BILL COSBY HOSTS ABC'S "NISSAN
PRESENTS: A CELEBRATION OF
AMERICA'S MUSIC," AN ALL-STAR JAZZ
SPECIAL, JAN. 3
Bill Cosby hosts the all-star jazz special, "Nissan
Presents: A Celebration of America's Music." Taped in
October at The John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., the special
features performances by musical luminaries Aretha
Franklin, Al Jarreau, George Benson, Herbie Hancock,
Dave Brubeck, Nancy Wilson, Sheila E., Ron Carter, Clark
Terry, Jimmy Heath,
Arturo Sandoval, Diana Krall and Thelonious (T.S.) Monk,
Jr. The program will air
SATURDAY, JAN. 3 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC
Television Network; and
will also include appearances by jazz lovers Larry King,
Richard Belzer, Debbie
Allen, Phylicia and Ahmad Rashad, Sonia Braga, Billy Dee
Williams and
Benjamin Bratt.
Aretha Franklin opens the show with a mesmerizing
rendition of "Skylark." In
tribute to Dizzy Gillespie, George Benson is joined by
Herbie Hancock, Arturo
Sandoval and Sheila E. for "Night in Tunisia." Larry King
introduces a musical first
-- Al Jarreau performing the vocals to Dave Brubeck's "Take
Five," accompanied
by Dave Brubeck himself on piano. Sonia Braga presents
David Sanborn and Lee
Ritenour, who join other musicians in a tribute medley to
Antonio Carlos Jobim.
Diana Krall and Nnenna Freelon sing "In Walked Bud,"
accompanied by T.S.
Monk, Jr., Ron Carter and Clark Terry. George Benson
returns for "Tequila," in the
Wes Montgomery tribute, and Wayne Shorter & the All-Stars
perform "Over
Shadow Hill Way" in the Wayne Shorter tribute.
Rounding out the show, Phylicia and Ahmad Rashad
introduce the tribute to
Ella Fitzgerald in which Aretha Franklin sings "How High
the Moon" to the
accompaniment of Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock and the
orchestra. Nancy Wilson
sings "Midnight Sun" and in the finale, all join in for
"Mack the Knife."
"Nissan Presents: A Celebration of America's Music"
highlights the importance
of jazz to America's culture, and is produced in
conjunction with the Kennedy
Center and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, an
organization dedicated to
educating young people worldwide about jazz. Thomas R.
Carter is executive
producer, Michael Seligman is producer and Louis J. Horvitz
is director.
Thelonious (T.S.) Monk, Jr. is musical consultant and
Debbie Allen is artistic
consultant. (CLOSED-CAPTIONED) (Broadcast in stereo where
available)
Elson Trinidad :: Los Angeles, CA, USA
elson@westworld.com :: http://www.westworld.com/~elson
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question those who question authority, and then question
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