Only in Detroit: Massive virtual jazz festival launches tonight

[Mark Stryker]

Tonight through Monday. Free streaming. Not the same as usual but strikingly ambitious and way more than anyone else has been able to do. 

https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2020/09/04/detroit-jazz-fest-virtual-event/5704841002/

Edited September 4, 2020 by Mark Stryker

[kh1958]

Do you have any recommendations of local Detroit artists on the schedule?

[Justin V]

45 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

Do you have any recommendations of local Detroit artists on the schedule?

I have attended the Detroit Jazz Festival for the last 12 or 13 years and have seen many excellent Detroit artists.  Here are a few I recommend from the schedule:

Gayelynn McKinney: Part of the McKinney clan that includes Harold, Bernard (AKA, Kiane Zawadi) and Carlos.  She was the drummer for Straight Ahead, the all-women group with Regina Carter.  I've seen her with Benny Golson and Larry Willis (backing Vanessa Rubin).

Marion Hayden: The bassist from Straight Ahead and yet another in a proud tradition of Detroit bassists.

Walter White: A fine trumpeter who has recorded for Summit, I believe.  I enjoyed what I saw of his set a few years ago.

Sean Dobbins: I've seen him backing Sonny Fortune and Ralph Moore.  I still fondly recall how bonkers the crowd went when he had a drum feature on 'Caravan' with Fortune.  He also leads a high school group out of Detroit that impressed me far more than many of the college ensembles I've seen over the years.

[Mark Stryker]

Bob Hurst’s band Black Currant  Jam is exceptional. I think they play Sunday night.

[Justin V]

Alex Harding is about to start.  It should be great.  The last time I saw the group in Detroit, the drummer, Francisco Mora Catlett, was billed as the leader.

[kh1958]

I've seen that group (Afro Horn); it is terrific.

Edited September 5, 2020 by kh1958

[kh1958]

1 hour ago, Justin V said:

Alex Harding is about to start.  It should be great.  The last time I saw the group in Detroit, the drummer, Francisco Mora Catlett, was billed as the leader.

Thanks for the reminder. I really enjoyed that set.

[Justin V]

3 minutes ago, kh1958 said:

Thanks for the reminder. I really enjoyed that set.

It was the same group the last time but with J.D. Allen, too.    My toddler would have loved the festival this year.  We had fun watching the set.  I shoveled mac and cheese into her face and told her about the music while she jammed out.

[kh1958]

The same group (Francisco Mora Catlett; Alex Harding, Sam Newsome, Aruin Ortiz, Ramon Diaz, Rahsaan Carter) played in Dallas a few years ago; a free concert at the Latino Cultural Center in Deep Elllum, a venue that never has jazz, so kind of inexplicable. 
 

Edited September 5, 2020 by kh1958

[bertrand]

Are these up for later viewing on YouTube?