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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: Febn~ary 9, 2006 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No.~ <br />SUBJECT: BOCC Contribution for the Orange County Jazz Festival <br />DEPARTMENT: Recreation and Parks PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Geoffrey Hathaway, RPAC 270-1899 <br />Lori Taft, Rec and Parks, ext 2660 <br />PURPOSE: To provide the Board with information so that it may consider providing financial <br />assistance for the Department's third annual "Cool Jazz" Festival held at River Park in <br />Hillsborough. While several bands have been booked for this event, the GBS Recording artist <br />and Grammy award winner: David Sanchez as well as the .lohn Brown quartet -possibly <br />featuring another nationally recognized artist -are the groups for which the Board's <br />"sponsorship" assistance is requested. <br />BACKGROUND: The third annual "Cool Jazz" Festival, scheduled for Apri129, 2006, is a part <br />of the Orange County Performance Series, which began in the fall of 2003 with the "Voices of <br />Praise" Gospel Festival. Last year's .lazz festival featured Eve Cornelius and the Chip Crawford <br />Trio along with the North Carolina Central University, This year, along with North Carolina <br />Central, we have contracted with the Elon University Jazz Ensemble. Rounding out this year's <br />line tap will be Susan Reeves, Equinox and Will McBride. Locally, Cedar Ridge and Orange <br />High Schools and A.LStanback Middle School Bands will perform. We are thrilled to have the <br />opportunity to bring performers of the caliber of David Sanchez and the John Brown quartet to <br />our community as headliners. <br />The number of acts and groups performing is limited by available stage time. Groups from <br />northern Orange County this year, and in the past have filled the three local school slots. These <br />schools have had limited opportunities for exposure compared to other schools in Orange <br />County. These local groups have amazing talent. Two have won major awards for excellence <br />and the Cedar Ridge and A.L. Stanback Bands have assisted with the logistics of the festival <br />and getting it off the ground during the past two years. With this third year, in establishing the <br />festival as a "permanent fixture" in the hearts and minds of Jazz and music enthusiasts, there <br />will be a subsequent opportunity to attract groups from other schools and colleges. <br />