New Year's Eve Kicks Off Regular Musical Line-up in Newly Reopened Carousel Bar and Lounge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Emily Schmidt
(504) 324-4242
emily@gambelpr.com

New Year's Eve Kicks Off Regular Musical Line-up in Newly Reopened Carousel Bar and Lounge
Tuesday through Saturday night entertainment starts January 2012 at Hotel Monteleone

New Orleans, LA - With the New Year comes a brand new line-up of fresh musical entertainment in the famous, newly reopened Carousel Bar and Lounge in the Hotel Monteleone. The nightly entertainment kicks off on New Year's Eve at 9 p.m. with Luther Kent, a New Orleans jazz favorite, and includes well-known artists and newcomers on the scene every Tuesday through Saturday night in January and beyond.

All the musical entertainment is free and open to the public. The 2012 line-up features a rotation of well-known New Orleans artists, Hotel favorites and special guests including Robin Barnes & Band, the Luther Kent Quartet, Lena Prima & Band, Eudora Evans & Band and the George French Jazz Quartet. Of special note, it honors the Hotel's past as Lena Prima's father, Louis Prima, played regularly at the Hotel back in the mid-1960s.

The Carousel Bar's new lounge area reopened on December 30 after undergoing a renovation, which included adding expansive windows along Royal Street, enhanced décor and a secondary stationery bar. The current furnishings in the bar and lounge are temporary and will be replaced with new furniture to complete the renovation.

"Because the Carousel Bar is such an iconic part of the Hotel Monteleone, we were very careful during the renovation process to enrich without detracting from the atmosphere that patrons love," said Andrea Thornton, director of sales and marketing for the Hotel Monteleone. "In addition to physical enhancements, we also focused on the Carousel Bar's musical entertainment by welcoming industry veteran Marie Long to our team."

Recently appointed director of entertainment for the Hotel Monteleone, Marie Long will be in charge of booking regular entertainment for the famous Carousel Bar and Lounge. With more than 36 years of experience in the music industry, Long has worked with national and local talents, including The DUKES of Dixieland, Chicago, Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Tony Bennett, among others. Before forming Extravaganzas, Inc., her own music production company in 1992, Long worked with Pete Fountain Productions and Ray Bloch Productions.

"I'm ecstatic to be working with the Hotel to introduce a variety of entertainment into the newly renovated Carousel Lounge," said Long. "We are featuring classic jazz artists and legendary R&B singers to brand new on-the-scene talent. We plan on celebrating music legends and creating new ones right here on the corner of Royal and Iberville Streets in the Carousel Bar and Lounge."

For more information and a complete schedule of upcoming Carousel Bar entertainment, please visit http://hotelmonteleone.com/carouselbarentertainment. For more information about Hotel Monteleone or to make reservations to stay at the hotel, please visit http://www.hotelmonteleone.com/ or call (504) 523-3341. Become a fan on Facebook and help the Hotel reach its 125^th Anniversary goal of 12,500 fans! Follow the Hotel Monteleone on Twitter @hotelmonteleone and @carouselbar.

Since 1886, the Hotel Monteleone, www.hotelmonteleone.com, has proudly stood as one of the first landmarks in the famous French Quarter. The hotel is the Quarter's largest full-service hotel, featuring 600 comfortable, luxurious guestrooms and suites. Hotel Monteleone is within walking-distance of some of New Orleans most famous attractions and is conveniently located 11 miles from the Louis Armstrong International Airport. Hotel Monteleone is a member of the Preferred Hotels® & Resorts, a consecutive AAA Four Diamond award-winner, and has won the J.D. Power and Associates Upscale Hotel Award for "An Outstanding Guest Experience." The Hotel Monteleone is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2011.

###