With more than a decade of
planning music vacation experiences in alluring locales on land and at sea
around the world, it should come as no surprise that in his second full year at
the helm, Warren Hill has already doubled the number of festivalgoers preparing
to end summer with a trek to his Cancun Jazz Festival at the five-star Hard
Rock Hotel in Riviera Maya, Mexico over Labor Day Weekend (August 31-September
3, 2017).
The chart-topping saxophonist knows that his crowd covets
value and all-inclusive packages just as much as they value the names on the
marquee, that the location really does matter, that posh accommodations and
amenities are a must, that most of the performers should be jazz artists if you
bill the event as a jazz festival, and that sound, lighting and production
values are not to be skimped upon.
The star power Hill has assembled to perform at this year’s
Cancun Jazz Festival rivals or eclipses the lineup at any event on land or at
sea and is comprised of smooth and contemporary jazz legends and royalty - from
the seminal George Benson and Kenny G to charismatic crossover artist Chris
Botti. Smooth R&B singer-songwriter Brian McKnight will be featured along
with instrumental luminaries Rick Braun, Norman Brown, Jesse Cook, Candy
Dulfer, Richard Elliot, Euge Groove, Keiko Matsui, Paul Taylor and Peter White.
Fan favorites Eric Darius, Michael Lington, Brian Simpson and Elliott Yamin
complete the bill.
“I really wanted to keep the artists close to the format. I
believe that if you are a core fan of smooth and/or contemporary jazz, this is
the festival for you. I even feel that Brian McKnight has a tremendous amount
of jazz influences in his music. He can riff and improvise as well as any jazz
musician I have ever heard. And for those who want to stretch their musical
boundaries even further, we have virtuosos such as Chris Botti, Jesse Cook and
Keiko Matsui to keep you on the edge of your seat,” said Hill.
Along with the four-night festival package, new for 2017 is
the seven-night Stay & Play option. In addition to four nights of concerts,
Stay & Play (August 28-30) adds three days of excursions to Cozumel, Tulum
Mayan ruins, Cenotes cave pools and shopping in Playa del Carmen along with a
Cirque du Soleil performance to the front end of the vacation. Both packages
are all-inclusive and cover reserved concert seating, casual meals and a la
carte dining, beverages (including alcohol), access to all festival events and
after parties, and resort credits that can be applied to a variety of amenities
such as golf, spa treatments and tours.
“The best part of this event is that you have an
all-inclusive package. Your wallet never has to leave your room. And there is a
very relaxed atmosphere. You have the days to spend at your own leisure -
either exploring Mexico or just chilling on the private white sand beach,” said
Hill, who co-promotes Rock Getaway at the same location October 26-November 1
headlining Don Henley, Santana, Steve Miller Band, Roger Daltrey, Bad Company,
Foreigner, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar,
Cheap Trick and many more.
In addition to his award-winning recording career, Hill has
been producing first-class music vacation experiences ever since he launched
the first smooth jazz cruise in 2004. “There weren’t very many options for
musical vacations back then. Now there are multiple cruises and destinations.
But I feel the Cancun Jazz Festival overshadows all the other options in terms
of the experience. The festival is growing every year as people begin to
understand the incredible value that the event has to offer.”
As a world-class performer himself, Hill understands the
importance of presenting the talent in the finest settings with premier production
values. “Our production quality is second to none. Staging, sound, lights and
venues are all top notch. Even though the festival takes place south of the
border, we procure some of the best production on the continent. As an artist
who has performed in every type of venue - from small clubs to The Hollywood
Bowl - this is as good as it gets. And why stop at just great production? Last
year’s closing ceremony featured Mayan dancers and fireworks. We put the ‘Can’
in Cancun, baby!”
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