George Benson To Headline Seabreeze Jazz Festival

The sounds of contemporary jazz from top performers will again beckon jazz fans to return to the beautiful beaches of Northwest Florida as the 2011 ResortQuest Seabreeze Jazz Festival presented by The Smooth Cruise returns to Pier Park in Panama City Beach, FL.  The event, now in its 13th year, is set for April 13th-17th with performances on stage at Aaron Bessant Park (Pier Park Amphitheater) adjacent to the exciting Pier Park shopping and entertainment complex.    

Named "Top 10 Jazz Festival in the USA" by JazzIZ Magazine and recently nominated as "Best Jazz Festival" at the Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards, The Seabreeze Jazz Festival combines the top national smooth jazz artists with a full weekend of fun, sun, great beaches, and good times-- all on the west end of Panama City Beach.    The event now attracts over 20,000 fans from the USA, Canada, and Europe for what many call "The Ultimate Weekend" in one non-stop performance-packed weekend of music.  Hosted by WSBZ Midday Personality Miranda Wilson, fans will get a live taste of the programming that makes WSBZ-FM The Seabreeze one of the most unique radio stations on the Gulf Coast. 

Artists to perform for 2011 include Grammy-Award winner George Benson, along with Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Norman Brown, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Candy Dulfer, Euge Groove, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Warren Hill, Jeff Golub, Mindi Abair, Eric Darius, Ken Ford, Cindy Bradley, Paul Taylor, Marion Meadows, Dotsero, Joey Sommerville, Marcus Anderson, Julian Vaughn, Nicholas Cole, Robert Harris, Roman Street, and Jones and Company.   The Seabreeze Jazz Festival is unique in it's lineup of current top smooth jazz stars--all with recent or current Top 10 Contemporary Jazz hits on national radio.  

Special events include a Smooth Jazz Dinner Cruise aboard The Lady Anderson dinner boat in Panama City on Wednesday, April 13th from 7-10pm with live entertainment from top saxman Eric Darius.   The festival kicks off on the main stage at Pier Park with "A Special Evening with George Benson and Boney James" set for Thursday, April 13th -- showcasing two of the top names in contemporary jazz.  George Benson, a guitar legend and multi-Grammy winner, will be celebrating the 35th Anniversary of his landmark album Breezin during the event weekend plus showcasing selections from his latest release Songs and Stories.   A free Meet and Greet/Mini Performance event at Borders Books with select festival artists is set for Friday, April 15th at 3pm at the store at Pier Park.  And jazz fans will be able to "groove into the late night" after the main performances at the All-Star Jazz Jam After-Parties set for Friday and Saturday nights at Reggae J's at Pier Park hosted by Eric Darius. 

Tickets are limited and on sale at Borders at Pier Park, Kitchenique in Destin at City Market, and Playground Music Center in Ft. Walton Beach.   Order by phone at 1-800-595-4849 or online at www.seabreezejazzfestival.net.  Tickets are $80 for Single Day Events, $140 for a Weekend Pass, and $200 for a Four Day Pass which includes the show with George Benson and Boney James on Thursday, April 14th.   Special limited VIP Tickets for "An Evening with George Benson and Boney James" are available for $150 each including VIP parking, VIP entrance, covered table seating near the stage, dinner catered with beer, wine, and soft drinks, and VIP restrooms.    Special event tickets to the Smooth Jazz Dinner Cruise and After-Parties are available by phone or online only. 

For more information, call 850-267-3279.