(Mary J. Blige)

A-List Headliners Bring Record
Crowds Despite Transitional Economy

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla., March
24 – Miami Gardens, Florida
for the 5th Annual “Jazz in the Gardens” hosted by nationally
syndicated radio personality Tom Joyner.
The festival kicked off on Saturday, March
20th, 2010, with magnificent performances by Mary J. Blige, Robin
Thicke, Teena Marie, Joe Sample, K’Jon and local artists Rachel Brown, Jon Saxx, and Kawan DeBose. The excitement continued on Sunday, March 21st, 2010, with John Legend,
Boyz II Men, Cassandra Wilson, David Sanborn, Melanie
Fiona, Eric Roberson and local
artist Jovie. Providing entertainment between acts were
Producer/DJ Bryan-Michael Cox, The
Brass King and UniverSoul Circus, which spun its magic by
turning Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson into a 600 lb. white Bengal
tiger. /PRNewswire/ — Almost 45,000 music lovers flocked to Sun
Life Stadium in

Despite the economy,
festival attendance was up 20% from 2009. With a slight increase in
ticket prices, the box office enjoyed a 90% increase in revenue to $1.9M from $1M in
2009. Increased national and international attention, driven by a
star-studded line-up and the festival’s growing reputation as one of the
best musical events in the country, brought jazz and R&B
aficionados from near and far.

            (Robin Thicke)

“The investment, the
passion, the love, the hard work and everything that goes into making
‘Jazz in the Gardens’ what it has become, has truly paid off. It’s a
beautiful thing to look out into the crowd and see the masses of people
that have traveled both near and far to Miami
Gardens for this music festival.  Not only have we put Miami Gardens on the map as the
nation’s adult spring break destination, we have also become an economic
engine for South Florida. It’s really
hard for anyone to overlook the major contribution ‘Jazz in the Gardens’
makes to the economy. Five years ago, this was the dream and today it
is the dream realized,” commented Miami
Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson

Saturday’s performers Mary J. Blige, Robin
Thicke, Teena Marie, Joe Sample and K’Jon were greeted with
cheers as they performed well-known hits and introduced new songs to the
enthusiastic crowd. Teena Marie
reached back to the 70’s with hits spawned during her partnership with Rick James, while Robin
Thicke wowed concert-goers with new releases from his latest
album, “Sex Therapy.” Mary J. Blige
ended the night with an hour-plus performance of songs that spanned her
eighteen-year career. She took it back to the 411!

Sunday’s audience was
treated to the jazz rhythms of Cassandra
Wilson and David Sanborn,
while made for the stage, newcomer Melanie
Fiona performed her Grammy-nominated hit, “It Kills Me.” Boyz
II Men celebrated their twenty-year anniversary with a showcase of
tunes ranging from “Motownphilly” to “End of the Road,” and six-time
Grammy award winner John Legend closed out the festival with a
heartfelt performance that had the audience on their feet, despite the
falling rain.

                                (John Legend)

As its reputation for
excellence grows, 2011 promises to be an exciting year for “Jazz in the
Gardens.” Currently regarded as one of the premiere music festivals in the United States, music lovers are already
looking forward to what promises to be the next great event offering the
best in entertainment, with agreeable weather, beautiful people,
amazing food and exciting activities.

ABOUT THE CITY OF
MIAMI GARDENS

The City of Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003, as the 33rd city in Miami-Dade County. At a population of
approximately 111,000, it is the third largest city in Miami-Dade County. Miami
Gardens is a solid, working and middle class community of unique
diversity. It is the largest predominantly African-American
municipality in the State of Florida
and boasts many Caribbean residents.
The City hosted the 41st annual Super Bowl in 2007 and college BCS
championship game in 2009. Recently in 2010 the City hosted the 44th
Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.

The City of Miami Gardens