Denise King to Receive 2005 Mellon Jazz Community Award

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- In recognition of her successful efforts to present free community jazz programs and launching a companion program that encourages youngsters to continue reading during the summer, Denise King has been named the recipient of the 2005 Mellon Jazz Community Award. The award recognizes local venues, individuals, organizations, clubs, musicians, programs and institutions for their significant contributions to jazz in the southeastern Pennsylvania area. The three previous awardees were WRTI-FM, Temple University's public radio station (2004); Anthony H. "Tony" Williams, founder of the Mount Airy Cultural Center (2003); and Bob Perkins, long-time jazz broadcaster and journalist (2002).

"Our region has a wealth of talented individuals and organizations that have helped build and strengthen our ties to jazz. This year, we are proud to honor Denise King, a trailblazer who made her dream and vision to give her neighborhood easy, free access to jazz a reality," said David Kutch, chairman of Mellon Financial Corporation's Mid-Atlantic region. "In our 20th year of sponsoring jazz in Philadelphia, it is fitting to honor someone who tirelessly promotes the accomplishments of jazz musicians, especially Philadelphia-born musicians and others who call this area home."

Presentation of the award and a concert by the legendary Tony Bennett mark the kickoff of this year's Mellon Jazz program at the Kimmel Center on Thursday, September 15. Taking the form of an original glass sculpture by noted Pennsylvania glass artist Kathleen Mulcahy, the award will be presented to King at the conclusion of a free public concert at 6:15 p.m. on the Commonwealth Plaza stage of the Kimmel Center showcasing King's talents as a jazz vocalist. This year's award also includes a $5000 contribution from Mellon Jazz to King's Friday Night Jazz program. Later that same evening the 2005-2006 Mellon Jazz series gets underway in Verizon Hall with "An Evening with Tony Bennett," a special Thursday night performance in the "Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz" series.

Following a trip to Germany in 2000, King developed the idea to present a free community based jazz series in her neighborhood. The result is Friday Night Jazz, held at the Firehouse Farmer's Market in West Philadelphia.

"My goal was to bring the people of the community together to enjoy the music and to introduce young people in the African-American community to jazz," King explained. "The series has served as a meeting place for many different types of people, bringing a sense of change and growth to the community and making jazz a thriving and accessible art form."

The series runs from Memorial Day weekend through the end of September, and King focuses on booking local Philadelphia area jazz performers.

In 2001, due to the large number of children at the concerts, King launched a book drive to keep inner city children reading during the summer months. "BeBop and Books" has helped keep children reading throughout their summer vacations, and the more than 2,000 books given away in the past five years are generally donated by audience members, jazz musicians and community organizations. They are displayed during the performances and are free to children to take home and keep, or trade in for other books.

As part of Mellon Financial Corporation's year-round celebration of jazz excellence in the Philadelphia area, Mellon Jazz has sponsored an outstanding lineup of jazz attractions throughout 2005 and will continue into 2006. In addition to serving as the title sponsor for the Villanova University Jazz Festival, Mellon Jazz also has an important relationship with the Kimmel Center, where the 2005-2006 season features outstanding performances as part of "Kimmel Center Presents Mellon Jazz" series. Mellon also conducts a Mellon Jazz program in the Pittsburgh area. More information on Mellon Jazz activities is available by clicking on the Mellon Jazz link at http://www.mellon.com/.

Mellon Financial Corporation is a global financial services company. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Mellon is one of the world's leading providers of financial services for institutions, corporations and high net worth individuals, providing institutional asset management, mutual funds, private wealth management, asset servicing, human resources and investor solutions, and treasury services. Mellon has approximately $4.2 trillion in assets under management, administration or custody, including $738 billion under management. Its asset management companies include The Dreyfus Corporation and U.K.-based Newton Investment Management Limited. News and other information about Mellon is available at http://www.mellon.com/.