TORONTO DOWNTOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL CANCELLED
By Adnews Staff
Organizers of the annual Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival have cancelled this year's event, citing an inability to replace sponsorship revenue lost when tobacco company du Maurier withdrew as long-time title sponsor as the reason. Executive producer Patrick Taylor and artistic director Jim Galloway, partners in the Toronto Downtown Jazz Society, told reporters at a news conference in Toronto that rather than offer the scaled-down festival available funding would allow, they have decided to cancel this year's festival. Organizers was notified by du Maurier last year following the conclusion of the 1999 festival that the company would resign as title sponsor. du Maurier did agree to return to the festival this year as one of four major sponsors at a $250,000 level. However, organizers said even with additional support from other sponsors, "they were not sufficient to allow us to proceed with booking acts." The Toronto Downtown Jazz Festival has been an annual event in the city for the past 13 years. At press time, a news conference had just been announced by Toronto-based Internet company UUNET which, the firm said, would challenge Toronto corporations to save the festival.