Houston's Juneteenth Celebration presents Glen David Andrews at Miller Outdoor Theatre on June 19

[Mark]

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration presents an exciting music lineup to
celebrate Juneteenth, one of the region's most significant historic
events, which commemorates the abolition of slavery in Texas. Music
fans will gather from across the region at Miller Outdoor Theatre,
Houston's largest public outdoor theatre, at 7pm on Sunday, June 19,
2011, to hear performances by noted artists representing the rich
African American musical traditions of the region, including blues,
jazz, brass band, funk and zydeco. Houston's Juneteenth Celebration
attracts 8,000 - 9,000 Houstonians and visitors to the city each year.
The event is free.

Highlighting this year's musical performances is the Glen David
Andrews Band, from New Orleans, Louisiana. Singer and trombone player
Glen David Andrews, whose cousin is Troy Andrews (Trombone Shorty), is
equally as studied and practiced in the traditions of New Orleans
music, including brass band and second line music, traditional jazz
and gospel, and modern funk and R&B. A rising star, Glen David Andrews
appears in two seasons of HBO's "Tremé", and is featured in numerous
documentaries, including Lolis Eric Elie's "Faubourg Tremé: The Untold
Story of Black New Orleans" and Spike Lee's "When the Levees Broke".

While the Glen David Andrews Band will bring his lively New Orleans
jazz and brass band sound to Miller Outdoor Theatre, Corey Ledet and
His Zydeco Band will present the rural Creole zydeco music that is
always a hit with Houston audiences. Originally from Houston, Texas,
Ledet began playing zydeco music at age 10 and soon moved to southwest
Louisiana to hone his zydeco skills with legends of the music and tour
the festival circuit after releasing his first CD in 1999.

Blues legend Texas Johnny Brown and the Quality Blues Band will
provide the soul-searching blues sound to the lineup. Brown's
extensive career as a recording artist and major festival attraction
started when he toured with Bobby "Blue" Bland and Junior Parker in
the 1950s and 1960s as guitarist and bandleader, and worked as a
studio musician for Houston's Duke-Peacock Records.

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration will honor Ms. Izola Ethel Fedford
Collins of Galveston, Texas, a writer and educator who is the author
of numerous articles and books, including "Island of Color: Where
Juneteenth Started". She will be present to meet with interested
audience members and sign books. Informative presentations will be
made by Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Houston Mayor Annise Parker,
City Council Members Wanda Adams, and other community leaders.

During music breaks, the audience will be treated to short readings by
young poets who were featured in the "Space City Slam: Grand Slam
2011" Houston competition, who will go on to national competition.

Juneteenth ("Emancipation Day"), with its roots in Galveston, Texas,
is a historical observance growing in popularity across the Gulf Coast
and the United States. Officially observed in more than 26 states,
Juneteenth is honored in many of the same ways as July 4th – with
family get-togethers, cookouts, religious gatherings, and live music.
Juneteenth began on June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger
read General Order No. 3 in Galveston, more than two months after the
end of the Civil War, proclaiming "Slaves are free." Juneteenth spread
to Houston, where it has been celebrated annually for nearly 150
years. In 2008, Houston's Juneteenth Celebration was called the
"Number 3 Hotspot in the Nation" by Smithsonian Magazine in an article
about summer festival destinations. The event is attended by people
from coast to coast – from San Jose, California to Bangor, Maine.

Houstonians are urged to strengthen the tradition of Juneteenth by
coming to Hermann Park early on Sunday, June 19, 2011, to celebrate
with family, friends and coworkers. The park features 445 wooded acres
with picnic tables and grills, along with fountains, gardens, statues,
playgrounds for children and educational facilities, such as the
Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo.

Miller Outdoor Theatre is located in Hermann Park at 6000 Hermann Park
Drive, Houston, Texas, 77030. Miller Outdoor Theatre is wheelchair
accessible. MetroRail serves Hermann Park. Information can be found at
www.ridemetro.org. Concert-goers bringing cars are encouraged to
carpool.

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration is produced by Houston Institute for
Culture with support from the City of Houston through the Miller
Theatre Advisory Board and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Over the years, the event has featured many of the region's most
notable traditional African American artists and music groups,
including Leo Nocentelli (a founder of the Meters), David Batiste (of
the Gladiators), Rebirth Brass Band, Trombone Shorty and Orleans
Avenue, Soul Rebels Brass Band, Nathan Williams and the Zydeco Cha
Chas, Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie, Keith Frank and the
Soileau Zydeco Band, Diunna Greenleaf and Blue Mercy, I.J. Gosey, Earl
Gilliam, Sherman Robertson, Trudy Lynn and many more.

More information is available at www.june19.org and www.houstonculture.org.

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