A sign of good things to come

Information about the 2009 Atlanta Jazz Festival has found its way onto the Web. There's nothing interesting nor revealing about the site, and there's really no clues about anything beyond the date and venue (May 23-25, Grant Park). One can, however, sign up to be a food or merchandise vendor. Here's a bit about how the festival lands its artists:

"Please note that there is no application process for performing at the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Participation in the festival is by invitation only. With rare exceptions, the festival books only established nationally-known artists represented by national booking agencies."

That's a good sign, right? The site isn't much (yet), but at least it seems as if Atlanta will once again be full of jazz this Memorial Day weekend.

Update: Information about the 2009 festival disappeared shortly after I found it. A press release in the media section of the Atlanta Festivals site outlines the challenges facing this year's event. Here's the gist:

"Recent economic conditions and budget reductions threaten to interrupt a 32-year tradition of presenting authentic jazz to the residents and visitors of Atlanta. While city funding for the festival has been eliminated, local jazz enthusiasts and supporters of the Atlanta Jazz Festival overwhelmingly demand the continuation of what Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin has determined as 'one of the city’s proudest traditions.'"