FULLERTON, Calif., Oct. 3, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- RagFest 2006, Orange County's seventh annual ragtime music festival, comes to Fullerton, October 21st-22nd.
The event, known as "RagFest" by its organizers, Friends of Jazz, Inc., is the only annual festival of ragtime music in the entire southwestern U.S. The event has been expanded to include five venues throughout the downtown Fullerton area, with three special programs and a raft of piano solos and two-piano duets, songs, instrumental ragtime and even a full ragtime orchestra.
This year's festival features Ian & Regina Whitcomb, Tex Wyndham, Carl Sonny Leyland, Nan Bostick, Patrick Aranda, Erika C. Miller, Brad Kay and Those Syncopating Songbirds, Bob Pinsker, Eric Marchese, Andrew Barrett and Bill Mitchell.
The weekend's highlights will include xylophonist Morris Palter; the second festival appearance of the Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra; the seventh consecutive RagFest appearance of the Albany Nightboat Ragtimers; and the festival debuts of O.C. vocalist Debbi Ebert, Los Angeles pianists Ron Ross and Marc Sachnoff, and Jack and Chris Bradshaw, a Gilroy couple who perform four-handed ragtime arrangements on one piano.
During both afternoons (Programs "A" and "C"), Steamers Jazz Club will function as festival HQ, with concurrent music at Mo's Music store, the public library and, for dancers, the vintage Imperial Ballroom. Saturday night, Oct. 21st, offers a revue show (Program "B") at the Fullerton High School Little Theatre.
For those who purchase an all-events pass, three specialty programs are included: Tex Wyndham's one-hour historical presentation, "Tin Pan Alley, the Sequel" (11 a.m., Oct. 21st at Steamers); and a 90-minute "Youth Forum" featuring five southern California youngsters who perform -- and, in some cases, compose -- piano ragtime (3 p.m. Oct. 21st at the Library venue); and the revue/variety show (8 p.m. Oct. 21st at the Little Theatre).
Tickets are $48 per person, with individual tickets at $20 per person for Programs A and C, $25 per person for Saturday night. Children 15 and under are free with a paying adult or guardian. Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount.
RagFest's sponsoring group, Friends of Jazz Inc., is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to promoting the continued growth and development of jazz performance, appreciation and education. All proceeds from the festival are used to provide jazz education, school programs and scholarships.
Checks/money orders are payable to Friends of Jazz, Inc. Mail to: P.O. Box 5671, Fullerton, CA 92838-0671. Orders should include purchaser's name, number of seats required and which programs they're for. All orders must be postmarked by Oct. 14, 2006. All tickets will be Will Call at Steamers on Oct. 21-22 and, for the revue show only, at the entrance to the Little Theatre (located at the rear of Plummer Auditorium).
Tickets can be purchased by credit card at the festival website, ragfest.com, via PayPal. For tickets and more information, call Friends of Jazz at (714) 680-6684 or (800) 690-6684.
Interviews are available by contacting Goffin Public Relations at (714) 528-1258