Clearwater Jazz Holiday: the beat goes on

Now in its 27th extraordinary year, the Marine Max Clearwater Jazz Holiday presented by Mercedes-Benz will showcase in concert, between October 19 and 22, 2006, some of jazz’s finest talents including Kenny G, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot, the Manhattan Transfer and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. The world-class event typically attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Clearwater the third weekend in October.

Presented outdoors in the 20-acre landscaped Coachman Park in downtown Clearwater overlooking Clearwater Harbor, Jazz Holiday is four days and four nights of some of the best live jazz performance in the world presented free to the public. The visitor experience is complemented by the Clearwater area’s mild fall weather, miles of world-famous Gulf beaches, brilliant sunsets, nearby attractions, accommodations and dining to suit every taste and budget.

The 2006 Clearwater Jazz Holiday Line-up
Thursday, Oct. 19: Kenny Drew Jr. Quartet, Kenny G

Friday, Oct. 20: Bossacucanova, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot

Saturday, Oct. 21: Valerie Gillespie, Jose Valentino Ruiz, Jazz to the Maxx, John Pizzarelli, Manhattan Transfer (Fireworks at 10:45 p.m.)

Sunday, Oct. 22: Ruth Eckerd Hall/Clearwater Jazz Holiday Jazz Youth Band, Chuck Owen & the Jazz Surge, Don Byron Ivey-Divey Trio with Edward Simon and Billy Hart, Buckwheat Zydeco, Cherry Poppin’ Daddies

Note: The Reunion Band plays Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and Sunday at 4:00 p.m. during set changes.

About Clearwater Jazz Holiday
One of the longest-running and best-known free live jazz events in the country, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday has presented in concert virtually every jazz luminary of our generation and attracts up to 70,000 fans annually.

Over the years, the festival has been center-stage for numerous scholarship and educational activities benefiting music students in the greater Clearwater community, from blues-loving beginners to piano-playing protégés, and everyone in between. The Clearwater Jazz Holiday is a collaboration of the non-profit Clearwater Jazz Holiday Foundation, the City of Clearwater and the all volunteer Clearwater Jazz Holiday Jazz Force.

For more information about the 27th annual Clearwater Jazz Holiday, call 727-461-5200 or visit www.clearwaterjazz.com.

About Clearwater, Florida
The greater Clearwater area, ideally situated on the Gulf of Mexico on Florida’s west coast, is one of the most popular travel destinations in the country and offers visitors internationally-renowned beaches, world famous theme parks, historical and heritage-based attractions, world-class museums, eco-tourism opportunities and more.