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| Earth, Wind & Fire at the 2007 Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival Legendary musical super-group, Earth, Wind & Fire, is set to thrill fans at the 2007 Air Jamaica Jazz and Blues Festival taking place in Montego Bay in January. With hit tunes like 'Evil, ' 'Shining Star, ' 'Let's Groove' and 'Keep Your Head To The Sky, ' this hall of fame Grammy-winning group will thrill attendees when they take to the stage at the Festival next month. The addition of the extraordinary Chicago-formed group to the stellar line-up, was announced by Jazz Fest officials at the Kingston, Jamaica media launch. EWF as the group is popularly known, has managed to fuse the genres of soul, jazz, funk and African music into one phenomenal sound that took the world by storm since 1969 when jazz drummer Maurice White founded the group. After dominating the 70's and 80's, and establishing themselves as The Soul/Funk band, the group released their 2005 album, Illumination, on Sanctuary Urban Records. The album features collaborations with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Raphael Saadiq and Brian McKnight and proved that EWF's power to cross decades and generations remains strong. Other top performers on the bill to date include, Kenny Rogers, Michael Bolton, Christopher Cross, Roy Ayers, Chuck Mangione, Pieces of a Dream and ABBA The Tribute, Robert Cray, Monty Alexander, the Stylistics, NEWA, and Anthony Hamilton as well as "the Art of Reggae" featuring reggae all-stars Freddie McGregor, Wayne Wonder, Sanchez and Shaggy. Meanwhile, all U.S. fans are urged by Jazz Fest officials to secure their U.S. passport or certify that the passport of their foreign country is valid before traveling to the festival next year. The call comes as the countdown to the US' Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative or 'passport rule, ' begins ahead of the extended January 23, 2007 deadline, which will require all air travelers to present a passport to re-enter the United States. Air Jamaica Jazz & Blues Festival is a Turn Key Production and has been running continuously for the past ten years. It began in October 1996 on the lawns of the Rose Hall Great House in Montego Bay, with some 3, 000 persons but now caters to some 40, 000 music fans. International acts that have been featured over the past decade include John Legend, Bo Diddley, George Benson, Air Supply, Patti Labelle, Al Jarreau, Alicia Keys, Kenny Rogers, Mary J Blige, James Ingram and Nancy Wilson. This year it moves to a new venue – the Aqueduct - on the beach side of the Rose Hall main road, near the Wyndham Rose Hall resort. write your comments about the article :: © 2006 Jazz News :: home page |