The 4th Annual
Backbeat Jazzfest Series
is proud
to announce their initial lineup for 2009. Presented over
the weeks of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, this
year Backbeat will produce 25 shows featuring more than 40
acts at four New Orleans venues, including the newest
addition of the Studio At Colton Theater.
The Studio At Colton at 2300 St. Claude Avenue, is a
post-Katrina grass-roots conversion project of an old public
school. Through the sweat of the residents, classrooms have
been renovated into artist studios space and there is public
assembly space including a 1000 capacity theater with a
large built-in stage. It has a large open space in front of
the stage and some theatre style seating toward the back.
The Prospect 1 International Art Biennial
featured some events and exhibits there and it is where
Krewe du Vieux held their Mardi Gras Ball this year. It is
located on the burgeoning St. Claude arts corridor that has
generated a good bit of development interest from the
artistic and real estate communities. It is walking distance
from famed Frenchmen Street and on a major bus line (and 1
block from the Hi-Ho Lounge).
The impressive roster for 2009 includes such musical
heavyweights as
Dirty
Dozen Brass Band featuring
Booker T
at Republic NOLA on April 24th;
Ghostland Observatory,
also
at Republic NOLA on April 30th;
Cyril Neville
with special guests Anders
Osborne & Tab Benoit at Tipitina’s French Quarter
on April 30th;
and Medeski
Martin and Wood at The Studio at Colton Theater
on May 2nd.
The series will host additional performances by
other local standouts such as
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and
Big Sam’s Funky Nation; and national acts such as
Dave Matthews Band guitarist
Tim Reynolds & TR3; New York City’s
Soulive; San Francisco’s
Steve Kimock Crazy Engine;
and a rare performance by
Bustle In Your Hedgegrow.
Many more acts will be announced soon. The complete initial
line-up is listed below. The series website is
www.nolafunk.com/nola.
Advance tickets available through Ticketweb.com and (866)
468-7619.
The Backbeat Jazzfest Concert Series is co-produced by New
York City-based independent concert promoters Creative
Entertainment Group and New Orleans-based entertainment
company Hypersoul. A portion of the series proceeds will
support The Backbeat Foundation.
The Backbeat Foundation’s mission is to foster support of
New Orleans’ rich cultural heritage by providing assistance
to local musical performers through both programming and
resource assistance. The Foundation provides resources and
support to musicians living and working in New Orleans to
help ensure that the musical community and legacy of New
Orleans has the opportunity to flourish again. It is the
Foundation’s goal to help New Orleans musicians achieve
financial stability as artists. For more information, please
visit
www.backbeatfoundation.org.
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