The Essence Music Festival has plenty to celebrate this year and it will be about a lot more than music, said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc.

The festival, slated to run from July 3rd through the 5th, will include events marking the festival’s 15th anniversary and the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Billed as one of the nation’s largest annual events celebrating black music and culture, this year’s list of headliners will include Beyonce, John Legend, Al Green, Anita Baker, Robin Thicke and dozens of others. There will also be a tribute to Bishop T.D. Jakes, the Dallas pastor who gave an Inauguration Day sermon in Washington.

The format for this year’s festival will be the same as in years past: Ticketed musical performances are slated at night and free empowerment seminars will be held during the day.

“That’s the wonderful thing about Essence,” Ebanks said. “It’s not one particular genre of music. It’s a celebration of the music of our lives, of all the music that we know and love.”

The festival began in 1995 as a one-time celebration of the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. Over the years, it has hosted performances by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, the Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, the O’Jays, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton and Patti LaBelle, among others.

An estimated 200,000 people attended the festival in 2007, the year it returned to New Orleans after being held in Houston in 2006 because the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts last year with more than 270,000 attendees.

For more information you can visit the festival website, essencemusicfestival.com.

Kenny G is just one of many exciting and internationally renowned names in jazz who will come together when the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival, now in its 31st year, presents its stellar lineup of talent Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th at the landmark Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

The two day event, which annually attracts over 35,000 fans, celebrates the entire spectrum of jazz. This year’s slate of performers will feature an eclectic mix of veteran jazz icons, today’s hottest young stars, world music performers, and Festival favorites.

Back for his 28th year as master of ceremonies is Bill Cosby and the talent-heavy roster of performers includes Kenny G, Patti Austin, The Neville Brothers, Norman Brown, Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius and many more.

Jazz bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding and soul/funk outfit Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are among the seven acts making their debut appearance at the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival.

The festival performers were announced during a press conference at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion. Among those performing is Quincy Jones’ new protégé Alfredo Rodriguez who will be making his festival debut. Jones first encountered the 23-year-old Cuban pianist/producer/musical director during a performance at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival.

A special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ landmark, best-selling jazz album “Kind of Blue” is set for Saturday (June 13th). Leading the salute is Jimmy Cobb, who is making his festival debut and is the only surviving member from the original recording.

Tickets are currently available via the Hollywood Bowl website, hollywoodbowl.com.

Chuck Loeb is set to release his forthcoming album, Between 2 Worlds, on March 24th, and it would appear that the album title may in fact allude to another side of Chuck’s brain.

The jazz guitarist has taken his talents to the page, writing a spy novel titled, “Double Read.” The first three chapters of his first-ever book are currently available as a free download on his website.

In regards to his upcoming album release, Loeb says that this album gets away from most of the technology used with his previous recordings and instead focuses on the basic trio of guitar, bass and drums.

He does however have a little help on this album, with contributions from smooth jazz superstars, including Brian Culbertson, who has a trombone solo, and saxophonist Eric Marienthal, as well as trumpeter Till Bronner and bassists Gerald Veasley and Will Lee.

Between 2 Worlds also features vocal contributions from Loeb’s wife, Carmen Cuesta, and daughter, Lizzy Loeb. Song titles include the cover track and James Taylor’s “Mean Old Man,” as well as “Let’s Go,” “Mittens,” “Let’s Play” and “Hiram,” the latter a tribute to the late guitarist Hiram Bullock. In addition, the song “360” is dedicated to fellow guitarist Pat Metheny.

Chuck Loeb has proven himself to be a versatile composer, arranger and producer. In addition to fronting his own bands and projects, Chuck has produced the work of such high-profile artists as Spyro Gyra, Bob James, Walter Beasley, Larry Coryell and Kim Waters.

He’s also composed the score for numerous television programs and crafted the theme music for the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves, and performed on several motion picture soundtracks.

For more information on Chuck Loeb, including a preview of his first novel, you can visit his website, chuckloeb.com.

Producers of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have announced the lineup for the 2009 festival. The festival will be held over two weekends; April 24th through the 26th and April 30th through May 3rd.

This time of year it is especially encouraging to see the triumph in stories like that of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. A festival which was nearly knocked out by Hurricane Katrina set goals to reclaim itself with its 2008 re-birth, it would appear now to be just as strong, if not stronger than the heights the festival had seen prior to Katrina’s destruction.

The revival of the festival was owed in part to an investment in a broad range of national talent as well as the steady return of the region’s own highly talented and supremely gifted musicians and performers.

The coming 2009 version of the festival showcases two weekends jam-packed with huge names, most notably Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, The Neville Brothers, Hugh Masekela, Earth Wind & Fire, Etta James with the Roots Band, Esperanza Spalding, Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, The O’Jays and many more.

The event also includes a large number of huge mainstream acts including the Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Erykah Badu, Wilco, Sugarland and Bonnie Raitt.

However, the flashiness of the mainstream roster barely resonates in the minds and must-see-lists of those who frequent the Jazz Fest’s renowned trinity of jazz, blues and gospel.

These three entities are without a doubt the definitive backbone of the Jazz Fest and they are the core attraction for people who will travel hundreds of thousands of miles to attend. The big stars with household names will not outshine the home-grown, grass-roots talent that is signature to this one-of-a-kind festival.

In 1970, George Wein, jazz impresario behind the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival (begun respectively in 1954 and 1959) was hired to design and produce a unique festival for New Orleans. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was established to oversee the Festival.

From the very beginning, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event that would have great cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festival was the culmination of years of discussions and efforts by city leaders who wanted to create an event worthy of the city’s legacy as the birthplace of jazz.

For more information, history, and complete daily schedules of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival visit nojazzfest.com.

On February 3rd, 2009 Boney James will release Send One Your Love, a 10-track album of intimate love songs from. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, the sax icon has put together the ultimate collection of love songs which includes new material as well as covers from Stevie Wonder, Barry White, James Taylor and more.

Send One Your Love is the third album James has recorded since signing with Concord Records. The album follows his debut for the label – Shine – which received rave reviews and landed him at #1 on the Contemporary Jazz charts.

The first single is Boney’s sultry interpretation of the Stylistics classic, “Stop, Look, Listen”.

Send One Your Love is a collection of instrumental tracks with one incredible surprise on the James Taylor cover of “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight”. On this track, Boney introduces the world to the incredible sound of Atlanta based R&B singer Quinn. Having previously done background vocals, Quinn has now set off on his own and gladly lends his smooth vocals to the album.

“When I heard a demo of Quinn, I knew I had to have him sing on the album,” Boney says. “His voice brings the track to life and adds such flavor to the record. The world needs to hear Quinn and I am happy they can on my album!”

Boney James was raised in New Rochelle, NY, and currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. James has sold millions of albums, headlined sold-out tours, been awarded four Gold Album certifications and a Soul Train Award, and received two Grammy Award nominations and one NAACP Image Award nomination. James is married to actress and filmmaker Lily Mariye who portrays nurse Lily Jarvik on the NBC drama ER.

“This is my 12th record, but for the first time, I did have a loose concept,” James said back in August. “I started to think about what it is about my playing or my sound that people have been digging. And it does have a little bit of that seductive quality; it does have that low, fat-tone thing.

“So I wanted to make almost like a Marvin Gaye record where you can put it on and it can set this almost incredible mood. It’s like make-out music.”

For more information on Boney James you can visit him online at boneyjames.com.

The Soulful Christmas Tour began at the end of November and singer Will Downing, dubbed “Prince of Sophisticated Soul,” joined the tour that also features Lalah Hathaway and saxophonist Gerald Albright. The vocalist is looking forward to performing holiday material as well as tunes from his hit 2007 CD release After Tonight.

This year has seen Downing concentrating on getting back to performing live after learning in 2006 that he has the debilitating disease polymyositis, in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks muscle fibers. For almost a year the singer was bedridden and nearly unable to move.

In April Downing announced that with the aid of immunosuppressant drugs of the type tested in Muscular Dystrophy Association clinical trials, he was recovering and returning to his performing career.

Downing has 13 albums to his credit and won the International Association of African-American Music’s Diamond Award in 2002.

Downing acknowledges that breakthroughs in medical research helped him beat a disease that initially dealt him almost unbearable pain. “My family’s support, faith in God and doctors who knew how to fight my illness brought me back from some very tough times,” he said.

Asked about balancing his health with his career, Downing has said, “You know what? I take it day by day. You know the phone is ringing consistently for folks to book me to come out and do whatever I do. That’s good, but I’m trying to do a good balancing act now. I take a little work, do a little play. I do what I can do. I don’t over-extend myself.”

For more information on Will Downing you can visit willdowning.com. For more information on the Soulful Christmas Tour you can visit soulfulchristmastour.com.

It is a rare pleasure these days to hear a singer with a completely original sound and an immediately recognizable voice that mesmerizes with sheer tonal beauty and style. Such an artist is soul and jazz powerhouse Maysa, who, like Anita Baker (to whom she is sometimes compared) occupies a completely unique niche in the musical cosmos, at the intersection of jazz and soul.

But Maysa has ranged far more widely, into the realms of Acid Jazz, as a featured vocalist with Incognito, and dance music. Her multi-faceted artistry is part of what makes her special but it may also be a reason why she has not been more widely known, despite the fervor of her fans, in a world that depends far too much on easy categorization.

The release of her seventh album, Metamorphosis, an impressive set of all-original material that follows up on her two acclaimed albums of classic soul, may well be the album that takes her to the next level of appreciation as one of the foremost contemporary vocalists on the scene today.

“My vision for this album,” Maysa notes, “was to change the music a little bit to be in line with the way I feel spiritually and emotionally. On a couple of my previous albums I was playing it a little too safe. I’m not afraid to express myself now.”

Metamorphosis offers many high points that underscore Maysa’s impressive ability to project her soul into different musical contexts. Songs such as “Simpatico” deliver the kind funky Brazilian-inflected jazz that Maysa has been noted for with Incognito, as well as on own her albums. “Never Really Ever” is slinky neo-soul while “I Need A Man” is a straightforward R & B ballad.

Metamorphosis also features some impressive guest performers; saxophonist/flautist Najee and guitarist Nick Colionne and drummer/producer Michael White.

Blues & Soul Magazine has said, “Maysa’s voice is as smooth and as rich as chocolate…its pure, perfect tone is gorgeous and caresses with a languorous sensuality.”

The Baltimore Sun wrote, “Maysa is one of the best singers in underground soul.”

Maysa released Metamorphosis, back in October, for more information you can visit maysa.com.