Latin jazz pianist and composer Michel Camilo, of the Dominican Republic, was named ?Artist of the Year? at the annual JazzWeek Awards held Saturday, June 5 in Rochester, New York. JazzWeek is a national radio airplay chart that provides a weekly report of the top 50 Jazz and Smooth Jazz recordings played on radio stations across the United States and Canada. At this year?s second annual JazzWeek Summit, more than 400 jazz radio programmers from throughout North America voted on nominees in 13 categories. Camilo said his JazzWeek award arrives during ?one of the most exciting years of my career.? In February, Camilo?s ?Live at the Blue Note? (Telarc) won the GRAMMY? for Best Latin Jazz Album.
This summer, Camilo will tour to support ?Live at the Blue Note,? including high-profile performances at jazz festivals in the US, Canada and Europe. Highlights will include the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival, in addition to the major festivals in Italy, Spain and France.
The complete Michel Camilo tour listing is on the web at http://www.michelcamilo.com