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| George Benson |
Northwest Florida's stunning beaches and natural
setting is paired with Grammy winners George Benson, David Sanborn, and Al
Jarreau as the 17th Annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival® returns to Panama City
Beach, Florida April 22-26th. The event has become an annual celebration for
jazz-minded adults where the allure of great beaches, exciting shopping, and
world-class restaurants all combine for a true vacation getaway.
Panama City Beach provides the perfect backdrop for
the “ultimate” jazz beach weekend with the festival attracting attendees from
42 U.S. states and over seven countries, plus also being named “Top 10 Jazz
Festival in the USA” by JazzIZ Magazine. Smooth jazz blowing gently in the
coastal breezes is just one unique feature at one of the nation’s fastest
growing “destination music festivals” on the Gulf Coast.
Artists to perform include Grammy winners George
Benson, David Sanborn, and Al Jarreau – along with renowned musicians Brian
Culbertson, The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman, Euge Groove, BwB featuring
Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, and Rick Braun, Down To The Bone, The Sax Pack
featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Steve Cole, and Kim Waters, Mindi Abair and the
Boneshakers, Ken Ford, Acoustic Alchemy, Jazz Funk Soul featuring Chuck Loeb,
Jeff Lorber, and Everette Harp, Chris Standring, Eric Darius, Four 80 East,
Matt Marshak, Marcus Anderson, Josh Vietti, The Urban Jazz Coalition featuring
Althea Rene, Rob Tardik, and Seabreeze Rising Star performer Ryan Montano.
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| Brian Culbertson |
Main performances will take place at the Aaron Beasant
Park Amphitheater adjacent to Pier Park, with nightly After-Party All-Star Jam
Shows at two venues at adjacent Pier Park. To further showcase the beauty of
Panama City Beach, a Dinner and Lunch Smooth Jazz Cruise aboard “The Solaris”
Dinner Yacht is set departing the Lighthouse Marina cruising picturesque
St.Andrews Bay—each with a live jazz performance on board.
Smooth Jazz fans have a unique and intimate connection
to the festival’s music and core artists base. The “smooth jazz lifestyle” is
the secret to the success of The Seabreeze Jazz Festival® where the R & B
based smooth contemporary jazz literally creates a synergy for the whole
weekend. The licks of the funky bass lines and pop-friendly musical hooks keep
the crowds moving to the beat, almost like the tempo of the swaying palm trees
around beautiful Aaron Beasant Park Amphitheater at Pier Park.
Smooth jazz is the epitome of “The Good Life”; laid
back yet upscale at the same time, relaxing and familiar as a pair of your most
comfortable beach sandals. The audience consists of upscale college-educated
professional adults, primarily 35-55 years old with high amounts of
discretionary income. Some economists call this very desirable demographic
group “The Alpha Baby Boomers” –attributing to the $14.2 million impact that
the Seabreeze Jazz Festival® generates in the Northwest Florida economy.
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| David Sanborn |
The event hosts close to 28,000 for the weekend, with
a large percentage of fans traveling hundreds if not thousands of miles away to
attend. 60% of the festival’s tickets are sold outside the State of Florida,
making it a true destination festival for the region. The alluring appeal of Pier Park and the
new resort-style architecture along with west end of Panama City Beach beckons
even the most cosmopolitan city-dweller to join in on the fun, and get their
toes in the sands.
“We are thrilled to partner, once again, with festival
founders, Mark and Renee’ Carter and to sponsor this exciting event,” said Lino
Maldonado, vice president of operations, Wyndham Vacation Rentals, Gulf
Region—Presenting Sponsor of the event. “The Seabreeze Jazz Festival® continues
to attract an international audience attended by guests from 42 states and 7
countries to Northwest Florida’s white sand beaches for the ultimate weekend of
music. Our multi-year sponsorship agreement for the Seabreeze Jazz Festival®
demonstrates our commitment to strengthening tourism in Panama City Beach and
across Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.”
The venue's location is adjacent to Pier Park (a Simon
Mall property) sporting over 160 retail stores, a 16-screen stadium-seating
cinema, numerous eateries, nightclubs, even a small amusement park to pacify
all of the family’s pastimes. The newly completed City Pier across the street
from the festival stage and miles of white-sand beaches also provides a nearby
escape from the live entertainment. That is, if you muster up enough to pull
away from the star-studded contemporary jazz lineup.
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| Al Jarreau |
The Seabreeze Jazz Festival® will make history in 2015
as the first event on the Gulf Coast to implement a new innovative RFID armband
system from Intellitix for both entry and all festival purchases, essentially
making the entire event both “ticketless” and “cashless”. In 2014, over 40
events in 10 countries have used this exciting new system. Fast Company
Magazine recently named Intellitix as one of the “Top 10 Most Innovative
Companies” for live events in 2014.
For the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, this new technology
will take on a jazz theme as festival organizers will be calling the special
wristbands “JazzBands”. The embedded RFID chip inside will not only act as the
patron’s ticket for entry, but also their wallet for all purchases inside the
venue. Attendees can either “load” funds via their credit card in advance of
the event online, or on site with credit or cash at several jazz festival “Top
Up” stations throughout the event. All it takes is a quick swipe for any
purchase in front of a tablet-size screen, and fans are back to the music and
smooth jazz fun, with easy access to their “JazzBand” account via their
smartphone. Intellitix’s exciting new RFID armband system dramatically reduces
time spent at entry gates as well as in queue lines for merchandise, food, and
beverages. Any unspent funds on the wristbands are refunded back to the user’s
credit card immediately following the event.
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