A full lineup of award-winning artists are ready to hit the stage in Panama City Beach, Fla., the new home of the Gulf Coast’s annual Seabreeze Jazz Festival. Panama City Beach’s Pier Park sets the stage for a jazzy, all-star weekend, April 16 – 19, expected to draw music lovers near and far. The lineup includes nationally acclaimed smooth jazz artists: Boney James, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Nick Colionne, Warren Hill, Joyce Cooling, and more.

“We’re proud to be the new home of the Seabreeze Jazz Festival,” said Dan Rowe, president and CEO of the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, Pier Park provides the perfect setting for this nationally recognized event.”

The weekend kicks off Thurs., April 16, 7:00 p.m., with the three-hour Smooth Jazz Dinner Cruise on beautiful St. Andrew’s Bay presented by the Bay Point Marriott Resort and Spa.  Enjoy the upbeat, funky-style performance of the renowned jazz keyboardist Alex Bugnon aboard the Solaris, a 125-foot yacht known for exceptional cuisine.

Friday begins with a performance by the Urban Jazz Coalition, 6:00 p.m., followed by The Smooth Jazz All-Star Jam Show featuring festival host Nick Colionne, Four80East, Alex Bugnon, Brian Simpson, Shilts, Nils, Matt Marshak, Althea Rene and Jackiem Joyner. The evening concludes with dancing and revelry at the Jazz Under the Stars party at Pier Park’s Reggae J’s.

Great performances continue all day Saturday, starting 10:00 a.m., with high-energy artists and ending with another Jazz Under the Stars party that will send all your blues away.  Saturday’s performers include Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Joyce Cooling, Four 80 East, Eric Darius, Althea Rene’ and more. The weekend finale is a day of live entertainment, Sunday, beginning 9:30 a.m., with performances throughout the day and evening by Boney James, Warren Hill, Nick Colionne, Brian Simpson, Nils, Jackeim Joyner, Roman Street, and Jones and Company.

“With expanded on-site parking, great beaches, extensive shopping and dining options at Pier Park, plus an abundance of hotel and condos nearby, the 2009 Seabreeze Jazz Festival will have it all,” says Mark Carter, the event’s organizer. “The weekend brings together a collection of great artists and people who love contemporary smooth jazz.”