New York, New York, Oct. 1, 2007 --  With an eclectic mix of top music events throughout the year, Anguilla is quickly becoming one of the Caribbean’s hottest music venues for barefoot luxury and pure island fun.  And one of the island’s jazziest events is right around the corner.

From November 8-11, 2007 the Anguilla Tourist Board is serving up some world-class music with the Caribbean’s only pure jazz festival. In its fifth year, the “Straight.  No Chaser.” Tranquility Jazz Festival has earned a reputation for aficionados as one of the region’s only all jazz events. The event will once again be co produced by The Anguilla Tourist Board and BET Event Productions, a division of BET Networks.

The star-studded lineup will feature the legendary Grammy-winning jazz vocalist Diane Schuur; Jamaican pianist Monty Alexander; Indie-Soul artist Liv Warfield; jazz maestro Mike Phillips; Grammy Award winning songstress, writer and producer Cassandra Wilson; gifted bassist and composer Reuben Rogers; and renowned jazz musician and collaborator Onaje Allan Gumbs; along with young, talented Anguillian musicians under the leadership of Lennox Vanterpool.

The festivities get underway on Thursday, November 8 at CuisinArt Resort & Spa with dinner and an intimate evening with Diane Schuur, the First Lady of Jazz.  Shermel Richardson, a young Anguillian flutist will open for Ms. Shuur.

Friday brings a power-packed triple bill featuring Monty Alexander, Onaje Alan Gumbs and Liv Warfield at the festival’s new main event venue, the Temenos Golf Club. On Saturday, Cassandra Wilson will blow you away on her first visit to Anguilla, fresh from the release of her latest album, Thunderbird. Joining on the evening’s bill is Reuben Rogers, who recently released his debut album, “The Things I Am,” and saxophonist Mike Phillips.  Sunday provides the perfect exclamation point to the swinging weekend as the action takes to the beach at Sandy Ground for the traditional free finale.  

Special packages are available with a wide range of accommodation options. For example, CuisinArt Resort & Spa is offering five day/four night “Cool Breezes and Hot Jazz” packages.  Starting at $2,545 they include airport greeting; Caribbean Welcome Drink upon arrival; continental breakfast daily; special dinner and concert tickets for Thursday night’s performance; dinner for two featuring Chefs Tasting Menu at Santorini and two 50-minute Spa Treatments. For reservations please call 800-943-3210 or email reservations@cuisinart.ai. 

Paradise Cove Resort, one of the islands Charming Escapes Collection properties, is offering a “Jazz In Paradise” package November 8-11, 2007 which includes accommodations for four nights, daily rental car (gas and insurance not included), welcome cocktail, continental breakfast daily, 2 tickets for Friday and Saturday’s Jazz events. Rates for four nights based on double occupancy are $1,500 for a studio suite, $1,725 for a one bedroom suite and $2,750 for a penthouse suite, and includes all applicable service charges and taxes. For reservations please call 264-497-6603, email para-cove@anguillanet.com or visit www.paradise.ai.

Event sponsors include the National Bank of Anguilla, Anguilla Social Security Board, St. Regis Temenos, Tropical Shipping Haskins Ltd, Avis Apex, CuisinArt Resort & Spa, Paradise Cove Resort and American Airlines’ American Eagle.

Anguilla is a pristine and private escape waiting to happen.  Wrapped in a beautiful and brilliant turquoise sea, this small island features 33 stunning, powder-soft white sand beaches, warm and friendly people, a wide range of first-class lodging options, activities and entertainment that can provide you with fun long into the day and late into the night and more. In a phrase… it’s the recipe for the perfect world-class vacation.  To learn more about Anguilla, call the Anguilla Tourist Board at 1-877-4 ANGUILLA or visit www.anguilla-vacation.com and www.anguillajazz.org.

BET Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the nation’s leading provider of quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs television programming for the African-American audience.  The primary BET channel reaches more than 81 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean.  BET is the dominant African-American consumer brand with a diverse group of business extensions:  BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET J, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, a full-scale event management and production company; BET Home Entertainment, a collection of BET-branded offerings for the home environment including DVDs and video-on-demand; and BET Mobile, a service venture into the lucrative world of ring tones, games and video content for wireless devices. 

Angela Sinto
E sintoa@pmgroup.bz