KEITH JARRETT, CHAKA KHAN AND EARTH, WIND & FIRE AMONG THE HEADLINERS FOR THE TD TORONTO JAZZ FESTIVAL THIS SUMMER Toronto – Wednesday, April 23, 2014 ~ Unveiled earlier today as part of the 28th anniversary lineup, two of music’s best will headline the TD Toronto Jazz Festival. Regarded as one of the most vital forces in jazz, Keith Jarrett will perform in a rare solo performance on Wednesday, June 25 at Roy Thomson Hall while R&B vocalist Chaka Khan KicKs off the festivities on Thursday, June 19 at the Sony Centre. They join previously announced Earth, Wind & Fire (Tuesday, June 24) as part of the Legends of Music series. ChaKa Khan – Thursday, June 19 Sony Centre On opening night, the 10-time Grammy Award winner, Known for hits such as “I’m Every Woman”, “I Feel For You”, “Sweet Thing” and “Through The Fire”, will perform a collection of her greatest hits at the Sony Centre. With a rich musical legacy that has spanned across the genres, from R&B to gospel to soul and jazz, Chaka Khan has influenced a generation of artists with accolades that include 22 albums released; 10 #1 Billboard Magazine charted songs; certified gold and platinum albums; and has been the recipient of more than a dozen awards recognizing her contribution to music. The daughter of renowned blues guitarist Johnny Copeland, Shemekia Copeland will open. Copeland is highly regarded as a force to be recKoned with in blues and considered the heir to the rich tradition of soul-drenched divas liKe Ruth Brown and Etta James. Tickets are on sale now at the Sony Centre Box Office, through Ticketmaster or by calling 1.855.872.7669. This performance is sponsored by the Toronto Star. Keith Jarrett – Wednesday, June 25 Roy Thomson Hall Unquestionably one of the world’s greatest virtuoso pianists, Keith Jarrett is a pioneer in jazz- rocK fusion and has single-handedly revived and redefined the art of playing improvisation concerts. Considered to be among the most prolific, innovative and iconoclastic musicians, Jarrett is on par with the liKes of Tatum, ParKer, Coltrane and Ellington. Over the past five decades, Jarrett has been recognized as one of the most diversely inspired geniuses who has changed the course of contemporary jazz. Tickets are on sale now at Roy Thomson Hall or by calling 416.872.4255. This performance is sponsored by the Toronto Star and JAZZ.FM91. For 10 days in June, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival will present more than 350 concerts across 50+ locations from June 19 – June 28, 2014, as half a million music lovers unite for one of the city’s largest music festivals. Discover over 1,500 musicians who will entertain as the sounds of jazz play throughout and let the music be your guide this summer as we turn up the jazz! For more information, visit www.torontojazz.com Media Contact: Anna Tom [email protected] 416.928.2033, x21 DIANNE REEVES, STANLEY CLARKE, BOBBY MCFERRIN, DIRTY DOZEN BRASS BAND, GALACTIC, DAVID CLAYTON-THOMAS AND MORE TO PLAY AT NATHAN PHILLIPS SQUARE THIS SUMMER Toronto – Wednesday, April 23, 2014 ~ Unveiled earlier today, the lineup for the 28th edition of the TD Toronto Jazz Festival will feature nine nights of programming at Nathan Phillips Square, the hub of the Festival, when it kicks off summer, running from June 19 – June 28. Performers set to hit the Toronto Star stage include David Clayton-Thomas, Lettuce, John Scofield, Bobby McFerrin, Stanley Clarke, Galactic, Dianne Reeves, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and more. All shows begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets or by calling 1.855.985.5000. The festivities get underway on Friday, June 20 when the Festival co-hosts the official opening of WorldPride 2014 with a FREE performance by Grammy Award winner Melissa Etheridge. Canadian R&B songstress Deborah Cox will open. David Clayton-Thomas – Saturday, June 21 The voice is legendary and is one of the most recognizable in music, selling to date over 40 million records. As the former frontman for Blood Sweat & Tears, Clayton-Thomas returns to the Festival performing a career-spanning medley of hits that has made him a national treasure. Oakland Stroke, performing a variety of Tower of Power hits, opens. Kenny Wayne Shepherd / Robert Randolph & The Family Band – Sunday, June 22 Acclaimed blues guitarist-singer, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, has built an enviable resume two decades into a recording career that began when he was 16. One of the most talented and distinctive guitarists of his generation, Shepherd has sold millions of albums worldwide and continues to create genre-defining blues-infused rock n’ roll. The Family Band, led by pedal steel virtuoso, Robert Randolph take blues-rock and give it a raucous dose of funk and soul. Robert Randolph & The Family Band opens. This performance is presented by Mill Street. Galactic / Big Sam’s Funky Nation – Monday, June 23 Galactic delivers precise, tight funk, making playing look easy. Chief purveyors of contemporary New Orleans jazz-funk, this popular jam band has an eclectic influence – jazz, rap, electronica, jam-band music and bounce (a local take on hip-hop) - honed over years of performing live. The driving force of urban funk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation is notorious for starting a relentless “Noladelic Powerfunk” party in every city they play. Entertaining audiences with their high voltage energy level, BSFN will open for Galactic. Dianne Reeves – Tuesday, June 24 One of the pre-eminent jazz vocalists in the world, Dianne Reeves returns to the spotlight with her first studio album in five years. Join us for an evening of vocal enchantment by a woman who has been described as “the vocal heir of Sarah Vaughan, whose voice could also travel anywhere…sheer gorgeousness” (The New York Times). Brandi Disterheft Quartet opens. Lettuce / Dirty Dozen Brass Band – Wednesday, June 25 Lettuce, a seven-piece Brooklyn-based juggernaut, are the modern day rulers of old school funk. Taking a bottom-heavy, horn-driven approach to funk that draws influence from James Brown, Parliament Funkadelic, Tower of Power and other soulful touchstones, Lettuce has rightly solidified its place near the top of the modern jam / funk heap. Synonymous with genre-bending romps and high-octane performances, Dirty Dozen Brass Band is “the group that thrust New Orleans brass bands into the modern age” (NPR). Thirty-five years later, they are still jaw-dropping, eye-popping, thigh-slapping and nerve-rattling good. This performance is presented by The Grid. John Scofield Uberjam Band / Dave Holland, Kevin Eubanks, Craig Taborn, Eric Harland - PRISM – Thursday, June 26 John Scofield returns to the Festival with one of the most defining bands of his career, Uberjam. Confirming his reputation as a peerless jazz guitarist, while making groove and jam- oriented music at the highest level, Scofield will be reunited with the legendary band – Andy Hess (bass), Avi Bortnick (guitar) and Tony Mason (drums). Featuring an all-star quartet, bassist and Grammy Award winner Dave Holland’s latest ground breaking project, PRISM, is groove-oriented with a visceral edge. Reminiscent of his work with Miles Davis in the 70s, this jazz supergroup is an explosive outlet for Holland at his unbridled best. This performance is sponsored by JAZZ.FM91. Bobby McFerrin - spirityouall – Friday, June 27 For decades Bobby McFerrin has broken all the rules, blurring the distinction between pop music and fine art, exploring unchartered vocal territory and inspiring a whole new generation of acapella singers and the beatbox movement. In his latest project, McFerrin re-imgines Americana with beloved spirituals and original songs, raising the roof with joyful grooves. Soul Nannies opens. Stanley Clarke / Mehliana featuring Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana – Saturday, June 28 A true pioneer in jazz, four-time Grammy winner Stanley Clarke is quite possibly the most celebrated acoustic and electric bassist in the world. The living legend will be joined by two rising stars – drummer Mike Mitchell and keyboard player, Beka Gochiasvili from the Republic of Georgia. A brand new collaboration between two of the world’s most refreshing instrumentalists humanizing live electronic music with improvisation and deft ability, Mehliana pairs together world-renowned pianist Brad Mehldau and acclaimed percussionist Mark Guiliana. Mehliana takes in free improve, forays into drum’n’bass and a nod back to the dance-funk spirit of the early 70s. This performance is presented by hmv. Nathan Phillips Square Friday, June 20 Melissa Etheridge Opening: Deborah Cox Saturday, June 21 David Clayton Thomas Opening: Oakland Stroke Sunday, June 22 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Robert Randolph & The Family Band Monday, June 23 Galactic Big Sam’s Funk Nation Tuesday, June 24 Dianne Reeves Opening: Brandi Disterheft Quartet Wednesday, June 25 Lettuce Dirty Dozen Brass Band Thursday, June 26 John Scofield Uberjam Band Dave Holland, Kevin Eubanks, Craig Taborn, Eric Harland – PRISM Friday, June 27 Bobby McFerrin spirityouall Opening: Soul Nannies Saturday, June 28 Stanley Clarke Mehliana featuring Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana For 10 days in June, the TD Toronto Jazz Festival will present more than 350 concerts across 50+ locations from June 19 – June 28, 2014, as half a million music lovers unite for one of the city’s largest music festivals. Discover over 1,500 musicians who will entertain as the sounds of jazz play throughout and let the music be your guide this summer as we turn up the jazz! For more information, visit www.torontojazz.com Media Contact: Anna Tom [email protected] 416.928.2033, x21 GREGORY PORTER, ROY HARGROVE QUINTET AND BILL FRISELL AT THE JANE MALLET THEATRE Toronto – Wednesday, April 23, 2014 ~ The intimate Jane Mallet Theatre will host three nights of outstanding music when the TD Toronto Jazz Festival takes centre stage.