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— Sponsorship of First Weekly Network TV Jazz Show in 40 Years Is One of Several Marantz Initiatives to Support Performing Arts —
ITASCA, IL, April 19, 2006 — Marantz America, a world leader in advanced home entertainment solutions for more than 50 years, is proud to announce that it is an underwriting sponsor of LEGENDS OF JAZZ with Ramsey Lewis, the highly anticipated 13-week series which began airing on PBS stations this month to coincide with National Jazz Appreciation Month. Marantz’ sponsorship of the series is one of several high-profile initiatives the company is undertaking to help underscore its ongoing commitment to the performing arts. Most recently, as part of its focused marketing relationship with The Juilliard School, Marantz served as the Official Audio/Visual Sponsor of Juilliard’s April 3, 2006 Gala Centennial Celebration, and three Marantz video projectors will be used in the school’s upcoming world premiere of the original opera Miss Lonelyhearts.
“Our corporate credo at Marantz is ‘Life Amplified,'” noted Kevin Zarow, Vice President, Marketing and Product Development, Marantz America, Inc., “and we can’t think of a better way to bring that message home than with our support of LEGENDS OF JAZZ. For many people, the name Ramsey Lewis is synonymous with great jazz, just as for more than 50 years the name Marantz has stood for the highest musical reproduction capabilities. It’s a great duet!
Mr. Zarow continued: “Having our brand associated with this series will help build brand awareness for Marantz among just the demographic we’re targeting for our high-performance audio and video products — true music lovers of all ages. We’re especially pleased that LEGENDS OF JAZZ is being presented in high-definition video, reflecting our overall commitment to the format and to providing our customers with complete home entertainment solutions for enjoying the ultimate in both video and audio performance.”
Ramsey Lewis, three-time Grammy-award winner, and co-creator and executive producer of LEGENDS OF JAZZ, noted: “As a musician, listening to music is very important to me both professionally and for my own personal enjoyment. Being able to hear great music on great quality equipment is why I choose Marantz.”
Larry Rosen, Creator and Producer of LEGENDS OF JAZZ, said:” I can’t think of a more appropriate alliance for our LEGENDS OF JAZZ TV series than Marantz. They are a company that creates the best in home entertainment equipment, whether it’s a DVD player, CD player, quality amplification, processing equipment, HD monitors, or a complete home entertainment theater, Marantz has always been focused on the highest in quality technology. In my career as a producer of records, CDs, DVDs, television shows, and digital media, artistic performance and technological quality have been the hallmarks. LEGENDS OF JAZZ and Marantz are a perfect fit.”
As part of the sponsorship agreement, LEGENDS OF JAZZ will feature giveaways of Marantz product in various promotions, and Marantz will be entitled to incorporate selected show content for its own promotional purposes. Both Marantz and LEGENDS OF JAZZ will feature crossover links to their respective websites.
Produced by LRSmedia, LEGENDS OF JAZZ with Ramsey Lewis is the first weekly network television jazz show in 40 years. Each themed episode, such as “The Golden Horns,” “The Piano Masters” and “American Songbook,” will feature intimate conversations and original performances by some of the world’s leading musicians including: Tony Bennett, Chick Corea, Al Jarreau, Dave Brubeck, Billy Taylor, David Sanborn, Phil Woods, Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, George Duke, Marcus Miller, Lee Ritenour, Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Chris Botti, Ivan Lins, Eddie Palmieri, the late Ray Barretto, Dave Valentin, Keb’ Mo’, Robert Cray, Jane Monheit, John Pizzarelli, Kurt Elling, Benny Golson, Chris Potter, Joey DeFrancesco, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and many more. The program is produced in multi-camera HDTV and Dolby Surround 5.1 audio, in association with Chicago’s WTTW11.
The LEGENDS OF JAZZ as seen on your favorite PBS station is being launched in conjunction with a full complement of recorded products, including DVDs, CDs, digital and wireless products. The first national product release, available this month, is SHOWCASE, a 2-disc CD/DVD collection of 13 unique performances, including Al Jarreau and Kurt Elling’s version of “Take Five,” Chris Botti’s “My Funny Valentine,” a David Sanborn and Phil Woods duet on “Senor Blues,” among others. As a part of the 360° media programming platform for the LEGENDS OF JAZZ brand, the TV series is accompanied by a weekly radio show, which airs in more than 60 markets, a multi-city LEGENDS OF JAZZ tour across America and the launch of the media rich web site, www.legendsofjazz.net.
About Marantz
Marantz America is committed to upholding the tradition of technological superiority initiated by founder Saul Marantz. In keeping with this emphasis on quality, Marantz audio and video components are carried only by the nation’s premier independent audio/video specialty retailers. Additional information is available at www.marantz.com. Marantz America is a wholly owned subsidiary of D&M Holdings Inc.
About D&M Holdings Inc.
D&M Holdings Inc. (TSE II: 6735) is based in Tokyo and owns the Denon, Marantz, McIntosh Laboratory, Boston Acoustics, Snell, D&M Professional, ReplayTVa and Escienta brands. Denon, Marantz, McIntosh and D&M Professional are global industry leaders in the specialist home theater, audio/video consumer electronics or professional audio markets, with a strong and long-standing heritage of manufacturing and marketing high-performance audio and video components. Boston Acoustics, with its signature The Boston Sound, is a leader in premium loudspeakers for home and audio markets. Snell Acoustics is a super premium speaker brand. The ReplayTV and Escient brands represent award-winning technologies in digital home entertainment. Additional information is available at www.dm-holdings.com.
About LRSmedia, LLC
LRSmedia, LLC, founded by music industry veterans Lee Rosenberg, Larry Rosen, and Ramsey Lewis, develops adult-oriented music brands and products, created in multi-camera HDTV and Dolby Surround 5.1 audio. LRSmedia markets its product through a 360° experience including television, national print, nationally syndicated radio, CD and DVD products, online entertainment, news and e-commerce, live concert tours and educational and community outreach programs. By creating music brands and leveraging interrelated programming to market artists and music under the brand umbrellas, LRSmedia reaches more consumers in a more compelling manner than traditional music companies. At present, LRSmedia brands include — “LEGENDS OF JAZZ,” “Musical Stars of the Future,” and “Soundstage: the Archives” – with more in development. For more information, visit www.lrsmedia.net and www.legendsofjazz.net.
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Statements in this news release that are not statements of historical fact include forward looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of the company. We wish to caution you that such statements are just predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Forward looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties surrounding competitive and industry conditions, market acceptance for the company’s products, risks of litigation, technological changes, developing industry standards and other factors related to the company’s businesses. The Company reserves all of its rights.
