ALL FOR PAUL: LES PAUL 90^th BIRTHDAY SALUTE

PRESENTED BY GIBSON GUITAR

at JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL – NEW YORK

SUNDAY, JUNE 19, 8:00 P.M., at CARNEGIE HALL

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I'm thrilled and awed by all the admiration I'm receiving surrounding
my 90^th birthday. I think it's wonderful and I'm so glad to be around
to be a part of it.  It's much more than I could ever have dreamed. – Les Paul

NEW YORK, NY – One of the world’s greatest gatherings of guitarists will take the stage for ALL FOR PAUL: LES PAUL’S 90^th BIRTHDAY SALUTE, a star-studded celebration presented by Gibson Guitar at the JVC Jazz Festival – New York, at Carnegie Hall on Sunday, June 19, at 8:00 p.m.  Don’t fret, you can still pick seats for the concert at the Box Office, 57^th Street & 7^th Avenue, or by calling CarnegieCharge at (212) 247-7800.

Although the concert is 10 days after Les Paul’s actual birthday, the party will still be in full swing with Les at the helm of the stellar line-up of jazz, rock, blues and classical guitarists and other special guests. Also joining Les for the celebration are his long-time band members John Colliani, piano; Lou Pallo, guitar; and Nicky Parrott, bass.

Les Paul, the father of the electric guitar, was born June 9, 1915, in Waukesha, WI.  The five-time Grammy Award winner and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is the inventor of the solid body electric guitar and the pioneer of multi-track recording, the use of reverb and other techniques.  A limited edition autobiography, Les Paul in His Own Words, is scheduled for release on his birthday with each numbered copy signed by the man himself. He’ll also receive the Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award.  He continues his longstanding weekly performances at Iridium and is recording an album (to be released this summer) of collaborations with some of music’s hottest artists.  A second book, The Les Paul Legacy, will be released in coming months; and in June Capitol/EMI will reissue “Les Paul with Mary Ford: The Best of The Capitol Masters (90^th Birthday Edition)” with new artwork, bonus tracks and liner notes written by Paul.  Guitarists around the world favor his signature line of Gibson guitars, which debuted in 1952. 

The all-star celebration features:

• Tommy Emmanuel, a household name in his native Australia with fans all over the world, began his professional career at the age of four and has played and/or recorded with Eric Clapton, Chet Atkins, Air Supply, Stevie Wonder and others.  He has more than 100 concerts left on this year’s schedule alone and his 15^th and latest CD, “Endless Road,” continues to win praise.

• Jose Feliciano has recorded nearly 70 albums and has earned 16 Grammy nominations and six Grammy Awards.  His cover of the Doors’ “Light My Fire” has become a classic and his version of “Feliz Navidad” is a Christmas standard. 

• Peter Frampton became one of the biggest arena rock acts of the 70s with his mainstream breakthrough double live album “Frampton Comes Alive.”   In the mid-90s, he recorded a follow-up “Frampton Comes Alive II” and recorded and toured with Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings and Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band. A new compilation of his music, “Frampton Gold,” was released in April and included tunes from “Alive II” and his 2003 album “Now.”

• Steve Lukather rose to fame as guitarist, vocalist and a songwriter with the chart topping, Grammy Award winning band Toto.  He branched out with a solo career, recording four albums, and collaborated with Larry Carlton for the Grammy Award winning live album “No Substitutions.”

• Pat Martino has been performing professionally for over 40 years, working with Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Woody Herman and others.  He overcame an aneurysm and re-learned his craft, enabling him to continue recording, performing and teaching to great acclaim.

• Steve Miller, with a string of multi-platinum albums including “Fly Like An Eagle” and the 80s classic “Abracadabra,” dazzles fans and critics alike with his rock, jazz and blues influenced music. Les taught five-year old Steve some chords on his new Gibson guitar and his father was the best man when Les married Mary Ford; so it’s doubly special for Steve to be on-hand to celebrate the birthday of his life-long friend.

• A master of the seven-string guitar, Bucky Pizzarelli toured with Vaughn Monroe and Benny Goodman and has recorded with his son John on occasion since the early 80s.

·         Richie Sambora rose to fame as lead guitarist of the renowned New Jersey rock band Bon Jovi.  In addition to music projects for television and movies, he recorded a blues-influenced solo album, but continues to record, write and tour with Bon Jovi. 

• John Rzeznik made a name for himself as guitarist, vocalist and a songwriter for the Goo Goo Dolls.  The band had great success with the single “Name,” but they became a household name when the Rzeznik penned “Iris,” from the “City of Angels” soundtrack, became a hit and spent 18 weeks at Number One.  Most recently, he has begun producing and, with the Goo Goo Dolls, released a live CD and DVD recorded in their hometown of Buffalo.

• By the time he was 15, Neal Schon was traveling the world with Santana.  In 1973, he left the band to join Gregg Rolie in what would become the mega-group Journey and is now the only original member of the band that has been on every album.  In addition to Journey, which celebrates a new album, “Generations,” and hits the road on June 26 for the 30^th Anniversary tour, Schon has maintained a solo career that produced the Grammy nominated album “Voice” and his latest solo offering, “i on U,” as well as “WorldPlay” with his band Soul SirkUs.

·         Kenny Wayne Shepherd became known as one of the young guns of blues music when he released his first record “Ledbetter Heights” in 1995 while still in his teens.  The Gold record was followed by “Trouble Is …,” which earned him a Grammy nomination, and his most recent outing “The Place You’re In” is the first album on which he does the majority of the lead vocals.

• Blues-rock guitarist Derek Trucks hones his skills onstage with The Derek Trucks Band and the Allman Brothers Band, where his slide playing has been compared to the late Duane Allman.  He began performing professionally at the age of 11 and has shared the stage with music legends Buddy Guy, Bob Dylan and Stephen Stills.

• Keyboardist Edgar Winter has been thrilling audiences and garnering critical acclaim throughout his 35-five year career with such hits as “Frankenstein” and “Free Ride” with The Edgar Winter Group. He has more than 20 albums and numerous collaborations to his credit in addition to film, television projects and live performances where he continues to display his cutting edge style.

• Madeleine Peyroux’s voice has been described as timeless, dark and haunting, but she lights up the stage with her musical stories.  A former street musician in Paris, she took the music world by storm in 1996 with her debut “Dreamland” and is reaping even greater accolades with her new CD, “Careless Love,” and an extensive worldwide tour.

The rhythm section features Steve Lukather along with Will Lee and Omar Hakim.

• Many people know Will Lee as the bassist for Paul Shaffer’s CBS Orchestra on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” but he’s also a highly sought after session man.  Lee has toured with Horace Silver and Bette Midler and has recorded with a Who’s Who of top performers including David Sanborn, Frank Sinatra, Ringo Starr and Barbra Streisand.  His solo CD “OH!” topped the Jazz Beyond chart in Japan.

• Omar Hakim, fusion drummer and consummate session man, got his first big break when he joined Carly Simon’s backing band.  He soon went on to perform with David Bowie, Sting, Madonna and Celine Dion as well as jazz greats Miles Davis, Roy Ayers and George Benson. His two solo albums combine jazz, R&B and pop and gave him a platform to showcase his vocals earning him a Grammy nomination for his CD “Rhythm Deep.” 

The concert, produced in association with Charles Carlini (www.CarliniGroup.com), is presented by Gibson Guitar (www.Gibson.com), the world’s premiere musical instrument manufacturer and lifestyle company, which is best known for its Les Paul model electric guitar that is recognized around the world as an icon for rock and roll music. Additional support comes from Dean Markley. 

The Buckingham Hotel (www.BuckinghamHotel.com), located at 101 West 57^th Street at Sixth Avenue, is the official host hotel of the JVC Jazz Festival – New York.  For the special rate, call (888) 511-1900 and ask for the JVC Jazz Festival Room Block.

For more information, visit the official JVC Jazz Festival – New York website at www.festivalproductions.net.

JVC, sponsor of JVC Jazz Festivals worldwide since 1984, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of high quality audio and video products.

# 2005 #