December 16, 2004

Stigers, Tillotson Return To Boise State Jazz Festival

Curtis Stigers and Paul Tillotson have joined the lineup for the 2005 Gene Harris Jazz Festival. Stigers will be a featured performer on Friday, April 8. Tillotson will play on Club Night, Thursday, April 7. Other major acts include legendary pianist Ramsey Lewis and his trio during the three-day festival, April 7-9.   After a brief detour as an international pop star, Stigers is back to his first love: jazz. Recording on the Concord Jazz label, he has fulfilled the promise of his youth and established himself as a world-class vocalist and song interpreter.     “I realized jazz was what I needed to be doing,” he said. “I wanted to return to my roots.”   Those roots included jam sessions with Gene Harris at the Idanha in downtown Boise when Stigers was in high school. He eventually appeared on two of Harris’ albums as a guest vocalist.   On his most recent release, “You Inspire Me” on the Concord Records label, the singer/saxophonist/songwriter transcends boundaries and transforms jewels from pop, folk and country music into contenders for new jazz standards, with a decidedly modern twist. Stigers has a new release due out in March.   Composer/pianist Tillotson also grew up in Boise and as a high school student met Gene Harris and developed a long friendship. After Boise, Paul went to college at Edmonds Community College, the University of Miami and finally William Paterson College. After graduating from William Paterson he moved to New York City where he started his “real” education.   “Nothing can replace living and playing with the greatest musicians in the world,” he said. Tillotson has been part of jazz festivals around the world including Bermuda, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and the USA. He has recorded a handful of CDs, and continues to write original music. He has spent the past several winters playing in Sun Valley.   Tickets for the Gene Harris Jazz Festival are on sale now at all Select-a-Seat outlets. Series tickets, which include admission to Club Night and both Friday and Saturday night concerts, start at $43 and represent a 40 percent savings over single-event ticket prices. The reduced price is good through the holiday season.   For more information on the 2005 Gene Harris Jazz Festival, including updates of festival performers, visit www.geneharris.org.   -30-   Contact: Hy Kloc, Gene Harris Jazz Festival Executive Director, (208) 947-5667, hkloc@boisestate.edu                                                               Media Contact: Sherry Squires, communications and marketing, (208) 426-1563, ssquires@boisestate.edu