press release

Feb. 9, 2012, 3:19 p.m. EST

Jazz and Wine Bring Music Fans to Ronkonkoma, NY Hotels

Six Weekends of Great Rates at the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven

BELLPORT, NY, Feb 09, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- For the fifth year in a row, the annual JAZZ on the Vine musical festival returns, bringing great music and wine to the east end of Long Island. And for those looking to get a great deal on a room, rates at the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven, among hotels near Long Island wineries, start at just $89 a night.

From February 11th through March 18th, guests at Patchogue, NY hotels can join jazz fans for six music-filled weekends. For just $15, get admission to any of the festival's shows plus a glass of wine. Performances are held in numerous Long Island wineries, and include performances by the Philip Dizack Quartet, Pearl Street Band, Matt Marshak, Heather Hardy, Dwayne Kerr, the Bakithi Kumalo Band, Ahmad Ali, and many more. For more information on the festival and the full line-up of performers, visit http://www.liwinterfest.com/liwinterfest/?src=liwinterfest.commedford .

Guests who take advantage of the great rates at the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven, among Ronkonkoma, NY hotels, will be close to all the festival venues, in addition to the area's major attractions. Between musical performances, explore the beautiful beaches in the Hamptons, get great shopping deals at Tanger Outlets, sip the day away at wineries, or marvel at the beauty of the sea at Atlantis Marine World.

To learn more about staying at the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven for the JAZZ on the Vine festival, visit the hotel website at https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/ispsh-springhill-suites-long-island-brookhaven/ , where you can book rooms, discover great hotel packages, and explore nearby Medford, New York attractions.

About the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven The SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven puts you in the center of it all, whether beaches or business meetings are what bring you here. Located just minutes from the Long Island MacArthur Airport, suites at this Brookhaven hotel offer generous amenities. Whip up a quick snack with the mini-fridge and microwave; settle in for work at the large desk with high-speed Internet access; relax with premium channels and pay-per-view on the flat-screen cable TV; or tuck the kids in the pull-out sofa bed while you relax with a cup of coffee or tea. In the morning, wake refreshed and ready to go. Start with a complimentary breakfast buffet, a quick run at the fitness center, or a dip in the indoor pool. If you're here for work, this Long Island hotel is just minutes from Motorola, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Siemens, and Boeing. If fun brings you to this Bellport hotel, attractions including the Hamptons, Atlantis Marine World, Tanger Outlets, and Long Island wineries are all nearby. A convenient airport location (and free airport shuttle) makes the SpringHill Suites Long Island Brookhaven a great choice for meetings and social functions, with more than 1,360 sq ft of event space.

Let me invite you to our fourth monthly "Saturday Showcase & Salon" to benefit WBAI -- entry is only $5, no minimum!

Come meet your favorite WBAI personalities. Excellent food, great music and radical politics in downtown Manhattan.

Saturday, February 4th, 2012
1 pm – 4 pm
at the Lafayette Grill and Bar
54-56 Franklin Street in downtown Manhattan
(3 blocks south of Canal Street, between Lafayette and Broadway)
All trains to Canal St., or #1 train to Franklin St.

This month FEATURING:

* Stand-up comedian Katie Halper -- comic, writer, blogger, satirist and filmmaker. AND,

* Guest Speaker: Gary Null (in person), on "Who's poisoning the planet and what we can do about it." Gary's natural health and political commentaries can be heard every weekday at noon on WBAI, and on the internet over the Progressive Radio Network. Questions and comments are welcome; AND,

* The Big Road Blues Band, exploring the roots of the Blues (musically, as well as politically). Performing material from their latest album, "Crossroots". Big Road Blues Band is: Alan Podber--vocals, guitars, mandolin, harmonica; Ricky Eisenberg--vocals, guitars; Myriam Valle--vocals, guitars, mandolin, triangle; Ken Ficara--harmonica, guitar; Come meet your favorite WBAI personalities. Excellent food, great music and radical politics in downtown Manhattan. Deborah Monlux--fiddle; Jim Porter--frottoir. AND,

* Opera singer Katie Kat, in a return engagement! Katie brought down the house last month with her performance of Puccini's "Quando men vo" from La Boheme;

* R&B & funk guitarist extraordinaire Ahmad Ali, host of Stony Brook (WUSB) radio's "Cafe Ali" (and who sometimes co-hosts late night shows on WBAI), joined by WBAI's Ibrahim Gonzalez on the congas and Gary Cobin on harmonica.

* Topical singer-songwriter and jokester Marcy Gordon (the singing lawyer);

* Unfortunately, Rorie Kelly is recovering from some sort of serious respiratory infection and has no voice! So she won't be able to sing this month, though she might show up with CDs anyway;

Several surprise guests!

There'll be excellent Mediterranean food and drink, free hors d'oeuvres, and a bottle of wine as one of the door prizes (compliments of Dino, the owner of the Lafayette Grill); and mucho reading material & CDs. So come early, and stay late!

Entrance cost: Just $5 and no minimum ­ we want to pull together our communities and thank WBAI members, management and staff, enjoy each other's company -- not soak WBAI listeners for what little funds they have! (And if you can't afford even that, don’t sweat it! No one turned away for lack of funds.)