De Anza College's 28th Annual Herb Patnoe Memorial Jazz Festival will feature one of the rising young stars on the jazz horizon, vocalist Jennifer Barnes. The performance will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15 at De Anza College's brand new Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd. in Cupertino.

Miss Barnes will appear with will share the stage with De Anza's award-winning "Vocal Flight," directed by Michelle Hawkins, the Eight O'Clock "Daddios" Jazz Ensemble, directed by Steve Tyler, and her own jazz trio.

Referring to her debut CD recording, "You Taught My Heart," legendary jazz bassist Rufus Reid says, "Jennifer Barnes integrates rich vocal quality, clarity of pitch and emotion with an additional pivotal skill that sets her apart from other great singers; she sings improvisations that are melodically and rhythmically interesting from the point of view of a jazz instrumentalist."

Jennifer has opened for the Count Basie Orchestra and performed with her trio at the 28th Annual IAJE International Conference in New York City. She demonstrates tremendous versatility in her ability to not only lead her own small jazz group, but also as a big band vocalist, most notably as the featured vocalist on the Doug Lawrence Orchestra CD, "Big Band Swing."

Since relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2001, Jennifer has been invited to perform or record with such musical legends as Doc Severinsen, Barry Manilow, Cy Coleman, Marilyn & Alan Bergman, as a backup vocalist for Bono on the 2002 Grammy Awards, and on films including "Live Free Die Hard", "Ice Age 2", "Happy Feet", "Meet The Robinsons", "King Kong" and "Chicken Little". Her voice has been featured on television and radio commercials including Epson, Old El Paso, McDonalds, Kellogg´s, and a national spot for Chili's.

Jennifer is also very committed to jazz education. She is an active long-time member of IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) and has been on the faculty of the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Camps for seven years. In addition, she has taught privately and directed DownBeat magazine award-winning Vocal Jazz Ensembles for over ten years, including Western Michigan University, University of Miami, Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, and the University of Southern California. World-renowned jazz educator Jamey Aebersold calls Jennifer Barnes "a real musician's musician."

"Vocal Flight," De Anza College's premier vocal jazz ensemble, recently finished in first place in the collegiate vocal division of the recent Reno Jazz Festival, and was selected as a finalist for the Next Generation Competition at the Monterey Jazz Festival-one of only six groups nationwide so honored. "Vocal Flight" has won 10 DownBeat magazine student music awards in the college vocal division and has made numerous tours to Europe for appearances at jazz festivals in Montreaux, Neuchatel, Crest, Foix, Toulon, Valence, Montelimar, Grenoble, and Megeve.

De Anza's annual jazz festival is held in memory of Dr. Herb Patnoe, who established the Foothill-De Anza Community College District jazz program and the "Daddios" in the 1960s. After a hiatus in the 1990s, the "Daddios" evening jazz ensembles were reassembled in early 2001 by Tyler, a De Anza alumnus and former L.A. freelance musician. The "Daddios" Jazz Ensembles have established a reputation for being among the finest evening college rehearsal jazz bands in the Bay Area. These outstanding ensembles perform big band literature from all periods of jazz.

Tickets are $10 General Admission and $7 for students and seniors. For further information, call (408) 864-8832 or visit www.DeAnzaDaddios.org.