Season Three of Sessions At West 54th Ready to Roll With Host John Hiatt At the Helm

Business Wire, July 30, 1999

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--July 30, 1999--

Public Television's Critically-Acclaimed Music Performance

Series Presented By Thirteen/WNET In New York

Debuts in October With Featured Artists Including Marianne Faithfull,

Parliament Funkadelic, Sheryl Crow, Macy Gray, Ruben Blades, Los

Lobos, Latin Playboys, Kim Richey, Kelly Willis and Mandy Barnett

House lights are up for a new season of SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH, public television's only weekly contemporary music performance series. John Hiatt, the consummate singer/songwriter whose music and lyrics have struck a chord with fans around the globe, has been named host. The announcements were made today by Jeb Brien, the series' Executive Producer and Eric Frankel, Executive Vice President, Warner Bros. Domestic Pay-TV, Cable & Network Features, distributors and marketers of the critically-acclaimed series.

SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH is produced by Automatic Productions and presented on public television by Thirteen/WNET in New York. SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH is shot on the main stage at Sony Music Studios, located in New York City. The hour-long program premieres in October on public television stations nationwide (check local listings for exact dates and times). In the New York metropolitan area, Thirteen/WNET will air the series on Fridays at midnight, beginning October 1, 1999. This season of SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH will showcase an eclectic mix of established veterans and prodigious up and comers including Marianne Faithfull, Parliament Funkadelic, Sheryl Crow, Macy Gray, Ruben Blades, Los Lobos, Latin Playboys, Kim Richey, Kelly Willis and Mandy Barnett.

Commenting on the addition of John Hiatt to the SESSIONS mix, Brien said: "When we were looking for this season's host, John's name just jumped off the page. His musical knowledge, warm personality and artistic credibility within the music community made him the obvious choice for the series."

Eric Frankel added: "As distributors, it is always a privilege to be associated with quality programming. This series has redefined live performance in a way that has captivated the music community and public television. We couldn't be more pleased about going forward with another terrific season."

Each weekly one-hour program features two musical performances, with a half-hour devoted to each artist. David Horn, Director of Music Programming for Thirteen/WNET, remarks, "This program is special because it's an opportunity for Thirteen/WNET to explore the many faces of contemporary music, from jazz to funk to rock to world music to country. An artist doesn't need to have a hit single to get on the program -- we're interested more in quality, their track record, influence or potential, over everything else."

As SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH host, John Hiatt will introduce and later interview the featured artists. Set in an intimate studio setting before a live audience, the show features spare, unobtrusive camera work that keeps the focus where it belongs - on the performers.

For years, John Hiatt has occupied a singular place among American singer/songwriters. His music has been covered successfully by everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Jewel and Bob Dylan to Iggy Pop and the Neville Brothers. Yet, it took Hiatt 13 years to become a success story in his own right. His 1987 album, Bring the Family, a rootsy fusion of rock and roll, country, blues and folk, became his first album to reach the charts, with several of the albums' songs becoming hits for other artists. Following its success, he earned a reputation as a hit songwriter and developed a strong cult following that continued to gain strength into the late-90s. The Best of John Hiatt, his first-ever greatest hits package, was released last year. Hiatt is currently working on a new album for Capitol Records to be released in early 2000.

Established more than 30 years ago, Thirteen/WNET in New York is the flagship public television station and a major producer of local, national and international programming. Its productions range from art and culture to science and nature, from news and public affairs to children's interests. The performing arts have long been a cornerstone of the station's mission to inform and entertain with quality programming, resulting in such signature series as Great Performances and In the Spotlight, presented nationally on PBS.

SESSIONS AT WEST 54TH is a production of Automatic Productions. Headquartered in New York City, Automatic Productions is an award-winning provider of music and variety-based programming for today's rapidly expanding television landscape. Specializing in entertainment series and specials for network, cable and broadcast syndication, Automatic is a world-class packaging and production company committed to quality, creative resourcing and innovative thinking. Jeb Brien is the series' executive producer. Monica Hardiman is series producer. The series is presented on public television by Thirteen/WNET in New York. David Horn is Director of Music Programming for Thirteen/WNET.