Inaugural Jazz 'N' Blue Festival Benefits Autism Speaks!

SIMSBURY, Conn. - April 17, 2014 - PRLog -- The 2014 Jazz ‘n’ Blue Festival Presented by Blue Plate Radio and Blue Plate Radio Productions on Saturday, August 16 at 4pm is an annual concert featuring local, regional, national, or international contemporary jazz acts performing at the Simsbury Performing Arts Center in Simsbury, CT.  The festival has two main goals:

•  Provide an economic stimulus to the town of Simsbury by attracting jazz fans from around Connecticut, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas

•  Promote autism awareness through festival marketing and publicity and to provide a donation to Autism Speaks to further its mission

Early Bird Tickets go on sale on May 1 at just $33 and go up to their regular price of $39 from June 9 thru August 15. Tickets can be purchased at http://jazznblue2014.eventbrite.com.  Gate price day of the show is $45.

Headlining the inaugural 2014 Jazz 'n' Blue Festival is the world-renowned jazz, funk, and fusion band Down to the Bone.  DTTB is embarking on its first American tour in quite some time and their appearance at the Jazz 'n' Blue Festival marks the first time in about seven years that they will appear in Connecticut and the only time in 2014 that the band will perform in the state! DTTB is the brain-child of producer and writer Stuart Wade who started out with an idea in 1995 and now, with the release of their 10th CD "Dig It," Wade's original idea has become an international sensation!

Airborne is a multi-cultural Contemporary Jazz group based in New Haven, CT. Formed in the 1980’s these veterans of jazz celebrate years of recordings, jazz festivals, concerts, and clubs. The members have toured across the World. Airborne has many award winning and chart topping CD’s and has received worldwide airplay and international acclaim.

Airborne’s musical recipe infuses straight ahead jazz with Caribbean and Latino influences, spiced up with its own brand of jazz fusion and urban street funk.  It's no wonder that they opened for the likes of Jeff Lorber, Tower of Power, Acoustic Alchemy, and many more.  Airborne is celebrating 25 years of recording with their 8th CD, "Silver."

Opening the 2014 Jazz 'n' Blue Festival is Connecticut native, Doug Jones! Doug Jones expresses his passion for music through his compositions and performances. His career spans many years performing in different venues in the Northeast from the Hartford Jazz Festival to clubs in Newport, Manhattan and Boston as well as South America. His saxophone influences are David Sanborn, Grover Washington, Tom Scott, Bobby Keys and Edgar Winter. In addition to his own contemporary jazz group, Doug’s unique style of playing can also be heard with New England bands as well as blues recording artist Mark Nomad.

Doug Jones' third and latest release, “Top Down,” is getting positive reviews. Ronald Jackson from the Smooth Jazz Ride calls "Top Down" “A solid gold star effort.”  Downbeat Magazine says “Tenor man Doug Jones has a fresh voice…”  “Top Down” also features Doug playing flute and harmonica - two instruments that he has been playing for many years but has never included on his previous releases “Shades Of Gray” and “Heart And Soul.”  “One Last Dance” is the first single to be released from "Top Down."

Gates open at 2pm and show begins at 4pm.  Blankets, coolers, chairs, and BYOB are all welcome! PARKING IS FREE!

Early Bird Tickets go on sale on May 1 at just $33 and go up to their regular price of $39 on June 9. Tickets can be purchased at http://jazznblue2014.eventbrite.com