THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280411
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARSHA GILBERT, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 56 lines
Legendary entertainers B.B. King and Al Green will not be appearing at this year's 29th annual Hampton Jazz Festival. Coming instead are Isaac Hayes and Jonathan Butler.
``All of the artists have a 60-day out clause,'' said festival associate producer John Scott. ``B.B. King did advise us when the contract was being signed that the date may conflict with his European tour.''
King will be leaving for Europe the week after the festival.
``We were told that Al Green will not be coming and were given no further explanation,'' Scott said. ``It's within his legal right to step off.
``Once or twice over the past five years we've had to make adjustments to the list of artists. We'll be sweating it out down to the last day, until the last performer walks off stage.''
Festival planners said they are pleased with the two new names who will be appearing at the jazz festival for the first time in their careers.
``Isaac Hayes has changed the trend of orchestration,'' said Scott, who has helped organize the festival for the last 27 years. ``There is not a high school or college band that does not have `Shaft' in its repertoire.''
Scott is also optimistic about the addition of Butler to the roster.
``The combination of Jonathan Butler's smooth jazz guitar playing and singing has given him the reputation as a quality performer,'' Scott said.
The complete list of performers for the four-day musical event, which runs from June 20 to 23, are:
Appearing Thursday, will be Hayes, the Isley Brothers, Millie Jackson and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes.
On Friday, Barry White, Butler, Grover Washington Jr. and Joey De Francesco will perform.
Saturday's show includes Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea, with an all-star salute to Bud Powell, featuring Joshua Redman, Wallace Roney, Christian McBride and Roy Haynes.
Luther Vandross, Rachelle Ferrell and Ahmad Jamal are scheduled to perform Sunday.
Show times for Thursday, Friday and Saturday begin at 7:30 p.m. Sunday's concert starts at 2:30 p.m.
A free pre-festival concert is scheduled for that Saturday at 6 p.m. The artist is yet to be announced. At 1 p.m. Sunday, Bill Doggett also will perform in a free show.
Tickets for each day of the festival are $33.50 and available at all Ticketmaster locations and at the Hampton Coliseum box office. ILLUSTRATION: B.B. King
Al Green
by CNB