June 3, 2005 – Vail, CO – The Vail Jazz Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization located in Vail, Colorado, announces its schedule for The 11th Annual Vail Jazz Festival to be held in Vail, CO July 3 - September 5, 2005.

The ten-week long festival, a summer long celebration of America’s musical gift to the world – Jazz, offers a different kind of festival experience – inspiring, engaging and easy going. The schedule highlights 16 separate performances spanning the summer in a number of unique venues, so there’s something for everyone – from hardcore jazz fan to casual listener. Whether it’s one of the many free outdoor concerts in the afternoons or the intimate setting of the Labor Day Weekend Party, great jazz can be heard throughout the summer with international, national and local headliners performing for enthusiastic audiences. The Festival culminates with a unique mix of world-class musicians in a one-of-a-kind format that has lived up to its title, the Labor Day Weekend Party.

This summer the festival will kick off early July with the Jazz @ the Market Series. Performances will take place every Sunday afternoon at the Vail Farmers’ Market from July 3 to August 28, 2005. So come shop, eat, and listen to some great jazz this summer at the Vail Farmers’ Market on Sunday, shows are from 12 Noon to 3:00 pm - it’s lots of fun and the entertainment is free!

Jazz @ the Market – Free Afternoon Concert Series

Free Concerts at the Vail Farmers’ Market, Meadow Drive , Vail Village

Shows from 12:00 pm - 3:00 pm Sunday afternoons

July 3 Kathy Morrow Trio

July 10 Dixie Jazz

July 17 Pat Bianchi Trio

July 24 Daddy Blue

July 31 Summit Jazz Consort

August 7 Chuck Lamb Trio

August 14 Triocity

August 21 Rich Chiaraluce Quartet

August 28 Max Wagner Quartet

The ten-week long festival culminates with The 11th Annual Vail Jazz Festival’s Labor Day Weekend Party, held Friday September 2-5, 2005. This internationally acclaimed event features the world’s greatest jazz musicians in over 24 hours of music over Labor Day Weekend. Hosted at the Vail Cascade Resort & Spa, the Labor Day Weekend Party brings together the best jazz musicians in the intimate, cabaret-style setting of the Cascade’s Centennial Ballroom for a blend of jazz music not found anywhere else. This year’s line-up features:

The 11th Annual Vail Jazz Festival Labor Day Weekend Party

Bootsie Barnes Trio: Bootsie Barnes, Kyle Koehler, Craig McIver

Clayton Brothers Quintet: John Clayton, Jeff Clayton, Bill Cunliffe, Terell Stafford, Lewis Nash

Mile High Chapter Choir

Lewis Nash Quintet: Lewis Nash, Renee Rosnes, Peter Washington, Steve Wilson, Jeremy Pelt

The VJF Workshop All-Stars

Alvin Atkinson, Jr.

Bill Cunliffe’s Multimedia Salute to Bill Evans

Kurt Elling

Roberta Gambarini

Eric Gunnison

Stefon Harris

Joe La Barbera

Russell Malone

Johnny O’Neal

Mark Simon

Sessions are scheduled as follows in the Cascade’s Centennial Ballroom:

September 2-Friday 8:00 pm, Opening Night Performance

September 3-Saturday 12 Noon

September 3-Saturday 8:30 pm

September 4-Sunday 10:00 am, Gospel Prayer Meetin’

September 4-Sunday 1:00 pm

September 4-Sunday 8:00 pm, Salute to Bill Evans

September 5-Monday 12 Noon

In addition, the VJF will once again organize its Vail Jazz Workshop for young jazz musicians. Twelve scholarships have been granted to high school students who have distinguished themselves in their respective music programs at some of the best known high school jazz programs located throughout the United States. Each year Workshop students are featured performers, along with their instructors, at the annual Labor Day Weekend Party. Their attendance at the Party not only provides them with multiple performance opportunities but the opportunity to see, hear and interact with the world renowned jazz artists who perform at the Party. This unique, intensive music residency is one of the country’s leading jazz education programs.

Tickets for the Labor Day Weekend Party are as follows:

Patron’s Pass $325

Includes priority seating for all performances and an invitation to Saturday Evening’s Patrons’ Dinner with Artists

Full Weekend Pass $275

Includes priority seating for all performances Saturday through Monday and an invitation to Saturday Evening’s Patrons’ Dinner with Artists

Individual Session Tickets

Morning and Afternoons – $40 per person

Evenings – Friday, Saturday and Sunday – $50 per person

The 11th Annual Vail Jazz Festival is sponsored in part by Alpine Bank, BBE Sound, Inc., City Market/The Kroger Foundation, Colorado Council on the Arts, Colorado Mountain Express – the Official Transportation Provider, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, KVBA-TV8, KUVO-FM – 89.3 FM, National Endowment for the Arts, Town of Vail, Vail Daily, and Yamaha.

The festival is presented by the Vail Jazz Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization (tax exempt under Sec. 501(c)(3) IRC) dedicated to the education and perpetuation of jazz.

For more information, contact:

Christine Carlson

The Vail Jazz Foundation

P.O. Box 3035 , Vail, CO 81658

vjf@vailjazz.org