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Sunset Jazz Features 'Doc' Petersen and the X-zecutives

April 14, 2006 – Frederiksted's own Dr. Eugene "Doc" Petersen & the X-zecutives will be part of the Sunset Jazz series from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., on Friday, April 21, at Center Stage. The event will serve as a bon voyage party for the group as they prepare for their departure to Denmark to participate in the musician exchange program between Demark and the Virgin Islands. They are scheduled to perform this summer at Denmark's Riverboat Jazz Festival, Tunoe Music Festival and Rebild Music Festival. Sunset Jazz is sponsored by the Frederiksted Economic Development Association.
Born and raised in Frederiksted, "Doc" attended St. Patrick and Claude O. Markoe Schools where he was introduced to music in the school bands playing the drums, French horn and sousaphone. He began singing with several local calypso bands at the age of 14, and while singing with "Tarco and the Playboys," he traveled throughout the British and U.S. Virgin Islands. He returned home to St. Croix after graduating from Tuskegee University as a veterinarian and did not sing or play music for several years. One day while singing on the beach, "Doc" was asked to perform at one of the local hotels as a favor to a friend, and before long he was performing six nights a week and twice on Sunday, not only on St. Croix, but throughout the world, where his music has taken him to such exotic places as India, Belgium, England, Holland and the U.S. mainland.
Petersen now heads up the leadership of Island Center of St. Croix, and remains actively involved in performing locally for private functions and in a regular gig the last Saturday of each month at the Beach Side Café, at Sandcastle on the Beach Hotel in Frederiksted.
He will be joined by some of the Island's premier jazz musicians for his April 21 performance for Sunset Jazz. Performing with him will be bassist Marsvyn David, guitarist Elvis Pedro, drummer Elroy Simmons, sax man Dimitri "Pikey" Copemann and steel pan master, Michael Belgrave.
Sunset Jazz is held on the third Friday of each month in Fort Frederik Beach Park on the beach in Frederiksted. Beginning at 6 p.m. and going for two hours, Sunset Jazz has evolved into one of the premier jazz events in the territory,
Admission is free and attendees are reminded to bring folding chairs or blankets to sit on. F.E.D.A. operates a cash bar with proceeds going toward the costs of producing the jazz programs so the audience is asked to not bring coolers.
FEDA is joined in its efforts to present Sunset Jazz by the local PBS station WTJX/ Channel 12. They videotape Sunset Jazz every month and it airs on Channel 12, Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Also, Sunny 99.5 FM is the official radio station of Sunset Jazz.
For more information, e-mail to sunset_jazz@hotmail.com, or call 277-0692

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