Monterrey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour Coming to CFA

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Center for the Arts at the University at Buffalo will present the Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour at 8 p.m. on March 11, 2008, in the Mainstage Theatre in the Center for the Arts on the UB North (Amherst) Campus.

Tickets for the performance will go on sale at 10 a.m. on May 18.

The longest continually-running jazz festival in the world, the Monterey Jazz Festival is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a national tour.

Maintaining Monterey's tradition of bringing together veteran and younger artists, the show stars: Terence Blanchard (trumpet); James Moody (saxophone); Benny Green (piano); Nnenna Freelon (special guest vocalist); Derrick Hodge (bass); and Kendrick Scott (drums).

These artists have strong connections with Monterey Jazz Festival and serve to embody the scope and history of the festival -- Blanchard is 2007 Artist in Residence at Monterey, Moody has been performing at Monterey since 1963, Green was part of the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All Star Big Band, Freelon has been a regular performer at the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Next Generation Festival, and Scott performed with the Berklee/Monterey Quartet.

Tickets for Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour are $30, students $15. Tickets are available from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in the Center for the Arts Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations, including Kaufmann's. To charge tickets, call 852-5000; in Canada, call 1-416-870-8000. For group sales, call 645-6771. For more information, call 645-ARTS. The Center for the Arts is a Ticketfast location. Students (of any school) must present valid student ID at the Center Box Office to receive discount.