On Saturday, July 12th, there is going to be a big party at shore-line Veteran’s Park in Norwalk. Families, groups, couples and singles of all ages will be gathering with their blankets and chairs for a full afternoon of the best music at the second annual Norwalk Jazz Festival.

What they will be appreciating are sounds from some of the hottest new and established jazz artists on the scene today – names like the Roy Haynes Quartet, with its “hard swing” style, comprising piano, bass and sax and led by legendary drummer Roy Haynes; the Damon Grant Project, an exciting jazz ensemble noted for its Afro-Caribbean, Latin and Brazilian flavor; jazz flutist, Sherry Winston, renowned for her original creations and unique style; and, Tyrha Lindsey, a versatile young jazz vocalist, who tours and records and has been getting “rave” reviews. Billboard magazine calls Roy Haynes “one of the seven wonders of modern jazz."

Festival management is finalizing contracts with several additional artists, including Grammy award winning artists, as part of the line-up for this year’s event. A feature will be the presentation of the NJF Scholarship Foundation, Corp. award for 2008, and special performance by the winner.

Jazz has long been a part of the Norwalk scene. Big names in jazz that count Norwalk as their home town include pianist Horace Silver, who in the 1950s with his Jazz Messengers, is credited with creating the funky, percussive, blues-drenched style of jazz known as hard bop.

Norwalk is not new to hosting quality music events that bring great entertainment, cultural dimension and improve the quality of life. But a major step forward took place last year when DMG and Associates, LLC. , a Norwalk-based company specializing in entertainment business management and jazz productions, established the Norwalk Jazz Festival. Those lucky enough to attend came away raving about the artists they had heard, that included the Michel Camilo Trio, Stefon Harris and Kenny Baron just to name a few.

Visitors to the NJF website (www.norwalkjazzfestival.com) can view images of the above groups from last year’s performance and get details on this year’s festival.

“The entire executive team is creating a venue and an atmosphere – reasonably priced – where folks can sit in the open air and enjoy good jazz over several hours, without feeling rushed or pressured and without having to take out a mortgage on their house,” says Herbert A. Grant, CEO of DMG and Associates, LLC.

“For $25, adults can have unlimited access to the one-day jazz festival, so that they are free to leave the park, visit SONO (Norwalk’s high density area of restaurants, bars, shops and attractions), or even take a walk on the Long Island Sound shore. Each adult can bring one person 12 and under, so that solves the baby sitting problem,” Grant continued.

Grant and the executive team is on the move, dealing with the key tasks that are critical for making the event a success: securing talent, lining up festival and media sponsors, and marketing.

“Last year our visitors came from Connecticut, Westchester County, NY, and even Pennsylvania.” Grant explains. “This year, we are looking to expand attendance from this state and also attract additional jazz lovers in Westchester County and on Long Island.”

The company is putting together an extensive promotional program that includes radio, outdoor media, web-based bulletin boards, and co-branded hard print color images and copy that will be displayed and distributed by sponsoring area businesses and organizations.

There will be flyers and posters covering the festival in local food markets, banks, music stores and newspapers. Participating business will receive an incentive, that, depending on the level of help they provide, can include display of their logo, high visibility at the event, opportunity to sell tickets, and recognition in the media. Sponsorship is designed to be a win–win situation – for the NJF, of course, but also for the company.

So mark those calendars now for July 12th, and get ready to have a great day!