December 17, 2001

Incomparable jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon will headline a black tie dinner evening of music hosted by renowned actor and artist Billy Dee Williams on Wednesday, January 23 during the U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Winter Meeting. The event, sponsored by the Conference of Mayors and the Thelonius Monk Institute of Jazz, will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.

For corporate sponsorship of a table or to register for the dinner gala please contact Babette Penton at 202-467-8250, Fax 202-467-8251, or e-mail Bpenton@thebulfinchcompany.com.

Nnenna Freelon

On February 21st, 2001, five-time Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon earned a rousing standing ovation for her stunning live performance at the 43rd Annual Grammy Awards telecast in Los Angeles. Fans and industry elite made it clear that night - a star was born!

Her feature film debut came in the 2001 blockbuster Mel Gibson romantic comedy WHAT WOMEN WANT, giving her a trademark song "If I Had You." A second film soundtrack appearance gave Freelon a poignant vocal turn (remaking Sinatra's classic "Fly Me To The Moon") for THE VISIT, starring Billy Dee Williams. With command performances quickly following for the legendary Julie Andrews at the Society of Singers "Ella Awards," Variety - The Children's Charity, and the Stephen Sondheim Tribute at Carnegie Hall, and the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon performing her self-penned "One Child At A Time", Freelon continues her rise to stardom.

Her next recording, tentatively titled "Tales of Wonder," will be released in Spring 2002 following her double Grammy-nominated Soulcall recording which Freelon produced. As Aretha Franklin said, "Be sure to check out Nnenna Freelon ...very hip music. "

Billy Dee Williams

He's an actor who has been a cultural icon for the past three decades portraying compelling characters in theater, television and film. Williams grew up in Harlem and attended the High School of Music and Art. He received the Hallgarten Award Scholarship to the National Academy of Fine Arts and Design, where he studied portrait painting. Shortly thereafter, Williams attended actors workshops and studied with Paul Mann and Sidney Poitier. In 1971 he established himself as a major television star in the ABC Emmy Award-winning production of "Brian's Song." In the mid 70's, Williams starred opposite Diana Ross in "Lady Sings The Blues." He portrayed Dr. Martin Luther King in the Broadway production "I Have A Dream," and starred in the made for television movie "The Scott Joplin Story." Williams returned to the big screen in the Ô80s as Lando Calrissian in "Return of the Jedi" and "The Empire Strikes Back." Later, he appeared in the box-office hit Batman. Since 1990, he has generously contributed the artwork for the cover of the Thelonius Monk Institute's annual competition souvenir program.