U.S. Department of State, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and National Geographic Live!

U.S. Department of State, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and National Geographic Live!

Office of the Spokesman

Washington, DC

November 29, 2010

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The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center and National Geographic Live!, presents a free concert featuring the musicians of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad on Thursday, December 2, 2010, 6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., at The National Geographic Society’s Grosvenor Auditorium (1600 M Street NW, Washington, D.C.).

Featured Artists:
Johnny Rodgers Band is a New York City-based quartet that brings musical depth to new, original songs. They are masters of an array of styles ranging from Americana Pop to the piano-driven energy of rock and roll to the supreme sophistication of jazz. The group traveled to Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, Cambodia, Philippines, and Malaysia in November 2010.

Nasar Abadey and SUPERNOVA, a hometown favorite based in Washington D.C., performs and explores various jazz elements such as traditional African rhythms, bebop, fusion, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Brazilian, and free form. The group traveled in September to Rwanda, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia, and Mozambique.

This concert is last in a series that features talented 2010 Rhythm Road musicians for audiences in the United States after they have travelled internationally on behalf of the U.S. Department of State. The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad selects 10 American quartets to travel abroad to present original American music, including jazz, urban, gospel, and roots. Representing U.S. culture through concerts, jam sessions, classes, and interactions with foreign audiences, these musical ambassadors follow in the footsteps of the legendary Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Dave Brubeck, and other great American performers.

The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, professional, and sports exchange programs. ECA exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50 Nobel Laureates and more than 300 current or former heads of state and government