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2008 Berkeley and
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R&B Balladeer Will Downing returns to the west coast (first appearance in two years!) and the concert stage after long fight with life threatening neuro-muscular disease polymyositis
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Berkeley & l.a. jazz festival
STARRING:
WILL DOWNING - KENNY G – ANGIE STONE –
BRIAN CULBERTON – THE ESCOVEDO FAMILY
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS:
MAYSA OF INCOGNITO - NAJEE (BERKELEY FESTIVAL ONLY)–
Two of the most hotly anticipated and star-studded West Coast summer music events are the Berkeley Jazz Festival (Sunday July 20, 2008 at the UC Berkeley Greek Theatre) and the L.A. Jazz Festival (Saturday July 26, 2008 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles).
This year those all-day shows will be graced with the return of singer supreme Will Downing, “The Prince of Sophisticated Soul”. Downing has spent the last two years in a arduously slow recuperating process for the muscle disorder Polymyositis which has kept him from concert stages for over two years. His dedication to music, however, encouraged him to complete the album he started before his body was overtaken which resulted in 2007’s After Tonight, the thirteenth of his career and certainly among his most poignant and powerful. Will’s triumphant performances in
What makes these concert dates even more poignant for Downing is that this will be one of the first opportunities where he has been able to perform any of the songs from his new CD LIVE. Downing has been unable to perform on a concert stage for almost two years. The entire CD – After Tonight was recorded during the serious stages of his illness where Downing did ALL of the recording from his hospital bed or wheelchair! When you listen to After Tonight, you are listening to music created and recorded by a man coming to terms with and battling a rare and severely debilitating condition known as Polymyositis.
Polymyositis is a chronic muscle disease - an inflammation of the muscle fibers - the cause of which is not known. It results in weakness that can be severe with equally maddening, random and inexplicable periods of flares and remissions.
Touching on what is perhaps the greatest gift that has come from his challenges with Polymyositis, Will Downing witnesses, “I’ve learned that God plays a bigger role in my existence than I ever realized. This was a difficult project to record, but every time I felt down – mentally or physically – I looked to Him for inspiration.”
BERKELY JAZZ FESTIVAL
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Doors open: 11am
Showtime: 12Noon - until
Location: The Berkeley Greek Theater –
& the Escovedo Family
With Special Guests – Maysa & Najee
Doors open: 2pm
Showtime: 3pm – 11pm
Location: The Greek Theater / Griffin Park –
& the Escovedo Family
With Special Guests – Lalah Hathaway & Mike Phillips

Taj Mahal is on the trail following the new release of his project, "Maestro" on Heads Up International.
Taj’s live show is a reflection of that same rhythm, accessibility and fun that characterize the new recording.
Thu September 25th Napa, CA Napa Valley Opera House
Fri September 26th Redding, CA Cascade Theater
Sat September 27th Arcata, CA Van Duzer Theatre
Sun September 28th Bend. OR Tower Theatre
Thu October 2nd Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
Fri October 3rd Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
Sat October 4th TBA
Sun October 5th Washington D.C. Duke Ellington Jazz Festival
Thu October 9th Oberlin, OH Finney Chapel at Oberlin College
Fri October 10th Chicago, IL Morse Theatre
Sat October 11th Chicago, IL Morse Theatre
Sun October 12th Minneapolis, MN Fitzgerald Theater
Wed October 15th Missoula, MT University Theater
Thu October 16th Idaho Falls, ID Idaho Falls Performing Arts Center
Fri October 17th Boise, ID Egyptian Theatre
Sat October 18th Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
Sun October 19th TBA
Tue October 21 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre or Fox
Wed October 22nd Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Thu October 23rd TBA
Sat October 25th San Francisco, CA The Fillmore (Featuring Phantom Blues Band and Special Guests)
Sat November 1st Troy, NY Troy Savings Bank Music Hall
Mon November 3rd Brownfield, ME Stone Mountain Arts Center
Tue November 4th Brownfield, ME Stone Mountain Arts Center
Wed November 5th New London, CT Garde Arts Center
Thu November 6th Wilmington, DE The Grand Opera House
Fri November 7th Great Barrington, MA The Mahaiwe Theatre
Sat November 8th Fall River, MA Narrows Center for the Arts
November 21, 22, 23, Seattle, WA Jazz Alley
25, 26, 28.
29, 30



Ms. Spensha Baker is creating a splash wherever she may be! From special appearances at the White House, all the way to the 2008 Gospel Explosion to come to you July 11th, here are more details in regards to her scheduled events!
Upcoming Events
June 21, 2008 - Priest Holmes Celebrity Basketball Game, AT & T Center, San Antonio, Texas
June 23, 2008 - Full Gospel Convention Celebrity Basketball Game, Birmingham, Alabama
June 28, 2008 - I Hear Music in the Air Conference, Cincinnati, OH
July 5, 2008 - WPPZ, Gospel Fest 2008, Philadelphia, PA
July 6, 2008 - Essence Music Festival, New Orleans, LA
July 11, 2008 - Gospel Explosion 2008, Killeen, TX
July 13, 2008 - Shirley Caesar Conference, Raleigh, NC
July 26, 2008 - Worlds of Fun- JoyFest Gospel Concert,
Please visit Spensha Baker's website for more information. Her new release "Spensha!" is set to be released August 5th, 2008! Click here for details regarding her new project!
Kansas City, MO

July 19
San Dimas, CA /Gail Jhonson
Bonelli Park
11:15 AMto 12 Noon -1:20PM to 1:50PM
July 20
Oceanside, CA/Summer Storm
(San Diego) Oceanside Pier Amph
July 21
Diamond Bar, CA/SummerStorm
July 25
Norfolk, VA/SummerStorm
Norfolk Jazz Festival/Town Point Park
July 26
Mapleton, GA /SummerStorm
WJZZ Radio Station 107.5
Mable House Barnes Amph
July 27
Winter Park, CO /SummerStorm
Winter Park Jazz Festival/Hideway Park
Aug 8
North Bethesda, MD SummerStorm
The Music Center@ Strathmore
Aug. 10
Sherman Oaks, CA/Gail Jhonson
Tommy Rays
Aug. 16
Concord, CA/SummerStorm
Sleep Train Pavillion
Aug. 21-24/Norman Brown
Japan
Aug. 27-28
Melbourne, FL/Gail Jhonson w/Lin Rountree
with Lin Rountree
Sept. 13
Kansas City, MO/SummerStorm
Midland Theatre
Sept. 19
Newport Beach, CA /SummerStorm
Hyatt Newporter Fest.
Sept. 20
San Diego, CA/Gail Jhonson w/JaZz in P!nk
JaZz in P!nk Concert
Sept. 21
Temecula, CA /SummerStorm
Thorton Winery
Dec.13
San Diego, CA KIFM Smooth Jazz Christmas
Show 4th & B
NBs Smooth
Jazz Xmas
January 31 - February 5, 2009
Smooth Jazz Music
Cruise Departing From Miami on the
beautiful and luxurious
Celebrity Century /Norman Brown
Cheryl Hughey Promotions