The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary

The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival celebrates its 25^th anniversary when it returns to  Wilmington, Delaware on June 19 to 22.  This is one of the largest festivals of its kind on the East Coast and draws audiences in excess of 35,000 every year for a mix of traditional jazz performances punctuated by fusion, funk, blues and rock.

Mayor Dennis P. Williams says "The DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival is a staple of Wilmington's performing arts culture.  The City is excited to celebrate the 25^th anniversary and hopes the community gets involved and enjoys all the festival activities."

The festival is a tribute to talented trumpeter and Wilmington native, Clifford Brown.  By the age of 25, Brown had already made an impact on the music world, playing with Lionel Hampton, Charlie Parker and Max Roach.  He seemed destined to join the ranks of jazz greats like Dizzy Gillespie.  Brown's untimely death in a car accident on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1956 abruptly ended a promising career.

Sponsored by the DuPont Company and the City of Wilmington, the festival is free, open to the public and held in Rodney Square in the heart of Downtown Wilmington.  This four-day celebration traditionally brings some of the most exciting personalities in jazz to the stage.  This year's headliners are Benny Golson and the Benny Golson Quartet, the Buster Williams Quartet, To the Maxx, BWB, the Pedrito Martinez Group and Lalah Hathaway.

Two receptions with live music and refreshments are scheduled following the performances on Friday and Saturday evening.  Both receptions are free and open to the public.

For the most up-to-date list of performers and schedule, go to www.CliffordBrownJazzFest.com.

Special overnight hotel packages are available in Downtown Hotels during the festival and Amtrak is extending a 30% companion fare to those traveling to Wilmington by train.  Go to www.VisitWilmingtonDE.com or call the Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 489-6664 for more details.

The Greater Wilmington Convention & Visitors Bureau is a non-profit organization founded in 1978, chartered by the Governor of Delaware, the New Castle County Executive and the Mayor of Wilmington. Its mission is to serve as the community's customer-focused destination marketing organization, generating economic growth through leisure travel and meetings development by aggressively marketing attractions, facilities, amenities and services for visitors.

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