Music Lovers in New York Sample Sounds Of Soul Beach Music Festival Tonight

NEW YORK -- New Yorkers will get a sneak preview tonight of some the sultry soul music that will be featured in the Soul Beach Music Festival Presented by Verizon this month in Miami.

The popular club S.O.B.s, located at 204 Varick St., is the scene where top rhythm and blues artist Angie Stone will perform, giving the audience a taste of what to expect in Miami. A surprise radio air personality will serve as the night's emcee. The evening will include a drawing for Miami concert tickets and other gift items.

Tickets for the three main-stage concerts to be held May 30-June 3 at the Orange Bowl in Miami can be purchased at New York Ticketmaster locations or online at ticketmaster.com. Charge-by-phone purchases can also be made through Ticketmaster centers.

This month's festival, hosted by the Greater Miami Conventions and Visitors Bureau and the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority, will feature leading gospel and rhythm and blues recording artists including Angie Stone, Eric Benet, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Musiq Soulchild, Ron Isley and the Isley Brothers.

Verizon is the presenting sponsor for the festival.

"Verizon is enriching the musical calendar of the summer of 2001 by delivering the best in neoclassic soul music to a national audience the company wants to acknowledge and support," said Gregory R. Smith, Verizon director of multicultural marketing. "Verizon believes that this festival will appeal to the increasingly vibrant multicultural consumer base in America." Ticket prices for the main stage concerts range from $35 per event for upper-deck, general admission to $55 for field-access, unreserved general admission. Three-day passes are $150.

In addition to New York, Verizon is promoting the Soul Beach Music Festival in 16 other U.S. markets: Atlanta; Los Angeles; Philadelphia; Detroit; Chicago; Baltimore/Washington, D.C.; New Orleans; San Francisco; Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; Miami, Tampa and Orlando, Fla.; and Memphis and Nashville, Tenn. Tickets also are being sold in each market.

The festival is produced by AR Entertainment Marketing and will include three evening concerts with comedian Bill Bellamy, star of the hit movie "The Brothers" and former host of the "MTV Jams" television show, as the emcee. There will also be a number of other beach and night club-based events.

"The collaboration between Verizon and the Soul Beach Music Festival is an excellent example of how businesses and communities can be mutually supportive," said Mark Adkins and Tony Rome, producers, AR Entertainment Marketing. "It is our hope that Verizon and the Soul Beach Music Festival will continue to develop lasting consumer relationships while enhancing the company's brand."

Travel and hotel reservations can be made through American Express Travel Related Services at 1-800-AXP-2796, or through Apel Travel, 1-800-538-2553. Travel agents can arrange exclusive premiere travel packages through Aiken Tours and Travel Impressions. More information is available at www.soulbeachmusicfest.com.

Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States, with 112 million access line equivalents and 27 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. A Fortune 10 company with approximately 260,000 employees and more than $65 billion in annual revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visitwww.verizon.com.

####