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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 15, 2005 <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): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Geoffrey Hathaway, RPAC 270-1899 <br />Lori Taft, Rec and Parks, ext 2660 <br />Barry Jacobs, ext 2130 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To provide the Board with information so that it may consider providing financial <br />assistance for the second annual "Cool Jazz" Festival held at River Park in Hillsborough, While <br />several bands have been booked for this event, the nationally known feature acts of Eve <br />Cornelius and the Chip Crawford Trio are the groups for which the Board's "sponsorship" <br />assistance is requested, <br />BACKGROUND: The second annual "Cool Jazz" Festival, scheduled for April 16, 2005, is a <br />part of the Orange County Performance Series, which began in the fall of 2003 with the "Voices <br />of Praise" Gospel Festival. Last year's Jazz festival featured the St, Augustine University Band. <br />This year, along with St, Augustine, the County has contracted with North Carolina Central <br />University and Shaw University, Locally, Cedar Ridge and Orange High Schools and A,L, <br />Stanback Middle School bands will perform. Organizers are also thrilled to have the opportunity <br />to bring performers of the caliber of Eve Cornelius and the Chip Crawford Trio to our community <br />as headliners. <br />Staff has asked the University Band Directors to review the local bands, evaluate talent, and <br />speak with individuals about scholarship opportunities with their Universities, The hope is to <br />continue to enhance the talent level at the festival each year so that performers will eventually <br />seek to join in celebrating the different types of jazz music in a festival that Orange County can <br />be proud to call its own. <br />Members of the business community have joined in supporting this project, So far, 7 <br />businesses have contributed a total of $3,500, They realize that their assistance will benefit not <br />only the student musicians and jazz lovers in the community, but the area businesses as well, <br />Performers and audience members will visit local restaurants, hotels and businesses in the <br />area, paying forward the initial investment in the project, <br />