[JPL] 2007 Detroit International Jazz Festival Announces Lineup

[Dr. Jazz]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                Contact:  Howard J. Hughey
May 9, 
2007 
313.743.3527


Detroit Jazz Festival Announces 28th Annual Labor Day Weekend Event
Officials unveil artist lineup, annual festival poster, and new festival 
elements.
Festival’s theme to honor Midwest jazz roots through “challenge” between 
Detroit and Chicago

DETROIT­Today Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF) officials unveiled 
details for its 28th annual Labor Day Weekend extravaganza, which will 
honor the jazz roots of Detroit and Chicago through a friendly challenge 
between artists from each city.  The ‘07 festival, billed as “The Rumble in 
the Great Lakes,” will kick off Friday, August 31st, and feature Detroit’s 
internationally-renowned jazz violinist 
<http://www.reginacarter.com/>Regina Carter and Chicago’s Grammy-award 
winning jazz pianist and composer Herbie Hancock.

“Detroit and Chicago have produced some of the most prolific and 
influential jazz artists in the world,” said Terri Pontremoli, DJF 
executive director.  “We decided it was high time to highlight the musical 
contributions of both cities.  For years, Chicago and Detroit have hosted 
competing jazz festivals on the same weekend, so why not have an 
out-and-out rumble?” Pontremoli added.

DJF officials revealed the full lineup of artists, many of whom have 
Chicago or Detroit ties such as Herbie Hancock, Kurt Elling (performing 
with the Wayne State Big Band), Mavis Staples, Otis Clay, Bettye Lavette, 
The Miracles, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Garrett, Ron Carter and Gerald Wilson.

“The Chicago/Detroit theme also gave us the inspiration to pull together 
some exciting musical projects like the 50th anniversary celebration of the 
great Johnny Griffin record, A Blowin’ Session,” said Pontremoli.

Mack Avenue artists Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker will present a set with 
three tenors representing Chicago and Detroit.  Nods to Motown include a 
performance by the Miracles, also celebrating their 50th anniversary, and a 
tribute to Marvin

Gaye by the Michigan State University Big Band through a suite titled “What’s
Goin’ On?”   Don Byron’s performance will be centered on the music of 
Junior Walker.

Fans can also look forward to interesting pairings such as Maria Muldauer 
with Jim Dapogny’s Chicago Ensemble, Wendell Harrison’s Chicago Connection 
and Steve Wood’s tribute to Yusef Lateef.

There will be a heavy dose of “outsiders” as well, including Dave Brubeck, 
Patti Austin (who will perform her Avant Gershwin material with the Gerald 
Wilson Big Band), Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood, Poncho Sanchez, Charles 
Tolliver, the Brubeck Brothers, Russell Malone, Bill Charlap, Stanley 
Jordan, Conrad Herwig and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra.

Pontremoli also introduced two new initiatives­an annual visiting artist 
residency and a stage dedicated to emerging artists.

“It’s a thrill to begin the artist-in-residence program with a native 
Detroiter who also just happens to be a MacArthur prize winner,” Pontremoli 
says of violinist Regina Carter.

In addition to teaching at a jazz camp for middle school students under the 
auspices of Arts League of Michigan this summer, Ms. Carter will play in 
several different settings on Labor Day weekend: With her quintet, in a duo 
with Kenny Barron, and as a special guest with the Clayton Hamilton Jazz 
Orchestra.  She’ll also perform with students and participate in 
discussions in the festival’s Jazz Talk Tent.

The Here and Now Stage will feature regional musicians and emerging 
national artists such as vocalist Sachal Vasandani, trumpeter Dominick 
Farinacci, 14 year- old saxophonist Grace Kelly, and vocalists Chiara 
Civello and Jennifer Sannon.

Based on the success of ’06, the festival will again present a gospel 
Monday – this year featuring Mavis Staples and Kim Burrell with Sean Jones, 
in addition to local gospel groups yet to be announced.  Local jazz 
historians Jim Gallert and Lars Bjorn, buoyed by capacity attendance in the 
Jazz Talk Tent last year, are planning a full schedule of panels and 
meet-the-artist sessions.  Herb Boyd, Tony Mowod and Ira Gitler will engage 
in discussions with national and local artists as well as other radio 
personalities and jazz writers.

DJF officials also announced other festival features which will include:
    * A family picnic area with daily performances of Hayes Greenfield’s 
“Jazz-a-ma-tazz,” in addition to story tellers and puppets.
    * Campus Martius will become a hip jazz garden, with tables, bars and 
large video screens.  The video screens will play selections from the 
award-winning Jazz Icons series, produced by Reelin’ In the Years 
Productions. Detroit Jazz Fest is the exclusive site for the world premiere 
of the second series of vintage jazz concerts (the first set premiered at 
the annual International Association for Jazz Educators 
conference).  Quincy Jones has called the series “an audio-visual treasure 
trove of the music that changed the world.”
    * An art gallery tent will feature the Arts League of Michigan’s 
exhibit Rock My Soul.

In addition to revealing the power-packed artist lineup and new festival 
features, DJF officials also unveiled one of its longstanding 
traditions­the annual festival poster, this year created by Detroit rising 
artist <http://www.darcel-deneau.com/resume.htm>Darcel Deneau.

“Darcel’s beautiful piece truly captures the essence of our festival 
against the beautiful backdrop of Detroit,” said Pontremoli.  “The poster 
will definitely add to our promotional efforts and is sure to become a 
must-have as part of the wonderful collection of posters from years past.”

To see a downloadable version of this year’s DJF poster, visit 
<http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/>www.detroitjazzfest.com.

Festival organizers also announced the renewing of an old friendship with 
the Hotel Pontchartrain, the location of the revered P-Jazz series and Rapa 
House jam sessions of the past. Fans can look for nightly “after-hours” jam 
sessions, and a salsa party on Sunday night at the Pontch – which was 
announced as the official hotel of the DJF.

In a concerted effort to strengthen the educational component of the 
festival, the DJF has forged educational partnerships with Wayne State 
University and Jazz @ Juilliard.  The festival is sponsoring visiting 
artists Conrad Herwig and Sean Jones for Jazz Week at Wayne (July 23-28), 
and will feature a mini-residency with Juilliard jazz students on Labor Day 
Weekend. The Michigan School Band and Orchestra and the International 
Association for Jazz Education will be involved in the high school 
invitational.

In order to sustain the high quality of the festival and to maintain it as 
a free event, sponsorships are extremely important to the newly formed 
non-profit organization.

The festival welcomed back significant ’06 sponsors such as Chase (Cadillac 
Square Stage), Carhartt (Pyramid Stage), Ford (Here and Now Stage) and 
Absopure (Waterfront Stage).  Other major sponsors include MGM Casino, 
MotorCity Casino, Mack Avenue Records, Comcast, DTE Energy, and Big Boy. 
Budweiser Select is the sponsor of a pre-fest series which will take place 
Fridays in August at Bert’s, Baker’s, Cliff Bells and Memphis Smoke and 
feature some of Detroit’s best musicians.

Wayne State University, Art Van, Aqua Fresh and Starbucks will also be 
sponsoring the festival this year.  Both new and returning sponsors 
understand the value of getting their products and services before 
Detroit’s premier Labor Day Weekend audience, as well as supporting the 28 
year tradition that creates cultural tourism for Michigan.

“It is great to see so many people and organizations commit themselves to 
keeping the tradition of one of the best free jazz festival in the world,” 
said Gretchen Valade, owner of Mack Avenue Records and main benefactor of 
the DJF.

Media sponsors in ‘07 include Fox 2, Detroit Newspaper Partnership, Hour 
Detroit Magazine, Metrotimes, WEMU, WDET, V98.7 Smooth Jazz, AM580, WWJ 
AM950, Jazz Corner, Big City Blues, Jazz Times, NWA World Traveler, WRCJ 
and Detroit Public Television.

“Detroit Jazz Fest is one of the most dynamic free jazz festivals in the 
world,” Pontremoli added.  “We plan to build on that reputation each year 
and are confident that this season will impress both new and old DJF 
attendees – who are among the most informed and enthusiastic jazz audiences 
anywhere.”

For access to official bios and photos, please visit 
<http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/>www.detroitjazzfest.com

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