The 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival feat. Quincy Jones & Friends | Oct. 29th – 31st, 2009

Legendary
producer & composer Quincy Jones (or “Q” as he has come to be known
amongst fans and friends alike) and boxing-turned-entertainment
promoter Rock Newman today unveiled the growing group of award-winning
musicians that will assemble to perform with Quincy for one weekend
only at the 14th Annual Bermuda Music Festival.

“Quincy Jones
and Friends” will be staged over three days from October 29-31, 2009,
in a spectacular setting on the tip of the island of Bermuda,
surrounded by crystal blue waters and performed under the stars. On the
final night, October 31st (Halloween) there will be a special
performance of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – 25 years after the
best-selling album of all-time was first produced by Quincy Jones.

During
this historic weekend of performances, Bermuda’s Premier Dr. the Hon.
Ewart F. Brown will honor Quincy Jones’ lifetime contributions to
culture and humanity with the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Award.
Jones changed the way music and philanthropy interact through his
star-studded collaboration “We Are the World”, the best-selling single
of all time. Produced and arranged by Quincy Jones, this single raised
$63 million for Ethiopian Famine Relief and shined a much-needed
spotlight on the Ethiopian drought.

He continues his worldwide
philanthropic efforts through music, in collaboration with institutions
such as Harvard University, entertainers including Bono and Oprah
Winfrey, and through his personal foundation, The Quincy Jones
Foundation.

“It is my distinct honor to receive the African
Diaspora Award from Premier Brown and the people of Bermuda and to join
with them to celebrate the beauty and wonder of Bermuda during the 14th
Annual Bermuda Music Festival. The line-up of artists that we have
assembled for this year’s festival are some of the most talented
performers of their generation and, like me, understand and respect the
diverse musical and spiritual influences that are reflected in
Bermuda’s rich cultural history. I promise that this year’s festival
will be one that you definitely will not want to miss. . . it’s going
to be hot.”

The Bermuda Music Festival, sponsored by the Bermuda
Department of Tourism, broke all attendance records last year when
Beyonce and Alicia Keys performed on the island. This October, the
Festival will take its musical presentation to another level by
showcasing the many talents of living legend Quincy Jones – a 27 time
Grammy Award winner, with a record 79 Grammy nominations. The prolific
Jones will conduct, arrange and perform with artists who share his
passions, many of whom he has mentored or guided at different points in
their careers.

Today at 5pm EDT, festival promoter Rock Newman
and Wyclef Jean – recently in the studio recording a song for the
yet-to-be-released Quincy Jones Tribute Album – will make an exclusive
LIVE appearance on www.BMF09.com/chat. Quincy described Wyclef’s
performance at the Montreux Jazz Festival this summer as “a show that
nobody in the world could follow.” Wyclef will share his insights with
Rock into Quincy’s magic, their shared musical history, and what can be
expected from this star-studded orchestra of “Friends” in Bermuda in
October.

The lineup – like Quincy’s own career – mixes a broad
variety of talent, range and style. The elite group of musicians share
both musical roots and – in some cases personal ties – with the man who
has collaborated with talents as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Will Smith
and Ella Fitzgerald. The 2009 Bermuda Music Festival artists, with over
45 Grammies between them, are:

— Patti Austin – A beloved singer and member of Quincy’s extended
family, Patti has worked with Quincy since she was 4 years old. Proud
to be Patti’s godfather, Q produced her #1 hit “Baby, Come to Me” – a
duet with James Ingram. She later teamed up with Ingram once again
for chart-topper “How Do You Keep the Music Playing.” Patti’s other
work with the Quincy “family” includes collaboration with both Quincy
and Michael Jackson on “Off The Wall” and “The Wiz.”
— Erykah Badu – Acclaimed, multiple Grammy winner who is known as the
“First Lady of Neo-Soul.” Her work blends many musical genres –
something which Quincy will do in Bermuda – and includes elements from
R&B, hip hop and jazz, weaving unusual musical influences together to
create a rich texture of sound. In many aspects she remains the
quintessential Hip-Hop B-Girl, although she no longer rhymes.
— James Ingram – Versatile soul musician and acclaimed vocalist, James
and Quincy have collaborated in many ways, including their stunning
“cold open” of the 1984 Grammy Award telecast, performing “Just Once.”
He co-wrote “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing), ” recorded by Michael Jackson
on his blockbuster Thriller. James and Quincy’s other hits include
“Secret Garden” (written and produced by Quincy), which hit #1 on the
Billboard AC chart and “One Hundred Ways” for which James won the
Grammy for Best R&B Vocal.
— Wyclef Jean – A multi-platinum Haitian-American musician, actor,
producer and social entrepreneur. He recently performed at the 2009
Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was introduced by Quincy Jones, and
dedicated his set to Quincy. The two musicians share a deep
commitment to philanthropy and Wyclef is a Haitian Goodwill
Ambassador. Through the foundation he created, Yele Haiti, Wyclef
supports projects that are making a difference in education, health,
environment and community development. Wyclef has just finished
recording for the upcoming Quincy Jones Tribute Album, out shortly on
Interscope Records.
— John Legend – Six-time Grammy award winner, recording artist, musician
and actor, Quincy just penned John’s entry in the 2009 TIME 100 Most
Influential People issue (http://tinyurl.com/ckckjk), where he stated
that Legend has “a dedicated work ethic born of (his) desire and
God-given talents to be the best at (his) craft that (he) could be.”
Jones and Legend recently recorded the ballad “Tomorrow, ” which will
be featured on Jones’ forthcoming tribute album.
— Michael McDonald – Michael is known around the world as a founding
member of both the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. A gold and
platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, he teamed up
with James Ingram on the album “It’s Your Night, ” produced by Quincy
Jones. His duet with Ingram, “Yah Mo Be There” won the Grammy for
Best R&B Performance by a Duo.
— Kenny Rogers – One of the first four artists to appear in “We Are the
World, ” the best-selling single of all time, produced by Quincy Jones.
With an instantly identifiable raspy voice, Rogers’ songs “Lady, ” “The
Gambler, ” “She Believes in Me, ” “Islands in the Stream, ” are beloved
around the world. Though theoretically a country singer, Rogers has
delivered chart-topping memorable songs for more than five decades to
fans among rock, pop, soul and country audiences.
— Naturally Seven – An innovative R& B music group with a distinct a
cappella style that they call “Vocal Play.” Quincy is currently
working on contemporary remakes of the songs “Relax Max” and “Soul
Bossa Nova” with Naturally Seven. This past summer, they stunned
audiences new to their work with their special tribute to Michael
Jackson at the Quincy Jones 75th Birthday Celebration during the
Montreux Jazz Festival.

The
artists will perform with an international orchestra, assembled by
Quincy and comprised of some of the music world’s most respected
talents: Greg Phillinganes, music director, writer, arranger, producer
and 34-year veteran musician; R&B guitar phenom Paul Jackson Jr.;
and John Robinson, Q’s drummer since 1979 and the drummer for Barbra
Streisand from 1993 through the present. Local Bermudian musicians will
also join these global talents for a truly unique collaboration.

The
2009 Bermuda Music Festival is once again being produced by Gibraltar
Promotions LLC., in association with Yhoshi Productions LTD. The
producers would like to thank Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Bermuda for
their support as the host hotel sponsor for the 14th Annual Bermuda
Music Festival.

Tickets for the Music Festival are on sale now,
and are available at the iStore and Fabulous Fashions at the Heron Bay
Plaza. Tickets are also available online at www.bdatix.bm. For more
information please visit www.bermudatourism.com or www.BMF09.com.
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About Gibraltar Promotions, LLC

Gibraltar
Promotions, LLC is a full service marketing, promotions and event
production firm headed by Rock Newman, former manager to Heavyweight
Champion, Riddick Bowe. Dubbed by Jet Magazine as the “Renaissance Man,
” Mr. Newman now uses his experience and expertise to spearhead and
manage numerous international entertainment events. This is now the
second year in a row that he has produced the Bermuda Music Festival.
Gibraltar Promotions is headquartered in Las Vegas, with offices in New
York, Washington D.C. and Bermuda. For more information visit:
www.RockNewman.com and www.GibraltarPromotion.com.
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About Bermuda