Whistler heats up with late summer Jazz festival

World class jazz on Whistler's naturally spectacular stage September 2-4, 2011; tickets and packages on sale now

Whistler, B.C. - Canada's newest jazz festival is set to sizzle in Whistler Village this September.

Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, taking place September 2 to 4, will combine top international and Canadian jazz artists performing in the picturesque, intimate and highly interactive setting of Whistler's pedestrian village. Offering more than 30 free and ticketed shows including a Solo Series, Afternoon Series, Master Class Series, plus a lively street festival, Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler is set to perfectly complement the end-of-summer vibe in Whistler.

""We're pleased to welcome Jazz On the Mountain At Whistler to the resort's exciting events line-up,"" said Tourism Whistler Vice President of Marketing, Arlene Schieven. ""This inaugural festival will cap off a season of celebrations that are fast establishing Whistler as the place to be for extraordinary sport, music and cultural events.""

Guitarist Kevin Eubanks, the first Artist-in-Residence for Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler and leader of the NBC Tonight Show Band for 18 years, will perform solo, with his quartet, and via spontaneous stage and in-person appearances in Whistler Village all weekend long. In addition to Eubanks, American guitarists Stanley Jordan and Russ Freeman, as well as seasoned Canadian jazz guitarists and educators Stan Samole, Lorne Lofsky and Greg Lowe are scheduled to perform. Other greats confirmed to appear include established contemporary jazz groups Spyro Gyra and The Rippingtons, and jazz veterans vibraphonist Gary Burton from Boston with his new quartet and Montreal pianist Oliver Jones with his trio.

""You don't have to be a jazz fan to enjoy our offerings,"" says Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler founder and producer Arnold Schwisberg. ""From the jazz newcomer who will warm to the contemporary sounds of The Rippingtons or Spyro Gyra, to the dedicated fan who can appreciate the purity of approach by jazz veterans Gary Burton or Oliver Jones, we have something for everyone. In addition to the concerts, families can enjoy our jazz street festival with face-painters, acrobats and jugglers.""

The main ticketed venue for the inaugural festival is the newly-constructed Whistler Olympic Plaza, the site where global audiences gathered nightly to see the best athletes in the world step up to the podium during the 2010 Winter Games. Now, a permanent multi-functional outdoor community space, Whistler Olympic Plaza will play host to the inaugural Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler, offering festival goers the opportunity to be among the first to experience this incredible state-of-the-art facility.

Whistler Olympic Plaza will be programmed with four concerts daily, scheduled from noon until 10 p.m. Tickets provide in and out privileges and are valid for all shows each day. The venue will feature the ""Jazz Bistro"" presented by the Globe and Mail and the North Shore Credit Union, and sponsored by Heineken, Appleton Estates Rum and its Festival beverage The Pentatonic, and by WineOnline..

With more than 200 retail shops, 90 restaurants and bars, and a vast range of accommodations, visitors to Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler can enjoy the music, an amazing array of amenities, and the endless choice of activities provided by a mountain playground. 

Early Bird package pricing is in effect prior to August 1 with three-night packages, including accommodation and event tickets, starting at $294 per person. As of August 1, package prices start at $329 per person. Individual hotel rooms start at $109 per night for moderate accommodation, $119 per night for deluxe accommodation and $135 per night for luxury accommodation. Details are available at http://www.whistler.com/jomaw/. 

Sponsors of Jazz On The Mountain At Whistler include: The Globe And Mail, North Shore Credit Union, Indigo Books & Music, Heineken, Appleton Rum, WineOnline, Shaw TV, RTown Communications, The Whistler Question/Squamish Chief, charity partner CNIB and lead hotel the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. 

For a full concert schedule, artist bios and to purchase Whistler Olympic Plaza passes or tickets for the Solo Series at Millennium Place, please visit www.whistlerjazzfest.com.

-30-

Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski resort in North America for the past 12 years in a row, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100 restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 9,000 permanent residents.

Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and whistler.com - Whistler's official source for visitor bookings and information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000 members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.