Announcing the Fifth Annual Outdoor Peekskill Jazz & Blues Festival

Peekskill Jazz & Blues Festival

Tommy Castro Band
The Curtis Brothers
Chris Massey Nue Jazz Project
Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble
Gary Walker, WBGO Jazz Radio

PEEKSKILL NY — It’s going to be a cool hot summer, as Downtown Peekskill again comes alive with the music of world class Jazz and Blues at the Fifth Annual Peekskill Jazz & Blues Festival, presented by the Peekskill BID and D.Bertoline & Sons.  This free outdoor concert and  fair is scheduled for Saturday, July 30, from 3pm  till 10:00 pm. at the intersection of Central Avenue and North Division Street.

The Streets will be closed to traffic, local restaurants will be featuring outdoor dining. Arts, crafts, and artisans will be selling and displaying their work all over the downtown. The Peekskill Farmers Market will be open all day long with the season’s freshest produce. Farmers Market starts at 8am, street music starts at 2pm, craft fair at 3pm. Visitors are encouraged to come early and stay late.
The Festival attracts thousands of people from across the Tri-State area, and has become one of Westchester’s premiere summer musical and creative events.

This year’s line-up is exceptional, featuring outstanding Jazz and Blues artists including: Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble, latin jazz from the Curtis Brothers, hard bop and new jazz of the Chris Massey Nue Jazz Project, and  the Tommy Castro Band winner of 4 Blues Music Awards:  Band of the Year, BB King Entertainer of the Year, Contemporary Blues Artist of the Year, and Contemporary Blues Album of the Year. The concert will be hosted by WBGO Jazz Radio’s own Gary Walker.

The City of Peekskill is quickly becoming the lower Hudson Valley’s most sought after music and art destination. Join the thousands of Jazz and Blues fans that flock to Peekskill and enjoy this free, open-air concert and fair.  After the show, party on at one of Peeksill’s fine restaurants where the music and fun will continue into the night.

So, be sure to visit the Jazz and Blues Festival and Fair. Peekskill and you, Perfect!

Sponsors for the festival are Peekskill’s Business Improvement District, D. Bertoline and Sons, City of Peekskill, Hudson Valley Gateway Chamber of Commerce, Spectra Records, Inn on the Hudson, Rock Island Music, Patch.com.

For more information, visit downtownpeekskill.com or cityofpeekskill.com.
CONTACT:  Thom Pernice, IHV Creative Services 914.788.6704
 

Tommy Castro Band

• BLUES MUSIC AWARD WINS FOR 2010!
• Band of the Year
• B.B. King Entertainer of the Year
• Contemporary Blues Album of the Year
• Contemporary Blues Male Artist of the Year
• Living Blues Awards Readers’ Poll – Best Blues Album of 2009: Hard Believer
• #3 MOJO MAGAZINE Blues Album of 2009: Hard Believer
• #1 Blues Album of 2009 – France’s GUITARIST MAGAZINE – Hard Believer
  #3 Peak on BILLBOARD BLUES CHART, 23 weeks in the top 15 as of January 25, 2010
• #1 Peak on ROOTS MUSIC CHART
• 2010 MAPLE BLUES AWARD Nominee for B.B. King International Artist Of The Year category

“Tommy Castro has the voice and the sound to touch everybody’s heart.” – Carlos Santana
“A gifted lead guitarist firmly in touch with his lyrical voice, Castro writes an alluring blend of straight ahead blues and Memphis-style soul. While he has his own definable sound, Castro calls to mind great blues-rock players such as Billy Gibbons of Z.Z.Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan and even Duane Allman.” –
Collaborations with B.B. King – 80+ dates, John Hiatt, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, Dr. John and many more …

Akoya Afrobeat Ensemble

The Akoya Afrobeat ensemble is a breath of fresh air for lovers of the funky Afro-Jazz Music pioneered and mede popular by the late great Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Akoy and other musicians have chosen to inherit the legacy of Fela and have done well articulating Afrobeat and carry the mantle in distinctive directions. Akoya is mad up of a group of mucians from different parts of the globe, and in a unique style, the group combines the ecstasy Nago (Yoruba) music with Beninoise textual materials and verbalization for lyrics.

The Curtis Brothers Quartet

The unique Latin Jazz rhythmic concept is what separates them from most any other jazz quartets. All of their music, original or not, is based on the percussive concepts that they have accumulated throughout their experiences. Since 2001 The Curtis Brother’s Quartet has been performing around the U.S. and abroad. Their original sound has captivated audiences from New York, California to India. With only four members and with music that is arranged for the rhythm section, the Curtis Brothers
Quartet is free to explore so many more avenues of music. Even as they explore odd meters, world music, and group improvisation, they keep their audiences on the edge of their seats getting ready to jump up and dance.
Individually, the members of the Curits Brothers Quartet have been sidemen for some of the greatest musicians alive such as Herbie Hancock, Eddie Palmieri, Chick Corea, Jimmy Greene, David Valentin, Kenny Werner, Miguel Zenon, Ralph Peterson, Brian Lynch, Gary Burton, Ralph Irizzary and Donald Harrison. CBT is proud to note that they have been hand picked by Ray Barretto and Hilton Ruiz, in 2006, to be involved in U.S. state department’s “American Music Abroad (Jazz Ambassadors) program.”

Chris Massey Nu Jazz Project

Chris Massey is a Spectra Jazz recording artist following his ambition of making a name for himeself as a new breed of young talented player in the world of jazz.
Chris began performing wht world renound artists shuch a former Jazz Messenger Donald Harrison Jr. Since then he has performed whtth renowned artisl as Dave Holland , Joe Lovano, members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Birland Big Band and members of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra as well as many other great players. Chris is also coming into his own as a composer and arranger. Gaining inspiration from notable drummer-composers such as Brian Blade and Jeff “Train” Watts.
Above all else is a modern drummer taught in the old tradition of swing; his ethos is to “put his sound” underneath a player and let the fire start to spread. He currently finished recording his most recent album entitled “Vibrainium” which is released under the Spectra Jazz Lablel.
 

Gary Walker Host WBGO Jazz Radio

In jazz radio, great announcers are distinguished by their ability to convey the spontaneity and passion of the music. Gary Walker is such an announcer, and his enthusiasm for this music greets WBGO listeners every morning. For the past 22 years, this winner of the 1996 Gavin Magazine Jazz Radio Personality of the Year award has hosted the morning show each weekday from 6:00 -10:00. And, by his own admission, he’s truly having a great time.
After 24 years with WBGO, legendary artists continue to visit the studios, many to join Gary during Morning Jazz. He believes their visits are part of what set the station apart from other jazz stations.

“I think we’re the best jazz station in the country, perhaps the world,” he says plainly. “I think that because of the knowledge we have here, the fun we have here and the music that is created here. No one else does what we do.”  “I am thrilled to be hosting this years Peekskill Jazz and Blues Festival, with this years great acts, it is sure to be a fun time for all.”