2006 BMW POP-JAZZ LIVE TOUR KICKS OFF IN NEW ORLEANS—THE BIRTHPLACE OF JAZZ
Concert Event Tour Debuts in New Orleans August 18th with World-Renowned Saxophonist Mike Phillips and Legendary Locals Kermit Ruffins and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews
New York, NY August 7, 2006 – The 2006 BMW Pop-Jazz Live Tour will get off to a rousing start with a special debut show in the birthplace of jazz at the historic jazz venue Tipitina’s French Quarter, 8/18 at 8pm.
The New Orleans show—conceived as a “tribute” to the Big Easy in recognition of New Orleans’ singular contribution to jazz history—will feature the tour headliner Mike Phillips, who appears courtesy of Hidden Beach Recordings. Phillips, a NAACP Image Award Nominee, regularly tours and collaborates with the likes of Stevie Wonder, Prince and Jill Scott.
Phillips will be joined by local jazz legends Kermit Ruffins and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews. The invited audience will include community leaders, dignitaries, local jazz musicians and New Orleans residents. “We want this special show to serve as a post-Katrina reunion that brings the community together,” said Michael Aiken, Managing Director of Spring LLC, the driving force behind the tour. “The show demonstrates our thanks for the city’s contributions to jazz and music and gives our guests at Tipitina’s a well-deserved opportunity to just have a good time and see old friends.”
Mike Phillips is renowned for his signature passion and magnetic presence challenging the established jazz norms by embracing a variety of musical influences while adding his own unique flavor to the mix. These skills earn him the distinction of being the first and only non-athlete endorsed by Brand Jordan. Phillips can also been seen hosting his music-lifestyle show, Mike’s World on BET J.
Dedicated to “re-inventing” jazz for a younger and hipper generation, the 2006 BMW Pop-Jazz Live Tour will then travel to six other cities: Chicago, 9/13; Washington, D.C., 9/19; New York, 9/21; Atlanta, 9/26; San Francisco, 10/10; and Los Angeles, 10/12. Further information about Mike Phillips and the tour are available at http://www.ipopjazz.com.
“Our goal for the 2006 BMW Pop-Jazz Live Tour is to make jazz relevant again among young-adult multicultural trendsetters,” explained Aiken, whose company, Spring LLC, is a New York-based hybrid music marketing company/record label. “Pop-jazz puts the cool back into jazz by incorporating contemporary influences like funk, pop, rock and hip-hop, and delivering it in the elegant and intimate lounge settings that they relate to.”
In addition to title sponsor BMW, The 2006 BMW Pop-Jazz Live Tour will be sponsored by Harman Kardon and will benefit VH1 Save The Music; and supported by a multi-platform marketing plan designed to connect with an invited audience of multicultural influencers in the 25-49 demographic.
About Spring LLC
Based in New York City, Spring LLC is an innovative hybrid music marketing company/record label that leverages existing music assets and partners with corporate brands to execute targeted, multi-platform marketing campaigns. To do so, established recording artists are repackaged to create a one-of-a-kind, totally immersive and emotive experience that resonates with a wider audience and, thereby, generates a better return for brand partners, recording artists and Spring alike. The result is a new type of music company that is not only changing how music is financed and marketed, but is also redefining the music itself and developing stronger direct consumer relationships.
BMW Group In America
BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand, the MINI brand, and the ROLLS-ROYCE brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design firm in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all Z4 Roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 339 BMW passenger car centers, 334 BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 143 BMW motorcycle retailers, 80 MINI passenger car dealers, and 30 ROLLS-ROYCE Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North, Central and South America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
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