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The Voice of America (VOA) and the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (DEJF) are hosting a free concert in memory of VOA jazz host Willis Conover and in observance of the 50th anniversary of Dizzy Gillespie's first State Department-sponsored trip.

  
  DATE: Monday, September 17, 2007

  TIME: 7:30 PM

PERFORMERS:	Paquito D'Rivera, Musical Director - Alto Saxophone, Clarinet (Cuba)
	Milcho Leviev - Piano (Bulgaria)
	George Mraz - Bass (Czech Republic)
	Valery Ponomarev - Trumpet (Russia)
	Horacio Hernandez - Drums (Cuba)

PLACE:	VOA Headquarters
	Wilbur J. Cohen Building Auditorium
	330 Independence Avenue, SW  C Street entrance
	(1 blk. From Federal Center Southwest Metro stop)
	Security Screening will be in effect.
	(Photo I.D. Required)

RESERVATIONS:      Limited Seating - FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Reservations required by Sept. 13 to (202) 203-4962 or via e-mail at publicaffairs@voa.gov.

Called by Reader's Digest "the world's favorite American," Willis Conover hosted VOA's premiere jazz broadcast for over 40 years and was a legend around the world for his command of America's art form and for his interviews with Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Count Basie and virtually the entire pantheon of jazz artists from the 1950s through the 1990s. He influenced a generation of musicians around the world, including Cuban-born jazz great Paquito D'Rivera. D’Rivera will lead a quintet made up of another Cuban-born musician and three players from former Soviet Bloc countries.

Listen to John Stevenson's interview about Willis Conover on WPFW.

For further information, please contact VOA’s Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4959 or Jana La Sorte, DEJF, at: (347) 742-9595 (mobile).  www.dejazzfest.org