10 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON LAUNCHES WITH ELLA FITZGERALD 100TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE DIRECT FROM THE APOLLO THEATER!

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACTS: Suzette Espinosa Fuentes Sheryl Feuerstein (786) (310) The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Presents 10 TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON LAUNCHES WITH ELLA FITZGERALD 100TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE DIRECT FROM THE APOLLO THEATER! STAR-STUDDED EVENING CELEBRATES THE QUEEN OF JAZZ featuring DAVID ALAN GRIER, MONICA MANCINI, CLINT HOLMES, NIKI HARIS, WÉ McDONALD, BRIANNA THOMAS, THE ELLA 100 ALL-STAR QUARTET with BRIAN NOVA, GREGG FIELD & SHELLY BERG, THE FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC S VOCAL SEXTET & HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE ORCHESTRA One of the best centennial tribute concerts I ve ever experienced! NY Observer Friday, November 3, 2017 at 8 p.m. John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall MIAMI, FL October 13, 2017 The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami- Dade County opens the highly-anticipated 10 th Anniversary Season of the JAZZ ROOTS concert series and educational program with an extraordinary all-star evening celebrating ELLA FITZGERALD s 100 th birthday. Part of The Apollo s year-long tribute to the iconic jazz singer,

2 this special concert will take place Friday, November 3, 2017 at 8 p.m. at the John S. and James L. Knight Concert Hall. The Apollo introduced Ella to the world in 1934, during the Harlem Renaissance, when she won the Amateur Night at The Apollo contest at the age of 17, making her the first female performer to earn such a distinction. During her life-long career, she made her mark as one of the greatest scat singers in jazz history. She earned 14 GRAMMY Awards and collaborated with Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, among many others. The evening is produced by 8-time GRAMMY-winning producer GREGG FIELD, who at the age of 30 toured as Ella s drummer and will join multi-grammy nominee SHELLY BERG on piano and BRIAN NOVA on guitar as part of THE ELLA ALL-STAR QUARTET. It is befitting we launch our Jazz Roots 10 th anniversary season celebrating one of the greatest jazz vocalists of all time Ella Fitzgerald. An exquisite cast of musicians have been assembled for the celebration, which promises to be a most memorable evening of great music on our Knight Concert Hall stage, said Liz Wallace, vice president, programming at the Arsht Center. This year has been filled with glorious tributes to Ella and deservingly so. I m truly excited about honoring Ella as part of the Arsht Center s JAZZ ROOTS series. Ella s singular artistry represents everything our JAZZ ROOTS series personifies America s art form and world-class performers who continue to reinvent and reinvigorate it, said Dean Shelly Berg, JAZZ ROOTS artistic advisor. Special guests performing in tribute to Ella include a broad spectrum of celebrated awardwinning artists and rising stars. Three-time Tony and GRAMMY Award nominee DAVID ALAN GRIER will co-host the evening s festivities. Grier made his TV movie/musical debut in 2015 starring as the Cowardly Lion in NBC s Emmy Award-winning The Wiz Live! for which he earned two Image Awards and two Critics Choice Awards nominations. He was an integral cast member of the classic and groundbreaking hit variety television show In Living Color, and was named one of Comedy Central s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time. He can currently be seen hosting Snap Decision, a new comedic half-hour game show on GSN. Multi-GRAMMY nominated recording artist, vocalist MONICA MANCINI, daughter of famed film composer Henry Mancini, has carved out an impressive career as a concert performer, appearing with major symphony orchestras worldwide and recording countless film scores and recordings with such notable artists as Placido Domingo, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson. The New York Times has described her rich, expressive voice as the glamorous voice equivalent to diamonds flashing, and the Los Angeles Times describes her as one of contemporary music s most engaging vocal artists. CLINT HOLMES is a consummate entertainer, performer, recording artist, and one of the country s finest vocalists. Whether he is singing selections from the Great American Songbook, contemporary classics, or stirring original pieces, every performance is a one-of-a-kind mesmerizing and unforgettable experience. His new album release, a star-studded jazz collective is titled Rendezvous. NIKI HARIS, a multi-talented singer, dancer, actress and choreographer, is co-host of the evening with David Alan Grier. She is the daughter of GRAMMY Award-nominated jazz pianist Gene Harris and best known as The Big Voice behind Madonna for over 18 years, appearing

3 along side her in the movie Truth or Dare and many of her videos. Her vocal collaborations, which include recordings with Ray Charles, Mick Jagger, Whitney Houston, Sheryl Crow, and many others, keep her in high demand. Her voice is heard on soundtracks of major motion pictures and television themes, including the Fox series Dark Angel, which she co-wrote and performed. From Carnegie Hall to Wembley Stadium, she has played them all! WÉ McDONALD and BRIANNA THOMAS represent the cream of the crop of rising vocalists today. A finalist in the 11 th season of the popular television show The Voice, Wé McDonald beat out thousands of hopefuls, gained a mentor in Alicia Keys and performed live weekly for millions of viewers, shooting to the top of the itunes charts multiple times. Brianna Thomas, who returns from her successful appearance with Steve Miller here last season, has blazed a path in the world of jazz and continues a stellar ascent. Noted Wall Street Journal music writer Will Friedwald has called her the best young straight-ahead jazz singer of her generation. Joining in the tribute is the FROST SCHOOL OF MUSIC S VOCAL SEXTET, a vocal ensemble consisting of selected students and the HENRY MANCINI INSTITUTE ORCHESTRA. TICKET INFORMATION JAZZ ROOTS series subscriptions, which include tickets to all six performances, are on sale to the public with seating priority given to renewing subscribers. Subscribers can save up to 25% with six-show packages ranging in price from $232-$760*. Single tickets are available ranging from $45 - $126. Tickets can be purchased through the Adrienne Arsht Center Box Office at 1300 Biscayne Blvd., by calling (305) , or online at arshtcenter.org/jazz. JAZZ ROOTS is presented by the Arsht Center with generous support from the Quint Family Foundation, Funding Arts Network, and Steinway & Sons, the official piano of the Adrienne Arsht Center. WLRN 91.3 and JAZZIZ Magazine are media sponsors. ABOUT JAZZ ROOTS JAZZ ROOTS is an institution in Miami music and has been credited with revitalizing America s art form in the region. More than 80,000 people have attended the annual six-part concert and educational series, which has also benefited more than 8,000 high school jazz music students who have participated in the JAZZ ROOTS: Sound Check educational program. JAZZ ROOTS was co-created by the Adrienne Arsht Center in 2008 in collaboration with the late music industry entrepreneur Larry Rosen and, since then, has presented a rich variety of thematically based concerts exploring the spectrum of jazz. The series has featured over 140 of the greatest living jazz artists/ensembles on the scene today and has introduced Miami audiences to rising stars and local talent. JAZZ ROOTS has showcased every unique style and incarnation of jazz from Latin jazz and fusion to bossa nova and straight ahead, as well as presented tribute programs honoring American icons Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. Since its inception, the series has included jazz superstars such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, Paquito D Rivera, Michael Feinstein, Dave Grusin, Keith Jarrett, Eddie Palmieri, and Sonny Rollins, as well as world-class ensembles, including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, the Count Basie Orchestra, and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. Quincy Jones has heralded JAZZ ROOTS as the most important new jazz and educational series in America! This history-making series has sold out dozens of concerts.

4 JAZZ ROOTS also features JAZZ ROOTS: Sound Check, an in-depth educational partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools which has brought more than 8,000 high school music students to the Center for a FREE and unique behind-the-scenes experience including: a preconcert sound check; a Q&A session with featured artists followed by a workshop with a local jazz expert that will highlight the music, the artistic process and the practical skills needed for a career in the arts; and free entry to the evening s performance. The JAZZ ROOTS education program is made possible in part by Wells Fargo, Green Family Foundation and Citizens Interested in Arts. *All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Fees may apply. Visit for more information. Ella Fitzgerald Photo courtesy of Arsht Center Clint Holmes Niki Haris Wé McDonald

5 David Alan Grier To download a high-resolution version of this photo, hold CTRL then click here. ### The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from local, state and national foundations, as well as private contributions to the Adrienne Arsht Center Foundation through corporate and individual giving, Visionary Society membership and the Encore Circle major gifts programs. ### About the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County Set in the heart of downtown Miami and designed by world-renowned architect Cesar Pelli, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is one of the world s leading performing arts organizations and venues. Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has emerged as a leader in presenting innovative programming that mirrors South Florida s diversity as well as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area. Spotlighting legends and serving as a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage, the Center presents nearly 400 events each year across its flexible, state-of-the-art performance spaces. The Center programs several Signature Series, including the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival, and a robust program of new theatrical works as well as free programming for the community and an arts education program that serves nearly 30,000 children each year. As Miami s new Town Square, the Arsht Center also houses BRAVA by Brad Kilgore, a fine dining restaurant; the Café at Books & Books in the historic Carnival Tower and a weekly Farmers Market.