Jan. 27, 1972: A bomb wrecks the New York City office of Sol Hurok, an impresario who had been booking Soviet artists.

He was also a programmer for the Disney Institute, booking artists.

Goskontsert had been the Soviet agency responsible for booking artists and allowing them to appear abroad.

Curbelo invested in real estate later in life and moved to Miami in the 1980s, where he continued booking artists for festivals.

A further complication is that if 1997 is indeed to be special, Mr. Erlo must start booking artists now.

Born in Brooklyn, Mr. Worth started out as a teen-age promoter of jazz concerts, booking artists like Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker.

He has booked several artists in blues festivals abroad, where "they are the main act."

It booked only Black artists into a series of theatres on the East Coast and as far west as Oklahoma.

Ranging from: research and consulting on appropriate music markets, new media options, creative strategy, booking artists and organising events.

"Every year ends up having its own spirit," said Mr. Timmons, who has been booking artists for the festival since the beginning.