FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 4, 2008

DUKE ELLINGTON JAZZ FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHTS DC'S THRIVING JAZZ SCENE 

In a city that claims musical talents like Pearl Bailey, Jelly Roll Morton and Shirley Horn, it's no surprise to find one of the jazz world's fastest-growing new festivals. Named for another homegrown music legend, the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival Oct. 1-7. The festival draws thousands of music-lovers to venues throughout the city to hear local, national and world-renowned jazz artists and includes two days of free performances on the National Mall. The Jazz 'n' Families Fun Day on Saturday, Oct. 4, features ensembles of jazz students, salsa bands, the U.S. Army Blues and more. Free performances continue on Sunday, Oct. 5, with Grammy award-winning artists such as the McCoy Tyner Quartet and Dee Dee Bridgewater, Taj Mahal, Christian McBride, Conrad Herwig and Howard University's popular ensemble, Afro Blue. Tickets are required for most other events, with prices ranging from $20-$40. 

The festival throws the spotlight on the DC jazz scene, which is thriving on and around U Street, the area once known as "Black Broadway." HR-57 and Bohemian Caverns are District jazz staples, having hosted world-renowned artists as well as local talent. In Georgetown, Blues Alley is the nation's oldest jazz supper club, and jazz greats including Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Ramsey Lewis and Eva Cassidy have graced its intimate stage. You can also catch regular jazz performances at the Kennedy Center's KC Jazz Club, where performances showcasing some of the hottest names in the genre happen on an ongoing basis. Or, check out the "Jazz in the Garden" free concert series at the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden every Friday, through October 3.

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About Destination DC: Destination DC, the lead destination marketing organization for the nation’s capital, is a private, non-profit membership organization of more than 1,000 businesses committed to marketing the area as a premier global convention, tourism and special events destination with a special emphasis on the arts, cultural and historic communities. Destinationdc.com.