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Jazz Jams with the GreatsAt New York City’s only Authentic Japanese HotelOutside are the sounds of modern urban life while inside guests enter another world entirely, one equally refined, but with a serenity that is unmistakably Japanese. The Kitano New York opened its doors in 1973 as New York’s first Japanese hotel. Thirty-one years later it remains the first and only Japanese owned hotel and has become an integral part of one of Manhattan’s historic neighborhoods, Murray Hill. Set amidst blocks of well-preserved brownstones at 66 Park Avenue (corner of 38th Street) that recall New York’s gilded age and the bustling Park Avenue, just steps away from Grand Central Station and the shops of Fifth Avenue, the Kitano is intrinsically connected to New York, both old and new. For Jazz lovers, the Kitano New York is offering a special jazz weekend package, which includes a Friday or Saturday night stay at the hotel, dinner at the Garden Café and a reserved table for two in the Bar Lounge for an evening of live jazz performances. Dinner includes a three-course meal with appetizer, entrée, dessert and glass of wine.
The Bar Lounge on the mezzanine level has been converted into an intimate well-appointed jazz club. With its polished maple wood paneling, plush carpeting, granite bar, and baby grand piano, the bar provides a rich and sophisticated experience that will appeal to jazz fans. Among legendary artists who have appeared at The Kitano New York are pianist Junior Mance, who toured with Dizzy Gillespie in the late 1950’s, served as Dinah Washington’s accompanist and toured with Lester Young among others; Don Friedman, who played and recorded with Booker Little, Herbie Mann, Dexter Gordon, and many other Jazz greats; and Harold Mabern, who in the early 1960’s worked with the likes of Lionel Hampton, Art Farmer's Jazztet and J.J. Johnson. Among the more contemporary artists headlining at the Kitano include New York-born pianist Rachel Z, one of the more innovative young Jazz artists to emerge in the 1990’s; Miki Hayama, the Japanese born pianist specializing in smooth-Jazz and R&B; and Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson, the brilliant saxophonist who has collaborated with Wynton Marsalis. Performers scheduled to appear at the Kitano during the special weekend package promotion include: the Lew Tabackin Quartet, the Junior Mance Trio, the John Stetch Trio, Joe Farnsworth and friends (featuring Ray Mantilla), the Rick Germanson Trio, the Javon Jackson Quartet, the Kengo Nakamura Quintet, and the Don Friedman Trio. At the Garden Café, guests can indulge in a menu of American, Asian, and French-inspired cuisine in a tranquil, urban paradise while surrounded by lush tropical greenery and atmospheric decor. Set in a historic townhouse adjoining the hotel, the Garden Café is light and airy in design, with streams of sunlight creating a natural spotlight for the awe-inspiring artwork that adorns the walls of the Café. Headed up by the award-winning executive chef, Frank T. Kraemer, the Garden Café’s innovative menu offers classic American cuisine with a distinctive international flair.
For more information and reservations, please contact The Kitano New York Hotel at 212-885-7000, 1-800-548-2666 or log onto www.kitano.com. Edited by Erika Wright |
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TM
While
the Kitano blends East and West seamlessly within its walls, it also brings
together the finest classical and contemporary Japanese and American Jazz
artists to the Murray Hill neighborhood. The Kitano is dedicated to providing
the best in Jazz music, showcasing performers from around the world representing
different styles of Jazz. 