Warm Up with Hot Jazz at Longwood Gardens' Jazz Club Series

In an Exotic Orchid Paradise

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. October 14, 2008

BRANDYWINE VALLEY, PA, January 4, 2008. Longwood Gardens, a horticultural jewel in the Brandywine Valley, invites you to warm up with a night of hot jazz in the midst of an exotic orchid paradise at The Jazz Club at Longwood. This exciting new series of performances features three concerts: glamorous jazz evening with Sophie Milman (January 31), the bold and trendy Grammy-winning Turtle Island String Quartet (February 21), and jazz saxophonist extraordinaire, Kenny Garrett and his quartet (March 13).

Your evening at The Jazz Club at Longwood is a concert-going experience like no other. Arrive before the concert and stroll Longwood's 4-acre indoor Conservatory bursting with more than 5,500 types of plants from around the world, including thousands of exotic, fragrant orchids as part of Longwood's breathtaking Orchid Extravaganza.

As you stroll, sample signature dishes from the Terrace Restaurant?s extraordinary chefs at the Tapas Table (special tickets required, $30/person; $27 for Passholders and groups).

Concerts take place in Longwood?s intimate and elegant 300-seat Ballroom, unique for its stunning decor, including fabric-paneled walls and a ceiling of rose-colored etched glass. After the concert, relax at an exclusive dessert and coffee reception and meet the artists. Tickets are available now and include the after-concert reception. To purchase tickets, which include the after-concert reception ($55 per person; $50 for Passholders), visit www.longwoodgardens.org, or call 610-388-1000 ext. 100.

The Artists

Barely 24 years old, Russian Sophie Milman has already made her mark in the jazz vocalist world. Since her self-titled debut was released in 2004, it has sold almost 100,000 copies worldwide, hit the Billboard Top 5 in Canada and the Top 15 in the United States, and topped the iTunes jazz charts. Meanwhile, Sophie has maintained a rigorous touring schedule, headlining sold-out shows in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Japan, and throughout Europe. With the release of her much-anticipated new album, 'Make Someone Happy', Milman is ready to garner even more fans. Milman makes her Longwood debut on January 31.

The Turtle Island Quartet, since its inception in 1985, has been a force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma has called Turtle Island "a unified voice that truly breaks new ground, authentic and passionate, a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today." Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet aesthetic with contemporary American musical styles. The group features David Balakrishnan, violin; Evans Price, violin; Mads Tolling, viola; and Mark Summer, cello. Turtle Island has more than a dozen recordings and has appeared on the Today Show, All Things Considered, and Prairie Home Companion. In addition to profiles in People and Newsweek magazines, the group has collaborated with famed artists such as clarinetist Paquito D?Rivera, The Manhattan Transfer, and pianists Billy Taylor and Kenny Barron. For its Longwood debut February 21, the group will perform its interpretation of John Coltrane?s classic A Love Supreme, a 2007 Grammy nominee for Best Classical Crossover recording.

For more than 20 years, alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett has been delighting audiences with his energy and his imaginative improvisation. Garrett formerly played with the bands of Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw and came to even greater recognition with Miles Davis late 80s band. There is a prominent Asian feel to many of Garrett?s tunes, with continual doses of swing, unpredictable solos, and the blues. Garrett jams with his talented quartet March 13.