NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS TWILIGHT JAZZ CONCERT BY "STATESMEN OF JAZZ" TO CELEBRATE

Press Release

NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS TWILIGHT JAZZ CONCERT BY ‘STATESMEN OF JAZZ’ TO CELEBRATE

YEAR OF OLDER PERSONS AT HEADQUARTERS, 12 OCTOBER

The Statesmen of Jazz, musicians 65 years and older, will give a performance from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, 12 October, in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium, to celebrate the International Year of Older Persons (1999).

Among the all-star musicians to be featured at the are: Claude Williams, violin, who at 90 is the “Dean of Statesmen”; Jane Jarvis, piano and “First Lady”; Benny Powell, trombone; Virgil Jones, trumpet; Kenny Davern, clarinet; David “Fathead” Newman, saxophone; Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Earl May, double bass; and Eddie Locke, drums. Also performing will be guest artists Joe Wilder, trumpet, and Al Grey, trombone, and some staff members.

Dan Morgenstern, Director of the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University, editor of the Journal of Jazz Studies, will be the Master of Ceremonies. Hosting will be the Department of Public Information, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the United Nations Jazz Society, and the Association of Former International Civil Servants.

The Statesmen of Jazz Tour was originally launched in 1995 under the auspices of the American Federation of Jazz Societies. Its success led to the formation of an independent, non-profit corporation, Statesmen of Jazz, Ltd., dedicated to bringing international recognition to noteworthy jazz artists 65 years and older.

For further information, contact Shala Mokgethi, Development and Human Rights Section, UN Department of Public Information, tel: (212) 963-8104; or Nenad Vasic, tel: (212) 963-3771.

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