RELEASED: June 6, 2001

DANVILLE, KY—American bands and ensembles from coast to coast will be joined by outstanding groups from Spain and Canada to make up the largest group of performers ever at the Great American Brass Band Festival on June 15-17, 2001, in Danville, Kentucky. Known throughout the world as "America's greatest band concert in the park," the festival brings top international brass bands and ensembles of all kinds to the campus of Centre College for three days of free public concerts and related events.

Highlighting the festival this year will be a rare American appearance by Spain's Luur Metalls, the exciting new brass quintet that has been hailed as the equal of the world's most elite brass ensembles. Also new to the festival for 2001 are the MJT Project and the New Custer Brass Band. The MJT Project is a new tuba/euphonium jazz ensemble that includes a number of America's top low brass virtuoso performers. Headquartered in Los Angeles, The New Custer Brass Band is a recreation of the actual band that was assigned to Custer's troops at the time of the Little Big Horn. Among the returning groups are Danville's own Advocate Brass Band, the Band of the Air Force Reserve from Robins Air Force Bas, Georgia, and the always-popular Olympia Brass Band from New Orleans.

Set in picturesque Danville, Ky., which Time magazine selected as one of America's top ten small towns, this unique festival attracts thousands of music lovers from all 50 states and abroad each year. The Wall Street Journal called it a "monumental brass event." The Chicago Tribune described the festival as "a musical celebration [that draws] the world's top brass players." Despite the international attention and thousands of visitors, the festival continues to capture the feel of an old-time band concert from a hundred years ago. A recent article in Time magazine observed, "For the most part, The Music Man era is bygone—except at Centre College in Danville, Ky., where nearly two dozen bands and 50,000 enthusiasts from around the U.S. and beyond are expected to converge for the 12th annual Great American Brass Band Festival."

This year's festival will include 22 bands from throughout the United States as well as groups from Canada and Spain.

Click here for more information about the Great American Brass Band Festival.

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