Release Date: April 17, 2007

"Jazz in the Garden" Concerts Return for Seventh Consecutive Summer in National Gallery of Art sculpture Garden every Friday, 5:00 – 8:30 PM,
May 25–August 31, 2007

Washington, D.C. – In recognition of April as Jazz Appreciation Month, the National Gallery of Art announces the return of its popular summer concert series Jazz in the Garden. For the seventh consecutive year, top local and regional artists will perform a mix of eclectic jazz, from swing to progressive to Latin, in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden every Friday, 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., May 25 through August 31, rain or shine.

The concerts take place in front of the Pavilion Café, next to the grand fountain and reflecting pool with eight water jets that shoot water more than 20 feet into the air. Visitors can relax indoors or out while listening to live jazz and enjoying delicious food and drink selections from a seasonal light-fare menu, or may dance to hot tunes. Admission to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden and jazz performances is free of charge.

The National Gallery of Art Jazz in the Garden concert series began in May 2001 and quickly became a favorite after-work destination. To date, approximately 740,000 visitors have enjoyed dining, listening, and dancing to various styles of jazz performed live by local and regional musicians.

Jazz in the Garden is sponsored by Guest Services, Inc., and the National Gallery of Art.

Performances

In inclement weather, concerts are held inside the Pavilion Café. The schedule for this season is as follows:

May 25: Afro Bop Alliance (Latin Jazz)
June 1: Rick Whitehead Jazz Trio (Guitar)
June 8: Frank LoCrasto Group (Piano)
June 15: Nasar Abadey and Supernova (Modern Jazz)
June 22: Jessica Settles Group (Jazz Vocalist)
June 29: Thad Wilson’s Ugetzu (Big Band)
July 6: The Young Lions (Energy Jazz)
July 13: C-Phyve (Modern Jazz)
July 20: Gary Motley (Piano)
July 27: Warren Wolf (Vibraphone)
August 3: Matt Rippetoe Group (Saxophone)
August 10: North/South Ensemble (Jazz Quintet)
August 17: The Greg Hatza Organization (Organ Trio)
August 24: Marc Cary and the Focus Trio (Piano)
August 31: Johnny O'Neal (Piano)

Pavilion Café

During the jazz concerts, a special menu of creative American cuisine and full beverage service is available inside the Pavilion Café or from carts located on the two paved patios designed especially for dining, outside the café. This year’s Jazz in the Garden offerings include a combination of old favorites and new flavor pairings: spinach and artichoke dip served in a freshly baked bread boule; gourmet fruit & cheese; homemade avocado ravioli served over arugula and drizzled with mango puree; fresh sesame crusted ahi tuna served with a soy-ginger marinade; and a seafood salad of crabmeat, mussels, and shrimp with jicama and ginger, flavored with mango and cilantro and served over cellophane noodles. "Hot off the grill" barbeque selections include beef tenderloin and shrimp kabobs, and pulled pork barbeque sandwiches. In addition, gelato is available from carts stationed around the fountain.

Beer, wine, and sangria are available inside the café or from full service bars around the cafe. Alcoholic beverages must be purchased at the Pavilion Café. Coolers are not permitted.

Sculpture Garden

Designed to offer year-round enjoyment to the public in one of the preeminent locations on the National Mall, the 6.1-acre National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opened to the public on May 23, 1999. The richly landscaped setting provides a distinctive setting for 17 monumental works of 20th-century sculpture by internationally renowned artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Tony Smith, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and others. Visitors may enjoy spacious seating and walking areas amid the native American canopy and flowering trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden was given to the nation by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. For more details, visit
http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/sculptureinfo.shtm.

Hours and Location

The summer hours of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden from May 25 through September 3 are as follows:
Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Pavilion Café remains open until 8:30 p.m. on Fridays during the Jazz in the Garden concert series, and until 6:00 p.m. the rest of the week.

Located at Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW, on the National Mall in the block adjacent to the West Building of the Gallery, the Garden has six entryways and is accessible to visitors with disabilities.

The nearest Metro stations are Archives/Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow lines), Smithsonian (Blue/Orange lines), and Judiciary Square (Red line). DC Circulator Bus stops are located at Fourth Street and Madison Drive NW, and on Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

For More Information

Jazz in the Garden concerts and performers: call (202) 289-3360 or visit http://www.nga.gov/programs/jazz.shtm.
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden: visit http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/sculptureinfo.shtm.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

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"Jazz in the Garden" Concerts Return for Seventh Consecutive Summer in National Gallery of Art sculpture Garden every Friday, 5:00 – 8:30 PM, May 25–August 31, 2007

"Jazz in the Garden" Concerts Return for Seventh Consecutive Summer in National Gallery of Art sculpture Garden every Friday, 5:00 – 8:30 PM,
May 25–August 31, 2007