Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler launches inaugural festival
Canadian premiere event to showcase renowned performers in Whistler Village
September 2-4, 2011
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| Kevin Eubanks (Spyro Gyra) |
Whistler, B.C. – Whistler will play host to the newest jazz festival in Canada, September 2-4, 2011. Set in the resort’s pedestrian Village, with free and ticketed indoor and outdoor shows, visitors will have the unique opportunity to experience performances and interact personally with jazz greats such as Kevin Eubanks – leader of the NBC Tonight Show Band for 18 years.
Arnold Schwisberg, founder and producer of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, today announced the exciting performer line-up of the inaugural event for the Labour Day weekend in September as well as the launch of the Festival’s official website at: www.whistlerjazzfest.com.
"Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler will have something for everyone, not just jazz fans,” says Schwisberg. “All visitors to Whistler will be able to enjoy the free street festival components with acoustic musicians, face-painters, jugglers and acrobats. And ticketed shows will provide access to some of the world’s best jazz artists performing in an intimate setting at spectacular Whistler facilities.”
The three-day festival will showcase 22 performers and 33 shows. Street entertainment is being programmed in conjunction with the Whistler Arts Council, free performances will be featured throughout Whistler Village, and ticketed events will take place indoors at Maurice Young Millennium Place and outdoors at one or more of the many spectacular venues in Whistler . Tickets go on sale April 5.
Guitarist Kevin Eubanks, the first Artist-in-Residence for Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, will perform solo, with his Quartet, and will be "up close and personal" with festivalgoers in Whistler Village all weekend. In addition to Eubanks, American guitarists Stanley Jordan and Russ Freeman, as well as seasoned Canadian jazz guitarists and educators Stan Samole, Lorne Lofsky and Greg Lowe are scheduled to perform. Other greats confirmed to appear include established contemporary jazz groups Spyro Gyra and The Rippingtons, and jazz veterans vibraphonist Gary Burton from Boston with his New Quartet and Montreal pianist Oliver Jones with his Trio. Additional shows will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Festival also includes a unique educational element, giving aspiring young musicians the opportunity to attend a Jazz Master Class Series for guitar at Maurice Young Millennium Place in the heart of Whistler Village.
“Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler is setting the stage to be regarded as one of the most innovative jazz festivals in the country,” says Schwisberg, a lawyer whose passion for jazz has also led to a career as a radio and TV host, a record producer for Universal Music, and a consultant with jazz festivals in Montreal and Toronto.
Unlike urban jazz festivals, Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler will be offering a very different experience. The pedestrian-only Village, with its stone pathways connecting the resort’s plazas and squares, is an ideal setting for a more intimate and highly interactive jazz festival. The Festival aims to attract thousands of visitors to Whistler over the Labour Day weekend.
To more broadly deliver the experience, plans are underway to mount high-definition video cameras at each major act – and to produce streaming video to the internet, satellite and for mobile applications. “Those who can’t attend in person can watch highlights from their computer, tablet or phone,” says Schwisberg. “Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler represents the next generation of jazz festivals. It’s really about bringing the music – and the vibe of Whistler – to the people.”
Mayor Ken Melamed of the Resort Municipality of Whistler says the Festival is an exciting new addition to the growing calendar of outstanding events in the resort. "We've been impressed with the planning process, the program and the professionalism of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler. Visitors to Whistler are in for a real treat this September."
For more information about the concert and events schedule, artist bios, and details about ticket purchasing, promotions, and merchandise visit www.whistlerjazzfest.com
Sponsors of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler so far include: The Globe And Mail, North Shore Credit Union, Indigo Books & Music, Heineken, Appleton Rum, WineOnline, Shaw TV and charity sponsor CNIB. More sponsors will be announced as the Event approaches.
With more than 200 retail shops, 90 restaurants and bars, and a vast range of accommodations, visitors to Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler can enjoy the music, an amazing array of amenities, and the endless choice of activities provided by a mountain playground. For information about accommodation and activity options call our local travel consultants at 1.800.WHISTLER or logon www.whistler.com .
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Media can visit www.whistler.com/media for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality profiles and access to images and B-roll.
Whistler is Canada’s premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America for the past 12 years in a row, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as town homes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and water sports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 9,000 permanent residents.
Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com – Whistler’s official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.
Media Contacts
Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler
Founder & Producer
Arnold Schwisberg
Festival Director
Kristen Robinson
Tourism Whistler
Senior Manager, Communications
Breton Murphy
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