Dr John Will Be Among Highlights

Of 2006 Litchfield Jazz Festival

GOSHEN — The Litchfield Jazz Festival was recently honored by the American Bus Association as “One of the Top 100 Events in the US and Canada for 2006.”

The festival will celebrate entering its 11th season at Goshen Fairgrounds this year on August 4-6. With past performers like Ray Charles, Dave Brubeck, Brad Mehldau and Diana Krall, it’s no wonder JazzTimes magazine called the festival “among the best of the best.”

The celebration kicks off this year on Friday, August 4, with a gala Friends of the Festival party, with music provided by the students of Litchfield Jazz Camp. The party will be followed by a performance by the “best jazz pianist of his generation (Time Magazine),” Cyrus Chestnut with his trio. Following that performance, the festival will welcome the multiple Grammy Award inner and international music legend, Dionne Warwick.

On Saturday, August 5, the music begins at noon with pianist Robert Glasper, with Vicente Archer on bass and Damion Reed on drums.

Also performing on Saturday will be Terell Stafford’s group, this year with Bruce Barth on piano, Chris Beck on drums and Don Braden on saxophone; Trio Da Paz, featuring three of Brazil’s most in-demand musicians, Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta and Duduka da Fonseca; Carol Sloane, called by The New Yorker “one of the grande dames of jazz singing”; Lee Konitz, with Rufus Reid on bass, Matt Wilson on drums and Peter Bernstein on guitar; and seven-time Grammy winner Eddie Palmieri, whose career spans 50 years as a bandleader of salsa and Latin jazz, and a discography of more than 30 titles.

On Sunday, August 6, the festival opens at noon with percussionist Eddie Marshall and continues with performances by The Dena DeRose Trio, with Matt Wilson on drums and Martin Wind on bass; a Litchfield first – a piano duo – Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes; The John Scofield Trio, with Steve Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums; The James Moody Quartet, with Ms Rosnes again on piano.

Closing the festival will be Dr John, who proudly stands alongside Louis Armstrong and Fats Domino as one of the all-time distinctive voices of New Orleans. Dr John appeared on the Litchfield Jazz Festival in 2001 and literally had people dancing in the aisles.

Premium tickets are $350 for Best Friends VIP weekend passes and $125 for the opening gala and performance. These include upfront seating and VIP parking.

Advance purchase general admission tickets are $35 for lawn and $53 for tent. Weekend passes are available at a discount.

Visit LitchfieldJazzFest.com for tickets or call 860-567-4162 for further information.