Since September, the EJFO (European Jazz Festivals Organisation) is now known as IJFO (International Jazz Festivals Organisation). The history of IJFO goes back more than 20 years: Several European jazz festivals promoters (Paul Acket, Norbert Gamsohn, Jyrki Kangas, Claude Nobs and Fritz Thom) met in Paris in 1982 to discuss a tour with Miles Davis. Three promoters emerged out of this Paris meeting as the core of what became the EJFO (European Jazz Festivals Organisation): Paul Acket (North Sea), Jyrki Kangas (Pori) and Fritz Thom (Vienna).
In 1988, Acket invited seven European jazz festivals to meet in New York, among them were Molde, North Sea, Pori, Vienna (Austria) and Vitoria. This was the birth of the EJFO. Shortly after that, Umbria Jazz and Vienne (France) joined, followed a bit later by Istanbul and Montreux.
After Montreal joined the organization a few years ago, the time was finally right in 2002, after Monterey and Vancouver came on board, for the original European association to go international–This was the birth of the IJFO–the International Jazz Festivals Organisation.
IJFO is an umbrella organisation to currently 12 leading jazz festivals worldwide. The members do not compete territorially and are situated at times, which allow for the touring of common projects. Synergies are developed during four annual meetings: September – roundup (varying locations); November – industry presentations (New York); January – IAJE convention (varying locations); March – ILMC (London).
Since 2001, the IJFO sponsors an international jazz award endowed with US$ 20.000.-. This award is presented in partnership with the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) at their annual conferences and rewards creative personalities or institutions for their achievements in the genre of jazz.
The current 12 premier jazz festivals that comprise the IJFO:
Austria: Jazz Fest Wien – Vienna
Canada: Festival International de Jazz de Montreal
Canada: Vancouver International Jazz Festival
Finland: Pori Jazz Festival
France: Jazz a Vienne
Holland: North Sea Jazz Festival
Italy: Umbria Jazz
Norway: Molde International Jazz Festival
Spain: Festival de Jazz de Vitoria-Gasteiz
Switzerland: Montreux Jazz Festival
Turkey: International Istanbul Jazz Festival
USA: Monterey Jazz Festival
AMA Tickets Available To Public Via Auction
dick clark productions, inc. and StubHub.com have partnered to auction tickets to the public for the upcoming 30th Annual American Music Awards on January 13 to be televised on ABC-TV, 8 p.m. ET/PT. The American Music Awards will be held at the Shrine Auditorium in Hollywood, CA. The AMAs will be hosted by the Osbournes and include performances from music stars such as Elton John, Tim McGraw, Christina Aguilera and Shania Twain. Some of the big nominees this year include Eminem, Ja Rule and Nelly for Favorite Male Artist (Hip-Hop/R&B) and Sheryl Crow, Celine Dion and Pink for Favorite Female Artist (Pop/Rock).
This auction for tickets to the AMAs can be accessed on www.StubHub.com . The general public can now bid on tickets to this star-studded event. A portion of the ticket proceeds will be donated to The Neil Bogart Memorial Fund which is dedicated to clinical hands-on research for the treatment and cure of pediatric cancer, leukemia, and AIDS.
"StubHub's auction service is great for the AMAs," said Larry Klein, of dick clark productions. "By using StubHub, we can give music fans a rare chance to be at the show and see all the excitement."
StubHub.com is a website owned and operated by LiquidSeats, Inc., where fans can purchase tickets for the AMAs and also get access to tickets for other live event across the country. "We are delighted to be working with dick clark productions and the American Music Awards to offer tickets for such a great event," said LiquidSeats' CEO Jeffrey Fluhr. "This is really a unique opportunity to purchase tickets to an awards ceremony and we are happy to help dick clark productions make these tickets available."
LiquidSeats has offered similar ticket auctions for artists including Alanis Morissette, Britney Spears, Creed and Clear Channel Entertainment.
MusicNet And Warner Music Group Enhance Agreement
MusicNet, a leading digital music company, and Warner Music Group have enhanced their existing subscription agreement to provide MusicNet users greater flexibility with regard to the content they download and at the same time have entered into a second non-exclusive agreement giving consumers the ability to purchase individual tracks from WMG's extensive catalog. Under the enhanced subscription license, consumers can now transfer tracks to secure portable devices. Under the new download agreement, MusicNet customers in the U.S. can now choose from nearly 40,000 tracks by WMG's world-renowned artists to buy the tracks online, download them to a PC or secure portable device, and burn them to CD-R.
It builds upon the existing agreement between the two companies, which was announced in April 2001 when WMG licensed its controlled recordings to MusicNet for inclusion in its digital music service.
Alan McGlade, CEO of MusicNet stated: "MusicNet is pleased to offer enhanced features and more of the music that consumers love. Extending our partnership with Warner Music Group gives MusicNet access to some of the world's top artists as well as more of the features consumers are asking for from a digital music service. This announcement is another positive step in the advancement of our business."
Paul Vidich, executive vice president of strategic planning and business development for Warner Music Group said, "By expanding our relationship, MusicNet will be able to make available to its customers a highly flexible and dynamic music offering. We are delighted to provide our record labels with this powerful outlet for their artists, and we are confident that MusicNet's improved platform will serve as the foundation for many compelling music services."
Warner/Chappell Inks Barry Gibb To Worldwide Pact
Warner/Chappell Music, Inc. has concluded an exclusive worldwide publishing agreement with music superstar Barry Gibb. As both leading member of the Bee Gees and the co-writer of the group's remarkable body of work, Gibb has been awarded six Grammys, inducted into the Rock & Roll Halls of Fame in both the U.S. and Australia, and been a part of one of the best-selling groups of all time.
Under the agreement, Warner/Chappell will administer the rights to Gibbs' legendary catalog of hit songs dating from 1967 to the present. The company will explore a variety of opportunities for Barry's music, including licensing the material for use in films, television programs and commercials; facilitating publication of printed editions of Barry's music; pursuing new revenue streams arising from the latest music-delivery technologies; and, encouraging other artists to record and perform the material.
Les Bider, chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music, said, "We are honored to welcome Barry and his outstanding body of work to Warner/Chappell. The remarkable breadth and depth of his music presents us with an array of opportunities related to his catalog as well as his extraordinary new material. With our strong relationships throughout the music and film communities, we are uniquely positioned to assist Barry with the next chapter of his phenomenal career. We look forward to working closely with Barry and putting our vast resources to work in finding new outlets for his music."
"I'm very proud to be joining this incredible organization," said Gibb, "and I look forward to a very exciting and mutually rewarding musical adventure. Great companies are defined by great people and Warner/Chappell is to me that definition. This is a rebirth for me and I am truly inspired by their vote of confidence."
Barry's success as a member of the Bee Gees as well as a solo artist elevates him to rarified company, alongside the industry's most successful songwriters and performers. The Bee Gees are the only group to have written and performed six consecutive No. 1 singles, and the first songwriters ever to have five songs in the top ten simultaneously. The Bee Gees have been honored by the music industry numerous times throughout their career with 16 Grammy nominations, induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and 10 Lifetime Achievement honors from organizations including the World Music Awards, American Music Awards and the Australian Recording Industry.
Gateway, Pressplay Offer Innovative Music Choice
Gateway and pressplay are giving consumers a better way to experience digital music. The Gateway Music Vault by pressplay breaks new ground by giving consumers the
opportunity to buy a PC that's pre-loaded with up to 2,000 hit songs from the most popular music genres — an instant, comprehensive library that can be enjoyed online or
offline upon signing up for the service. And consumers have the option of broadening their personal music collection by joining the service and easily streaming, downloading or making portable copies of more than 200,000 songs from the world's top artists.
Starting December 7, all Gateway consumer desktop PCs will be pre-loaded and shipped with the Gateway Music Vault by pressplay application. Consumers can purchase a Mega Pack or Genre Pack of pre-loaded songs as an upgrade to a new Gateway desktop PC, or as an add-on item to a PC they already own.
The service includes easy-to-use software to play and access content from all five major record labels plus many leading independent labels. Most importantly, the Gateway
Music Vault by pressplay can save users literally weeks of downloading time: to individually download the 8.5 gigabytes or 2,000 songs included in the service's Mega
Pack, for example, a PC user with a constant 56 Kbps dial-up connection working eight hours a day would require approximately 60 days. And the Gateway Music Vault by
pressplay legally delivers excellent audio quality from top artists with no concerns about viruses or spyware.
"Gateway has emerged as a key supporter of consumers' right to enjoy digital music legally," said Ted Waitt, Gateway chairman and CEO. "The Gateway Music Vault by pressplay is a great example of the technology and recording industries working together to drive innovation and ultimately serve consumer demand for legitimate digital music. And we're now making it possible for people without a broadband Internet connection to get in on the fun of digital music by delivering it to them in a whole new
way. People who do have broadband will enjoy the Gateway Music Vault by pressplay even more."
"We're excited to bring Gateway users a new way to experience digital music through pressplay," said Michael Bebel, president and chief executive officer of pressplay. "By pre-loading thousands of hit songs onto Gateway PCs, we are able to offer music fans immediate access to an entire collection of great music. This partnership breaks new ground for the music fans and marks the expansion of the traditional delivery of the pressplay service."
The Gateway Music Vault by pressplay gives music fans access to a growing catalog of 200,000 songs — including rock, pop, jazz, hip-hop, alternative, R&B and country — that can be enjoyed while online or offline, streamed, downloaded, burned to CDs, transferred to portable devices, or kept on the PC. Users will discover new music and
old favorites through features including more than 30 pre-programmed music stations on Radio pressplay, exclusive tracks, recommendations and community features.
Consumers can purchase Gateway Music Vault by pressplay in three basic ways:
– Mega Pack – Music fans receive a 90-day free subscription to the service(1), which includes 2,000 hit songs pre-loaded and available instantly for unlimited streaming and downloading(2), as well as 20 free portable downloads. The Mega Pack is available through two different options: pre-loaded on a Gateway PC, or sold separately as part of a 40 GB hard drive package that costs $149.99;
– Genre Pack – Consumers receive a 30-day free subscription to the service(1) including instant access to 150 pre-loaded hit songs(2) from one of seven music genres of the consumer's choice, the ability to easily stream, downloading or make portable copies of more than 200,000 songs from the world's top artists, and 10 free portable downloads that can be burned to CDs, transferred to portable devices, and stored on the PC. The Genre Pack is available through two different options: pre-loaded on a Gateway PC or sold separately for $29.99.
– Basic Pack – From any new Gateway consumer PC, customers can easily register for a three-day free trial of the service(1), which includes unlimited streaming and downloading(2) of the entire pressplay music catalog. The Basic Service Pack does not include any pre-loaded content.
Following the free trials, consumers can continue the pressplay music service with subscription pricing options starting from $9.95 per month. Members can also purchase an unlimited number of portable download packs ranging from $5.95 for five portable downloads, up to $18.95 for 20.
Group Publishes Book to Help Musicians
The Music Maker Relief Foundation, a nonprofit group that helps roots musicians, has published a book to help those artists gain recognition.
"We want to give them the r-e-s-p-e-c-t you can't buy. The intention is to get the message out," said foundation founder Tim Duffy of the just-published book "Music Makers, Portraits and Songs from the Roots of America."
"Some of these guys are homeless — or just about homeless — and now they're in a book. It makes them feel good," Duffy said. "They really feel like they're part of something."
The book features write-ups and quotes from 67 music makers and a compact disc with recordings by 22 artists. A second disc sold separately, "Roots II," features 21 more artists, with a "Roots III" in the making.
In the book's introduction, B.B. King praises the music and Duffy's work through the foundation.
"Music Makers, like the foundation from which it takes its name, preserves an American essence we can't afford to lose. The compilation of Music Maker artists enclosed in this book will make you want to cry and shout for joy as only the real blues can do!" King wrote.
The foundation has given more than $1 million to roots musicians since its inception in 1994. It now helps 100 musicians.
Recipients must be rooted in a Southern musical tradition, be 55 years or older and have an annual income of less than $18,000. Many have much lower incomes.
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On the Net:
CMA Donates $100,000 To Charity
The Country Music Association with the help of Epic Recording artist Tammy Cochran and RCA Recording artist Andy Griggs donated $100,000 to charities designated by artists who participated in Fan Fair 2002 as part of the "Cause For Celebration!" charitable benefit program.
Fan Fair, "The World's Biggest Country Music Festival," is an opportunity for Country Music artists to give back to the fans who support their careers, but it is also an opportunity to help raise money for worthy charities supported by the artists throughout the year. As part of the "Cause For Celebration!" program, half of the net proceeds from the event are divided among causes designated by the participating artists.
Cochran presented a check to the Cystic Fibrosis Chapter of Nashville on behalf of artists who designated the charity. Cochran, who is an honorary member of the chapter's board of directors, lost her two younger brothers to the disease and is very active in supporting the work of the foundation. "Country Music fans have the biggest hearts," Cochran said during the presentation. "By coming to Fan Fair the fans are giving a little of themselves to this cause."
Representing the artists who chose the Muscular Dystrophy Association as their designated charity, Griggs was at CMA to present a "Cause for Celebration!" check to several representatives of the Nashville MDA chapter. "I don't think there is a wrong charity – especially when it comes to children. But MDA has my heart," Griggs offered, citing his past work as a counselor at an MDA camp in Louisiana. In 2002, Griggs hosted and claimed the title at a celebrity archery tournament during Fan Fair and he plans to bring the popular event back to Fan Fair in 2003.
More than 150 artists took part in Fan Fair's "Cause For Celebration!" program. The $100,000 will be distributed among 53 charities. The top six charities selected for 2002 were the Country Music Retirement Center; Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital; Special Olympics of Tennessee; Make A Wish Foundation; and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Charity allocations were calculated and contribution amounts verified by the accounting firm of Lattimore Black Morgan &Cain, P.C. providing their services on a voluntary basis.
"The response to the program from the artists has been overwhelming," said Ed Benson, CMA executive director. "They enjoy spending time with fans, but the added benefit of helping their favorite charities in the process makes their participation in Fan Fair a rewarding experience for everyone."
In 2002, net income only slightly exceeded expenses, but the CMA Board of Directors voted unanimously to support the charity program by contributing additional CMA funds needed to ensure that $100,000 would be donated on behalf of the participating artists. "Even though we have incurred substantial cost increases in redesigning Fan Fair, we are proud that we were able to keep our 'Cause For Celebration!' commitment to the artists who support this unique event," Benson said. "And this is just the beginning – we hope that as Fan Fair continues to grow, so will our charitable contributions."
