2008 CARAMOOR INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL 

   

Jazz legends, young lions, and the rich traditions of Latin jazz come together in the 2008 Caramoor International Jazz Festival.

With a career reaching back over five decades, the legendary jazz pianist, Ahmad Jamal, and his trio open the 2008 International Jazz Festival.  This evening, in the intimate Spanish Courtyard, will show why Ahmad Jamal is one of our greatest living jazz pianists.

Arguably the most prominent figure in jazz today, trumpeter, composer, and bandleader, Wynton Marsalis headlines this year’s festival and makes Saturday night swing.  Elio Villafranca and Chuchito Valdes—two of today’s most eminent Cuban pianists—begin the day by squaring off in a Cuban musical summit.  Wingspan brings together a powerful line up of some of today’s most exciting players and serves as a perfect vehicle for pianist and leader Mulgrew Miller’s ever-evolving and highly personal style.  The afternoon concludes with the foremost Brazilian duo—guitarist Ricardo Peixoto and vocalist Claudia Villela—in an exploration of 50 years of Bossa Nova.

On Sunday, the weekend concludes with the piano pyrotechnics of Dominican pianist and Westchester resident Michel Camilo.  81-year-old saxophonist, composer, band leader, and jazz legend, Jimmy Heath and his Big Band turn up the heat(h)!  To start the afternoon, pianist Aaron Diehl, unleashing his brilliant technique and sensitive touch, shows why he is a new force on the jazz scene.

Ahmad Jamal

Wynton Marsalis

AUGUST 1 JAZZ FESTIVAL I - AHMAD JAMAL
Friday, 8:00pm - Spanish Courtyard
Tickets:  $35.00, $25.00    order online     more info   Program Notes & Bios
Ahmad Jamal, piano, James Cammack, bass; Idris Muhammad, drum set

AUGUST 2 JAZZ FESTIVAL II
Saturday - All Day - Venetian Theater
Theater Seating - Sold Out!
Tickets are available for lawn seating in the Pegasus Circle Listening Garden.
Music in the Listening Garden - Jazz II  order online  more info 
Program Notes & Bios 
Please call the Box Office at 914.232.1252 to be placed on a wait list.

3:00pm*      Cuban Piano Summit -  Elio Villafranca and Chuchito Valdes
4:15pm        Mulgrew Miller & Wingspan                               
5:30pm*       50 Years of Bossa Nova - The Claudia Villela Quintet
                                                                featuring Ricardo Peixoto 
                    Dinner Break
8:00pm        Wynton Marsalis

This concert is sponsored, in part, by generous support from Wachovia Wealth Management.

Just for Jazz:  Great Performances® will grill chicken, ribs, burgers, and hot dogs on the picnic grounds.

AUGUST 3 JAZZ FESTIVAL III

Michel Camilo

Sunday - All Day
Venetian Theater
Tickets:  $45.00, $35.00   order online   more info   Program Notes & Bios

3:00pm           Aaron Diehl , piano
4:15pm           Jimmy Heath Big Band
5:30pm*          Michel Camilo Trio with Charles Flores and Dafnis Prieto

The Caramoor Jazz Festival is produced by Jim Luce.
 
*Sonidos Latinos is made possible by generous support from the New York State Music Fund, established by the New York State Attorney General at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

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