FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MAY 3, 2006
CONTACT:
Dawn Singh
Dawn Singh Publicity
617-395-7743
Sean Kerrigan
Boston Symphony Orchestra Press Office
617-638-9286
JOHN PIZZARELLI AND STEVE TYRELL ADDED TO 2006 TANGLEWOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL LINE-UP
Featured Performers include Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Wynton Marsalis, Dave Brubeck Quartet & Symphonette, Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, Marian McPartland, The Big Three Palladium Orchestra, Spanish Harlem Orchestra
The Boston Symphony Orchestra has announced the addition of John Pizzarelli and Steve Tyrell as special guests of Dr. John at the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. Dr. John and guests will perform a tribute to composer Johnny Mercer on Saturday, September 2, at the Koussevitzky Music Shed following an 8 p.m. performance by Wynton Marsalis.
Jazz guitarist and vocalist, John Pizzarelli, is known for his urbane interpretations of the Great American Songbook. His light swinging style has been compared to guitarists Les Paul and Django Reinhardt. Son of guitarist, Bucky Pizzarelli, John began performing with his father at age 20 and made his recorded debut with his 1983 release, “I’m Hip--Please Don’t Tell My Father.” Subsequent recordings included “P.S. Mr. Cole “ (a tribute to Nat King Cole), “Kisses in the Rain, “ and “Let There Be Love.” He has recorded an album with George Shearing and celebrated ten years of performing with his trio by releasing the concert album, “Live at Birdland,” in 2003 and “Bossa Nova” in 2004. Pizzarelli is probably best known to millions of Americans for his theme song for Foxwoods Casino, “The Wonder of It All.....”
Pizzarelli will perform several Mercer tunes with Dr. John in this tribute to Mercers’s music. Pizzarelli’s history with the music of Johnny Mercer culminated in 1997 in a lead spot in the Broadway production of “Dream, A Tribute to Composer Johnny Mercer.”
Vocalist Steve Tyrell whose “sizable voice filters Louis Armstrong through Ray Charles and Dr. John” (New York Times), has achieved great success over the past four decades as songwriter, producer, performer and jazz standards vocalist. Audiences find his down-to-earth, affable charm the perfect conduit for romantic ballads and lighthearted standards. As the head of A & R and promotion at Scepter Records, Tyrell heralded the classic Burt Bacharach/Hal David composed recordings of Dionne Warwick which led to a lifelong partnership with Bacharach through both of their illustrious careers.
Tyrell’s extensive movie career includes the 1991 Steve Martin hit “Father of the Bride,” in which he performed “The Way You Look Tonight,” and the 1995 sequel “Father of the Bride Part II,” which contained his soundtrack recordings of “Give Me the Simple Life,” and “On the Sunny Side of the Street,” His recording of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” was featured in the Disney hit, “Santa Claus 2,” and he worked with Jack Nicholson on “Something’s Gotta Give,” in which Nicholson wanted Tyrell to produce a track of him singing. Tyrell also produced the entire soundtrack for John Grisham’s film, “Mickey.” starring Harry Connick, Jr.
Tickets for the 2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival are available by calling SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200 or online at
www.tanglewood.org. Tickets will be available in person at the Tanglewood Box Office in Lenox beginning June 9. All ticket prices include a $1 Tanglewood Grounds Maintenance Fee. For further information, please call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492.
The Tanglewood Jazz Festival is sponsored by JazzTimes Magazine and Borders Books.
2006 Tanglewood Jazz Festival
Ticket Prices
Friday, September 1, 8 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
The Spanish Harlem Orchestra
The Big Three Palladium Orchestra
$45, $37, $30, lawn tickets $17
Saturday, September 2, 3 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Marian McPartland
Live taping for NPR’s “Piano Jazz” with special guest Elvis Costello
$45, $37, $30, lawn tickets $17
Saturday, September 2, 8 pm, Koussevitzky Music Shed
Wynton Marsalis
Dr. John with John Pizzarelli, Steve Tyrell (and other special guests to be announced) in a Tribute to Johnny Mercer
$75, $60, $40, lawn tickets $22
Sunday, September 3, 2 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Dizzy Gillespie‘ All Star Big Band
$45, $37, $30, lawn tickets $17
Sunday, September 3, 8 pm, Seiji Ozawa Hall
Dave Brubeck Quartet & Symphonette
$67, $56, $43, lawn tickets $20
For additional information, bios and photos on the performing artists, please review the electronic press kit at
www.tanglewood.org/presskits/jazzfestival or to request a first-class mailing contact:
Dawn Singh
Dawn Singh Publicity
617-395-7743 (office)
857-544-0739 (cell)
dawn@dawnsinghpublicity.com
Sean Kerrigan
Boston Symphony Orchestra Press Office
617-638-9286
skerrigan@bso.org
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