Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, India, Joe Sample and Al Jarreau Among Headliners For 2002 Verizon Music Festival

NEW YORK -- The 2002 Verizon Music Festival will kick off in New York City in September, bringing diverse music, world-renowned artists and emerging talent to four cities.

Artists will include Tony Bennett, Ray Charles, India, Al Jarreau, Bela Fleck, Fourplay, Joe Sample, Wayne Shorter, Regina Carter and many others.

The festival, which includes R & B, Latin, soul, jazz and world music, will run Sept. 17-22 in New York; Sept. 30-Oct. 6 in Los Angeles; Nov. 2-8 in Tampa; and Oct. 20 and Nov. 14 and 15 in Washington, D.C.

George Wein, CEO of Festival Productions, Inc., is the producer of the 2002 Verizon Music Festival.

"We eagerly look forward to providing another year of great music and celebrating the rich cultural history and diverse makeup of each of the four cities that will host this year's festival," said Bruce Gordon, president of Verizon Retail Markets.

The Verizon Music Festival will include paid ticketed concerts and free events to be held in a variety of venues ranging from major concert halls, to intimate clubs, to major outdoor sites. Among the performance locations are Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre and Battery Park in New York; Royce Hall, Wadsworth Theater, Pasadena Old Central Park and California Plaza in Los Angeles; Tampa Theater, Ruth Eckerd Hall and Coachman Park in Tampa Bay; and Cramton Auditorium and Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

"When you match great artists with the perfect venue in the right city you always get a winning combination for audiences," said Wein. "For this year's Verizon Music Festival we have put together an exciting line-up of stellar headliners, while introducing artists we feel are destined for stardom. We believe that music fans in each city will enjoy the diverse selections."

Artist line-ups and ticket information for the Verizon Music Festival will be announced shortly. For more information on the 2002 Verizon Music Festival, call 212-501-1390 or visit the Web site at www.verizon.com/musicfestival.

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 133.8 million access line equivalents and approximately 29.6 million wireless customers. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world. With more than $67 billion in annual revenues and nearly 248,000 employees, Verizon's global presence extends to more than 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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