WALLACE RONEY QUINTET, CHUCHITO VALDES QUARTET, AND THE VANESSA RUBIN QUINTET PERFORM AT REP. JOHN CONYERS' ANNUAL CBCF JAZZ EVENT

WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman John Conyers, Jr., Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and Dean of the Congressional Black Caucus, will host the 24th Jazz Issue Forum and Concert during the upcoming Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference, September 24-27, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place, NW, Washington, DC 20001.

The Jazz Issue Forum and Concert will take place on Thursday, September 25th, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in Ballroom C of the Washington Convention Center.  The Jazz Forum and Concert are both free and open to the public.  The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) will once again be a sponsor of the Jazz Issue Forum and Concert.

Detroit jazz radio icon Ed Love will be this year’s honoree.  Ed Love’s career as a radio broadcaster began almost 50 years ago and it reflects a dedication to jazz that is deserving of national recognition.

After graduating from broadcasting school, Ed worked for Armed Forces Radio, both in the United States and the Philippines.  Starting in 1960, he worked at various stations throughout Detroit.  For more than 24 years, he has hosted The Ed Love Program on WDET 101.9 FM, in Detroit, MI.  For six years, he hosted a nationally syndicated program The Evolution of Jazz, educating and entertaining listeners on 125 stations from coast to coast.  Ed Love is the recipient of numerous awards for his contributions to the world of jazz.

Performing at the Jazz Concert will be the Wallace Roney Quintet, the Chuchito Valdes Quartet and the Vanessa Rubin Quintet featuring Patience Higgins.  This package offers a combination of both Latin and straight ahead jazz from a collection of superb artists that will remind everyone why jazz is a “national treasure.”  Grammy Award winning trumpeter Wallace Roney is recognized as one of the most exciting and innovative musicians on the scene today.  He blends the bebop tendencies of the Parker/Gillespie era with the more contemporary Miles Davis jazz-fusion sound.  Chuchito Valdes, following in the footsteps of his famed father, Chucho Valdes, and his grandfather, Bebo Valdes, continues the legacy of great piano players from Cuba.  This piano master captivates audiences with both his sensitivity and his exciting style of play.  Vanessa Rubin is a classic jazz vocalist who has gained abundant experience working with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Houston Pearson, James Williams and Herbie Hancock.  The Washington Post has described Ms. Rubin as “one of the most gifted jazz vocalists of her generation.”

The Concert will be preceded at 7:00 p.m. by the Jazz Issue Forum, which will examine the demise of the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) and the new possibilities for institutional development that lie in its wake.  Panelists will include Dr. Larry Ridley (Exec. Dir., IAJE African American Jazz Caucus), Connaitre Miller (Chair, Howard Univ. Jazz Studies), Dr. Will Smith (DC IAJE Chapter Pres.), and Bobbi Humphrey (flutest/producer).  The one-hour discussion will be broadcast live on WPFW, 89.3 FM.

###09-12-2008###