CONTACT:! Joshua Pugh
!
!
(231)330-8459
!
!
[email protected]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 9, 2012
LANSING JAZZFEST ANNOUNCES
HEADLINERS
LANSING - The Lansing JazzFest, which will be held this year on Friday and
Saturday, August 3 and 4 at the corner of Turner Street and E. Grand River
Avenue, is proud to announce its headliners for 2012: Etienne Charles, Tim
Cunningham, and John Douglas.
“We are always very proud of the headlining acts that join us at JazzFest, and
this year is no exception,” said Terry Terry, Board President for the
Michigan Institute for Contemporary Art (MICA). “From the internationally
acclaimed solo trumpet of Etienne Charles to the funky sounds of the John
Douglas Quintet and soulful jazz and R&B show put on by Tim Cunningham,
we are excited to offer a weekend of truly diverse and excellent
performances.”
Etienne Charles has been surrounded by music his entire life. Born into a
family of talented musicians, he started playing trumpet when he was just 10
years old, and became the youngest member of the professional band at the
Brass Institute just four years later. Charles studied trumpet at Florida State
University and the Julliard School in New York City, and has toured nationally
and internationally, winning awards at the National Trumpet Competition in
Virginia and in Thailand and the Netherlands. He has been nominated for 2
Grammys and performed with numerous Grammy winners.
John Douglas launched his performance career while studying at the
University of Michigan, then continued in Detroit when he and five others
formed the band Jazzheads. Jazzheads’ eponymous debut album earned the
1999 Detroit Music Awards for Best Jazz Recording, Best Jazz Group
Deserving Wider Recognition, and Best Modern Jazz Group. Douglas later
toured the U.S., Canada and Europe with such notables as Gladys Knight,
Marshall Allen and the R&B icons the Chi-lites before returning home and
forming the John Douglas Quintet, whose funky jazz sound lights up stages
and audiences all over the world.
Tim Cunningham spent his undergraduate years at Michigan State splitting
time between football and saxophone before passing up an NFL career to
pursue music full-time. Cunningham’s illustrious solo career saw him first
release an album on a major label in 1996, as well as opening for jazz greats
Dave Koz, Chick Corea, The Yellow Jackets, and Wynton Marsalis. He also
has TV experience, as he co-wrote and performed the theme song to 20th
Century Fox’s “Bertice Berry Show” along with appearing in three episodes of
“The Untouchables” and BET’s “Jazz Central.”
###
The Lansing JazzFest is a free community music festival, attracting attendees from across
the city, state and region. It is produced annually by the Michigan Institute for
Contemporary Art (MICA), a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that serves as a catalyst for
community development through quality arts programming. JazzFest is still accepting
volunteers and sponsors. See www.jazzlansing.com or call (517)371-4600 for more
information.