45 Grammies between them, are:

Patti Austin – A beloved singer and member of Quincy’s extended family, Patti has worked with Quincy since she was 4 years old. Proud to be Patti’s godfather, Q produced her #1 hit “Baby, Come to Me” – a duet with James Ingram. She later teamed up with Ingram once again for chart-topper “How Do You Keep the Music Playing”. Patti’s other work with the Quincy “family” includes collaboration with both Quincy and Michael Jackson on “Off The Wall” and “The Wiz”.

Erykah Badu – Acclaimed, multiple Grammy winner who is known as the “First Lady of Neo-Soul”. Her work blends many musical genres – something which Quincy will do in Bermuda – and includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz, weaving unusual musical influences together to create a rich texture of sound. In many aspects she remains the quintessential Hip-Hop B-Girl, although she no longer rhymes.

James Ingram – Versatile soul musician and acclaimed vocalist, James and Quincy have collaborated in many ways, including their stunning “cold open” of the 1984 Grammy Award telecast, performing “Just Once.” He co-wrote “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”, recorded by Michael Jackson on his blockbuster Thriller. James and Quincy’s other hits include “Secret Garden” (written and produced by Quincy), which hit #1 on the Billboard AC chart and “One Hundred Ways” for which James won the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal.

Wyclef Jean – A multi-platinum Haitian-American musician, actor, producer and social entrepreneur. He recently performed at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was introduced by Quincy Jones, and dedicated his set to Quincy. The two musicians share a deep commitment to philanthropy and Wyclef is a Haitian Goodwill Ambassador. Through the foundation he created, Yéle Haiti, Wyclef supports projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development. Wyclef has just finished recording for the upcoming Quincy Jones Tribute Album, out shortly on Interscope Records.

John Legend – Six-time Grammy award winner, recording artist, musician and actor, Quincy just penned John’s entry in the 2009 TIME 100 Most Influential People issue (http://tinyurl.com/ckckjk), where he stated that Legend has “a dedicated work ethic born of (his) desire and God-given talents to be the best at (his) craft that (he) could be.” Jones and Legend recently recorded the ballad “Tomorrow,” which will be featured on Jones’ forthcoming tribute album.

Michael McDonald – Michael is known around the world as a founding member of both the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. A gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, he teamed up with James Ingram on the album “It’s Your Night”, produced by Quincy Jones. His duet with Ingram, “Yah Mo Be There” won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo.

Kenny Rogers – One of the first four artists to appear in “We Are the World”, the best-selling single of all time, produced by Quincy Jones. With an instantly identifiable raspy voice, Rogers’ songs “Lady,” “The Gambler,” “She Believes in Me,” “Islands in the Stream,” are beloved around the world. Though theoretically a country singer, Rogers has delivered chart-topping memorable songs for more than five decades to fans among rock, pop, soul and country audiences.

Naturally Seven – An innovative R& B music group with a distinct a cappella style that they call “Vocal Play”. Quincy is currently working on contemporary remakes of the songs “Relax Max” and “Soul Bossa Nova” with Naturally Seven. This past summer, they stunned audiences new to their work with their special tribute to Michael Jackson at the Quincy Jones 75th Birthday Celebration during the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The artists will perform with an international orchestra, assembled by Quincy and comprised of some of the music world’s most respected talents: Greg Phillinganes, music director, writer, arranger, producer and 34-year veteran musician; R&B guitar phenom Paul Jackson Jr.; and John Robinson, Q’s drummer since 1979 and the drummer for Barbra Streisand from 1993 through the present. Local Bermudian musicians will also join these global talents for a truly unique collaboration.

The 2009 Bermuda Music Festival is once again being produced by Gibraltar Promotions LLC., in association with Yhoshi Productions LTD. The producers would like to thank Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Bermuda for their support as the host hotel sponsor for the 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival.