Caramoor Music Festival

“Caramoor is a beautiful place where the spirit of Jazz and the wonder of music will come together for 2 days and combine with the rhythm of nature. It is a place that allows people to gather and experience the richness of sound while viewing and roaming ecstatic gardens situated on a incredibly beautiful 100 acre estate 40 miles from New York City.

Some of the greatest jazz musicians in the world have taken part in the Caramoor Music Festival, and this summer is no exception with two days of featured jazz on July 28th and then again on August 4th.  Located in Katonah, New York, the magnificent Caramoor estate began featuring primarily classical music in 1945 until jazz was introduced 14 years ago and it has been going strong ever since. The 2007 Caramoor International Music Festival season opened on Saturday June 23rd to the sounds of Helen Grimaud, on piano and the Orchestra of St Luke’s conducted by Peter Qundian and will continue until August 5th when it will round out the season with Beethoven’s Sonata No. 30, Opus 109 in E Major, No. 31, Opus 110 in A-flat, and No. 32 Opus 111, in C Minor.

“Caramoor is a beautiful place where the spirit of Jazz and the wonder of music will come together for 2 days and combine with the rhythm of nature.  It is a place that allows people to gather and experience the richness of sound while viewing and roaming ecstatic gardens situated on a incredibly beautiful 100 acre estate 40 miles from New York City.  Yet it feels nothing like New York City” said Jim Luce, Caramoor’s Jazz Festival Producer.

 “The architecture within Caramoor is very Italian and depicts an 18th-century Renaissance appeal with its marble, porcelain, and jade objects.  People who come to Caramoor for the first time marvel at the beautiful statutes, tapestries, and paintings imported from Europe.  Caramoor is the legacy of Walter and Lucie Rosen, who built the great house with the intentions of creating a place to listen to music and entertain friends.  The Rosens eventually opened the house to the public and the seeds of the International Musical Festival were sown.  Today people can picnic on the lawns while listening to both classical and jazz music.  They can visit the House Museum and enjoy the wonderful acoustics within the Venetian Theatre where concerts take place.  This year we are featuring a Latin American music initiative called “Sonidos Latinos,” which includes a focus on the music of Venezuela and Brazil while exploring the indigenous and traditional music of the Latin culture,” continued Luce.

People can put their finger on the Latin pulse on Saturday, July 28th when Caramoor opens it grounds to the public at 12:00 noon.  The music begins in the Venetian Theater at 3:00 p.m., with the David Sanchez Quartet, followed at 4:00 p.m., by the Geri Allen Trio and then at 5:00 p.m., with the Steve Turre Quintet.  Music aficionados can then take a music break while reposing on the lovely picnic grounds with family and friends, stroll the beautiful gardens, visit the House Museum, gift shop and/or partake of Caramoor’s caterer, Just for Jazz: Great Performances’ delicious grilled chicken burgers, ribs, and hot dogs before once again being treated to the music of Weber Iago & Jovino Santos Neto when they play the music of Brazil via the piano at 8:00 p.m.  And then at 9:00 p.m. fans can lounge under the stars while listening to the music of world class artist and legend Eddie Palmieri’s Afro-Caribbean Jazz Septet.

On Saturday, August 4th the Latin sound will continue once again in the Venetian Theatre with Arturo O’Farrill Trio at 3:00 p.m. Visitors are treated to a solo piano rendition by Fred Hersch at 4:00 p.m., and then the magnificent Odean Pope Saxophone Choir with Special Guest Joe Lovano sitting in, will perform. At 8:00 fans are treated to the music of the Brad Mehldau Trio and finally at 9:00 p.m., the jazz part of Caramoor will draw to a close with the music of the Joe Lovano/Paquito D’Rivera Festival Ensemble.

“This will be the first time that two Fazioli pianos will be featured,” claimed Luce.  The pianos will be furnished courtesy of Klavierhaus, Inc., located at 211 West 58th Street, in New York.  Fewer than 100 Faziolis are available world wide each year.

To learn more about the 14th Annual 2007 Caramoor International Summer Music Festival tune into www.SARFMRADIO.com for an exclusive interview with Jim Luce, Caramoor’s Jazz Festival Producer on Thursday, June 26th at 9:35 p.m.

Tickets prices range from $35 to $50.00 and can be ordered by calling the Caramoor Box Office at 914-232-1252.  The Caramoor Festival is held each summer within the lovely Mediterranean-styled villa and garden compound in Westchester County, New York.   For a more in depth roster of events and further information and directions by car, bus and/or rail see www.caramoor.org.

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