Detroit Jazz Fest 2008

[Lois Gilbert]

Jazz Fest to pay tribute to Coltrane
Philly/Detroit Summit to mark 'Love Supreme'

Last year it was Detroit and Chicago. This year it's Detroit and Philly.

The 29th annual Detroit International Jazz Festival will be celebrating the City of Brotherly Love throughout the Labor Day weekend, with Philadelphia-born bassist Christian McBride as the festival's artist-in-residence, a gaggle of artists from both cities, and several special projects. Most notably, there will be a tribute to the late Alice Coltrane, a Detroit native who became the wife and collaborator of saxophonist John Coltrane, one of the greatest geniuses of modern jazz -- and a Philadelphia resident.

The 2008 festival, in fact, has drawn its signature title, "A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit," from John Coltrane's seminal 1964 album.

The largest free jazz festival in North America, the Detroit Jazz Festival will run Aug. 29-Sept. 1 in downtown Detroit. Six stages will stretch from Hart Plaza to Campus Martius, and Woodward Avenue will be blocked off between them to create a pedestrian corridor.

Headliners include such Philadelphians as the veteran saxophonists Jimmy Heath and Benny Golson, trombonist Robin Eubanks, guitarist Pat Martino and organist Joey DeFrancesco, the peerless Pontiac-bred pianist Hank Jones (who turns 90 this summer), Detroit-born saxophonist James Carter, bandleader Gerald Wilson, singer Dianne Reeves, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, guitarist Jim Hall with drummer Lewis Nash, pianist Geoff Keezer, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Matt Wilson. The Dizzy Gillespie All Stars will perform, too.

The Alice Coltrane tribute will feature an eye-popping quartet including her son Ravi Coltrane on saxophones, Charlie Haden on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums and native Detroiter Geri Allen on piano. Both Heath and Golson will play with their own quartets, along with big bands from Philadelphia and Detroit in programs of their large ensemble music.

McBride, 35, who first came to prominence as a teenager, has grown into a versatile musician and charismatic bandleader with wide-ranging stylistic appetites. His role at the festival is still evolving, but he'll curate an opening night Friday tribute to Marvin Gaye, lead his own band and join organist DeFrancesco and Detroit-born drummer Karriem Riggins for a set.

Festival leaders will announce more headliners on April 30.

[Enforcer]

Whoa! What a lineup! I can't wait. I haven't seen Jack DeJohnette perform live in 20 years.

[Frisco]

DAVE BURRELL would be an obvious Philly headliner, as far as I'm conerned.
If he doesn't get booked, something's wrong.

Also, there's a major large ensemble that I understand is booked. But I'll wait for the official press release. I don;t want to spoil the party.

[Lois Gilbert]

29th Annual Detroit International Jazz Festival Announces 2008 Lineup

Labor Day Weekend Classic to Celebrate the
Rich Musical Heritage of Detroit and Philadelphia

Philly Bassist Christian McBride to Serve As Guest Artist in Residence



Festival organizers today announced the lineup for the 29th annual Detroit International Jazz Festival, Friday, August 29 through Monday, September 1, at Hart Plaza on the Detroit River waterfront.

Billed as A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit, the 2008 festival will celebrate the storied jazz and soul traditions of these two great American cities. "I enjoy the challenge of designing the festival lineup around a theme," says executive and artistic director Terri Pontremoli. Philly/Detroit, jazz, and soul will be represented on opening night, which features Dianne Reeves, whose new Blue Note Records CD When You Know gives a nod to Motown's Temptations. A Philly/Detroit jazz tribute to Marvin Gaye, curated and arranged by Christian McBride, will also bow that evening. McBride will present his own unique takes on Gaye's material with a big band of stellar Detroit-based musicians backing R&B vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Rahsaan Patterson. Joining the two veteran singers will be up-and-coming jazz vocalist Jose James.

Throughout the weekend, legendary artists from Detroit and Philly will include Hank Jones, Gerald Wilson (both turning 90 this year), Barry Harris, Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath. A gamut of guitar stylists will be showcased over three days with appearances by Stanley Jordan, Jim Hall, Pat Martino, Derek Trucks, Calvin Cooke, Grant Green Jr., and Mike Stern. But guitars won't be the only things that slide - trombones will also take center stage with appearances by Robin Eubanks, Slide Hampton, Bonerama, Trombone Shorty and the University of Michigan Jazz Trombone Choir.

A battle of the bands between the Count Basie and Gerald Wilson Orchestras promises to leave the audience breathless by the end of the night. Both bands will be on stage at the same time, along with GRAMMY award-winning singer Nnenna Freelon, Detroit legend Kenny Burrell, and other special guests (to be announced). The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Jazz Band, with James Moody, Jimmy Heath, and Slide Hampton, will close out the festival on Labor Day, along with sensational vocalist Roberta Gambarini. A Saturday Night Fish Fry will feature masters of the Hammond B-3 with Reuben Wilson's Godfathers of Groove, Robin Eubanks + EB3, and Joey DeFrancesco with Karriem Riggins and Christian McBride. A tribute to Alice Coltrane, led by her son Ravi, will feature jazz giants Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, and Detroit's own Geri Allen.

Classic jazz will be served up by Kenny Barron, Ted Nash, Roy Hargrove and a myriad of regional artists, while new music offerings include ICP Orchestra, Cyro Baptista & Beat the Donkey and Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts. Alexander Zonjic will cross over Philly and Detroit with native Philly artists Jeff Lorber and Doc Gibbs and special guest Maysa and the Motor City Horns. GRAMMY-nominated Artistry /Mack Avenue bassist Brian Bromberg will be joined by Philly trumpeter Randy Brecker. Col. Bruce Hampton & The Quark Alliance will boast their brand of surreal funk. Dee Dee Sharpe will perform in a tribute to the Philly Sound and the achievements of R&B pioneers Kenny Gamble & Leon Huff, who are celebrating five decades in the music industry, along with their recent induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The newly located Here & Now Stage will again feature emerging talents such as twenty-somethings pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Esperanza Spalding, The Hot Club of Detroit and the surprisingly six-foot Trombone Shorty.

Detroit International Jazz Festival will continue to encourage young talent not only by inviting college and high school ensembles to showcase, but by giving them opportunities to perform with jazz veterans. The Wayne State University Big Band will perform the "Book of Heath" with Jimmy Heath; Temple University Big Band will perform with Benny Golson; Michigan State University will perform the works of Thad Jones with trumpet legend Jon Faddis. Other visiting schools include the Berklee (Boston) Jazz Ensemble, the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quartet, and the Juilliard Jazz Quintet. And back by popular demand are the KidBop area and Arts & Scraps for the wee-boppers.

The Jazz Talk Tent will be full of stories, with Christian McBride, Jimmy Heath, Benny Golson, Barry Harris, Hank Jones, Jim Hall, Kenny Burrell, James Moody and Slide Hampton. Topics will range from the B3's role in blues to Detroit/Philly histories, the impact of John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie, discussions of Marvin Gaye, Gamble & Huff, Motown, and yes, sports.

"Detroit International Jazz Festival was voted one of the top five festivals in the U.S. in the January 2008 JazzTimes Reader's Poll," says Pontremoli. "The musicians will be having wonderful reunions, and the great Detroit audience, which always amazes me, will play a huge role in the brotherly love vibe."

Detroit International Jazz Festival is now the largest, free jazz festival in North America, attracting upwards of 750,000 people. It has become a major tourist attraction, with 25% of its audience coming from out of state. The festival has a significant economic impact on Detroit and showcases the city in the most positive light. The festival has received support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the NEA Jazz Masters, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA), and the Kresge Foundation. Major corporate sponsors include Chase, MGM Casino, Motor City Casino, Carhartt and Absopure. The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center is the official hotel of the 29th Annual Detroit International Jazz Festival.

For more information, including festival updates and details on how to become a member, visit www.detroitjazzfest.com.

[Frisco]

Well, so far with the Philly theme they've ignored Dave Burrell. And Reggie Workman, Marilyn Crispell, Khan Jamal, Byard Lancaster, Sunny Murray, Odean Pope, Bobby Zankel, etc.... I mean at least one of these would've been nice. They were promising more of the vanguard music than the past conservatives were presenting. I don't see anything vanguard aside from ICP Orchestra and they could easily plan an all Ellington set (which would be cool too).

The press release states that "new music offerings include ICP Orchestra, Cyro Baptista Beat the Donkey, and Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts". Matt Wilson's music is nice jazz but I wouldn't exactly brag that it is in the "new music" or "vanguard" category. Some nice old-timers like Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, and Hank Jones. And Joey DeFrancesco for the zillionth time. Overall, I'm really disappointed so far. But they DO promise a few more additions to the lineup.

[Lois Gilbert]

Frisco

As I promised,I brought Dave Burrell's name to the producers. As you can imagine, putting a festival like this together is an enormous undertaking. Just making the Philly/Detroit connect is overwhelming. But I think it's a very joyful line-up full of JAZZ!! New music doesn't mean to my mind necessarily avant music.

Peace Lois

[Lois Gilbert]

Fans Await Summer North American Jazz Festivals
By Doug Levine
Washington
01 July 2008

Levine report - Listen (MP3) (http://www.voanews.com/english/figleaf/mp3filegenerate.cfm?filepath=http://www.voanews.com/mediaassets/english/2008_07/Audio/mp3/levine_jazz_festivals_27jun08.mp3)



With the summer season now underway in North America, people are flocking to the great outdoors, especially for concerts and music festivals. VOA's Doug Levine previews three popular jazz festivals that promise something for everyone, come rain or shine.

Detroit, Michigan, may be known as the birthplace of Motown Records, but it's also home to one of the fastest-growing jazz festivals in the U.S.


Benny Golson
Celebrating its 29th year, the Detroit International Jazz Festival (8/29-9/1) will stretch its borders to pay tribute to the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with a musical celebration named "A Love Supreme: The Detroit/Philly Summit." Representing Philadelphia, are trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonists Benny Golson and Jimmy Heath, guitarist Pat Martino, and this year's Artist in Residence, bassist Christian McBride.

Also on tap are Detroit-born vocalist Dianne Reeves, pianists Hank Jones and Geri Allen, guitarist Jim Hall, the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane leading a special tribute to his mother, Alice Coltrane.

All of the concerts at the Detroit Jazz Festival are free of charge, including a gospel show, a "Here and Now" stage for emerging artists, a jazz talk tent, a "Kid Bop" section, and a showcase of the area's top high school and college jazz ensembles.


Montreal Jazz Festival
Those in search of a musical outing further north can head to the Montreal Jazz Festival in Quebec, Canada. The 11-day festival began on June 26, and is already delivering the most diverse lineup of jazz, rock, world music, hip-hop and Afro-pop in its 29-year history.

Jazz divas Cassandra Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Abbey Lincoln will each be there promoting new releases, as well as piano masters Dave Brubeck, McCoy Tyner and Hank Jones.

More than two million people are expected to attend the 2008 Montreal Jazz Festival. Compare that to the 12,000 fans who witnessed the very first festival in 1980. Music will stretch from one end of downtown to the other, with an offering of 500 concerts on indoor and outdoor stages, in small jazz clubs, and on a cruise boat docked on the Saint Lawrence River.


Far from the hustle and bustle of downtown Montreal are the welcoming breezes of Newport Harbor, the backdrop to "America's First Jazz Festival," the JVC Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island (8/8-8/10). Newport began hosting the festival in 1954, and over the years, has featured some of the greatest names in jazz, blues and R&B.

Fresh from the Montreal Jazz Festival, "The Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin will make her first appearance at the JVC Jazz Festival on August 9. Also coming to town that weekend are jazz giants Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dave Holland and Sonny Rollins.

[Lois Gilbert]

The Great Detroit/JazzCorner VIP Giveaway

JazzCorner®.com is the proud web partner of the Detroit Jazz Festival. To celebrate JazzCorner's continued sponsorship with the Detroit Jazz Festival, we have a great giveaway going on for this biggest free JAZZ party on Labor Day Weekend.

Grand Prize winner will receive:
VIP Seating for 2 for all events
Friday, Saturday and Sunday night hotel accommodations

Two 2nd prize winners will receive:
VIP access to all shows and talk tents Friday through Monday


Click here to enter
http://www.jazzcorner.com/contest/detroit_2008.php

Transportation is not included. Winners will be chosen at random and notified by phone and email and posted here by August 20th

[Lois Gilbert]

Gaye honor is what's going on at jazz fest
Susan Whitall / The Detroit News
Motown fans are in for a special treat on Aug. 29, the opening night of this year's Detroit International Jazz Festival: a musical tribute to Marvin Gaye, led by Christian McBride.

The homage to Gaye, one of the most venerated artists to come out of Detroit's Motown Records, will be led by Philadelphia bassist McBride, which ties in nicely with this year's Jazz Festival theme, "A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit."

Gaye's song "What's Going On" and the accompanying album changed popular music profoundly when it was released in 1971. It continues to influence younger musicians like McBride, 35. Until then, no Motown artist had released such a melancholy, downbeat reflection on urban troubles, infused with anger at what soldiers returning from the war in Vietnam were facing.

Gaye's laidback, cool demeanor hid a troubled genius who finally found expression in his 1971 masterpiece, co-written with the Four Tops' Obie Benson.

Lem Barney, the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback for the Detroit Lions, will emcee the Marvin Gaye tribute, which starts at 8:45 p.m. Aug. 29 on the festival's Chase Stage. The free four-day festival runs over Labor Day weekend.

"I don't know what I'll say yet, the spirit will lead me," Barney says. "There's so much I can say, I could be there all night talking about the love that I had for Marvin, the friendship that developed ... and people would never get entertained!"

The former Lion is the ministerial assistant at Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, and director of physician relations and recruitment for the Detroit Medical Center.

Barney met Gaye in 1970 when he knocked on the door of the singer's Outer Drive home, intent upon telling the singer how much his music meant to him. Barney had just missed meeting Gaye at the Palmer Park Golf Course, so mutual friends gave him directions to Gaye's house ("the brown house with the brown Cadillac Brougham out front").

Once he convinced Gaye that he really was Lem Barney ("You're too small!" Gaye protested), a friendship developed. Gaye famously tried out unsuccessfully for the Lions, and it is the voices of Barney and teammate Mel Farr you hear at the beginning, and in the background throughout "What's Going On."

"Mel starts off the song by saying, 'Hey, man, what's happening,' then I say, 'Yeah, man like solid, what's going on,' " Barney relates. The football great is "blessed" to have been given a gold record for "What's Going On," and he's not at all surprised that it still ranks as one of the top albums of the last 40 years.

"The things that Marvin did, it was such a spectrum, it transcended time," Barney says. "You can still play every tune and it's relevant today. He had that kind of depth, insight and understanding. Marvin was so spiritual, and he loved the Lord. Regardless of what people say, drugs didn't kill him. He was killed by two bullets fired at point blank range." (Gaye was fatally shot by his minister father in 1984, after an argument in his father's Los Angeles home.)

If Barney should happen to be driving and hear a Gaye song, "I'll stop, pull over and look up to the heavens, and say 'Thank you, Marvin, I love you.' " The former Lion will also take part in a panel discussion on Gaye at 2:30 p.m. Sept. 1, in the Pepsi Jazz Talk tent.

McBride arranged and will conduct and play on the tribute, which features singers Lalah Hathaway (daughter of Donny Hathaway), Rahsaan Patterson and Jose James, backed by a 21-piece band, playing songs from Gaye's catalog, culminating in -- what else -- "What's Going On."

In other Jazz Fest news, two previously announced headliners won't be playing: Pianist Hank Jones, 90, of Pontiac's famous Jones brothers, has another commitment, but promoters say Jones will perform at next year's 30th-anniversary Detroit Jazz Festival. Philadelphia organist Joey DeFrancesco is not on the final bill, either.

Stages at the Jazz Fest run from the Detroit riverfront to Campus Martius Park.

[Lois Gilbert]

Somewhere, Marvin Gaye is smiling.



The singer was known as "the Prince of Motown" and became one of that fabled label's most commercially successful artists on the strength of hits like "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine."

He turned musical revolutionary with "What's Going On," his 1971 masterpiece, following it with "Let's Get It On," a nearly equal masterpiece of carnal desire. By the time of Gaye's tragic death in 1984, not long after his dramatic comeback with "Sexual Healing," the singer had scaled artistic heights few could have imagined.

Yet for all his creative accomplishment and commercial validation, one lifelong desire eluded him: More than anything, Gaye wanted to be a serious jazz balladeer. The man Janet Jackson once called black culture's John Lennon dreamed of being its Frank Sinatra.

So it is fitting that Friday's opening night of the 2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival will close with a tribute to Marvin Gaye arranged by this year's artist-in-residence, Christian McBride. The celebrated bassist has programmed a set of Gaye's music to be performed by a 19-piece orchestra plus singers Lalah Hathaway, Rahsaan Patterson, José James and a trio of backing vocalists.

McBride responded immediately when festival executive and artistic director Terri Pontremoli proposed the tribute.

"I grew up on rhythm and blues and I own nearly everything Marvin Gaye ever recorded," enthuses the 35-year-old Philadelphian, whose quartet will be surrounded by an impressive posse of Motor City musicians to create a big band that incarnates the festival theme "A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit."

"I re-listened to all Marvin's music and it was interesting to hear his growth from the early '60s to the mid '70s," he says. "Man, what a time! Everybody was really stretching, pushing themselves to the max. Marvin always had a jazz attitude: 'I need to play the real stuff.' When they didn't bring it to him, he took it upon himself to bring it to them.

"I won't be presenting any particularly radical rearrangements. In this festival setting, and in this city, I think people want to hear the music and connect with their personal reminiscences. You don't want to do too much to disguise that, so I'll stick reasonably close to the original script. I have, however, written an overture of sorts, based on a number of Marvin's themes. It will allow us to ease into the set and work any butterflies out."

For those who knew Gaye personally, like former Detroit Lions great Lem Barney, the tribute will be especially poignant.

"Oh, you couldn't keep him away from jazz," testifies the pro football Hall of Famer, who bonded with Gaye during the singer's highly publicized tryout with the Lions in 1970 and was later invited to contribute background vocals to "What's Going On." "Marvin would sit at the piano and sing Sinatra and Nat King Cole for hours. They'd let him do as much of that as he wanted on his own time, but he couldn't put it on wax. That frustrated him greatly."

Gaye did release albums of standards early in his Motown career, but the success of hard-edged R&B numbers like "Stubborn Kind of Fellow" and "Hitch Hike" forced him to shelve any such ambitions.

Even after he'd won his creative independence with "What's Going On" and commissioned a set of lush ballad orchestrations from pianist-composer Bobby Scott, Gaye compulsively re-recorded his own performances, unsure that he possessed the vocal maturity to get the job done. The results, finally released in 1997 as the posthumous album "Vulnerable," show he needn't have worried.

"Marvin Gaye could sing anything he put his mind to," Jack Ashford, a jazz vibraphonist whom Gaye brought to Motown, has said. Ashford's tambourine became a signature element of the famous Funk Brothers studio band. "In a way that many of the other producers did not, Marvin understood and appreciated the fact that most of us came from jazz backgrounds. He was no real threat instrumentally -- he could hold his own on piano or drums, after a fashion -- but we loved him because he possessed the soul of a jazz musician."

Saxophonist Diego Rivera was ideally suited to recruit the Detroit musicians for McBride's tribute. His own jazz homage to "What's Going On" has had several public performances, including one by the Michigan State University Jazz Band at last year's festival.

"When I told the musicians what the project was," he says, "they were all excited, not only to work with Christian, but to play the music of Marvin Gaye. Jazz is the music of the moment, and playing it is the art of living fully in that moment. Marvin worked with emotion in much the same way."

By investing himself so fully in his artistry, Gaye's music connected popular culture to something eternal. "The key to life is the spirit that leads," offers Lem Barney. These days Barney, who will act as special guest emcee for this tribute to his departed friend, is director of physician relations and recruitment for the Detroit Medical Center. He also serves as associate pastor at Hope United Church.

"There are good spirits and bad spirits," he explains. "You have to choose each day which spirits you're going to serve. Marvin had his share of both, but when you hear his music, even after all this time, you're hearing the spirit that leads."

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080826/ENT04/808260334/1039/ENT

[Lois Gilbert]

The Detroit International Jazz Fest, in its current manifestation, is so laden with major attractions that it's difficult to cull a must-see list. What seemed a reasonably big fest a few years ago has undergone a sort of big bang. So consider these just a few diverse suggestions, from major offerings to curios.


Major tributes

Ravi Coltrane's Tribute to Alice Sunday, 4:30 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: Pianist-harpist Alice Coltrane added the spiritual aura to husband John's final musical years and continued on that path in her own musical explorations. Their son Ravi recruits pianist Geri Allen and two of his mother's musical confidants, bassist Charlie Haden and drummer Jack DeJohnette, plus harp, tabla and tamboura.

Tribute to Donald Walden Sunday, 5:30 p.m., Mack Avenue Records Pyramid Stage: Bassist Marion Hayden anchored the extraordinary saxophonist Walden's final group, Free Radicals. Here, she reconvenes members of that outfit and brings in musicians who collaborated on key Walden projects in the past: Pianists Geri Allen and Barry Harris, and saxophonist Charles McPherson.

The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band Monday, 8:45 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: The all-star designation is not taken lightly. Musical direction by Slide Hampton; James Moody, Jimmy Heath and Antonio Hart are among the saxophones; Claudio Roditi and Roy Hargrove among the trumpets. Plus up-and-coming vocalist Roberta Gambarini.


Elders

Jimmy Heath and the Wayne State University Big Band Sunday, 2 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre; Heath Brothers Quartet (with Tootie Heath), Monday, 7:30 p.m., Absopure Waterfront Stage: "Trane was always high on Jimmy's playing, and so was I," said the late Miles Davis. The buzz need not be solely for connoisseurs, though.

Benny Golson Quartet Sunday, 6 p.m., Absopure Waterfront Stage; Temple University Jazz Band, directed by Terrell Stafford, featuring Benny Golson Monday, 4:15 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: One of the most noted jazz composers and (beyond serious fans) a much underrated saxophonist. He promises "I Remember Clifford" and plenty more hits with the quartet.

Barry Harris Trio Monday, 5:15 p.m., Absopure Waterfront Stage: The sage to a generation of Detroit musicians, he's distilled bop to an essence. With Rodney Whitaker on bass and Lewis Nash on drums.


Make It Funky Now

Swiss Movement Revisited: Javon Jackson Band with Les McCann Saturday, 4:45 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: Inviting comparisons to the original version of the classic "Compared to What."

Latin Jazz All Stars: A Tribute to Hilton Ruiz and Mario Rivera; Saturday, 9:15 p.m.: Pianist-leader Ruiz and saxophonist-sideman Rivera are remembered by heavy-hitters in their league, including pianist Arturo O'Farrill, trombonist Steve Turre and timbale wizard Pete (father of Sheila E) Escovedo.

Spangler & O'Donnell Planet D Nonet Sunday, 5 p.m., Chase Mainstage: They'll reach back to the old school's old school's old school with a tribute to Detroiter Paul Williams' 1948 "The Hucklebuck." At 4:30 p.m. on Saturday in the Pepsi Jazz Talk Tent, Spangler, producer-commentator Bob Porter, jazz historian Jim Gallert and Detroit saxophonist George Benson will discuss the proto-rock 'n' roll classic and its enduring impact. (Jazz Tent talks on topics from Motown to organ jazz run throughout the festival. See deroitjazzfesti.com.)

Derek Trucks Band Monday, 6 p.m., Chase Mainstage: One of the most talked about guitarists to hit the scene in years builds on the legacy his dad Butch Trucks started in the Allman Brothers Band.


You heard their discs, now ...

Kenny Garrett Quartet Sunday, 7:15 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: Some cuts on his last disc, Beyond the Wall, paired him with guest saxophonist Pharoah Sanders; Garrett came through the maelstrom standing taller rather than blown away.

Hot Club of Detroit with special guest Kruno Sunday, 7:15 p.m., Here & Now Stage: Their sophomore disc, Night Town, marked them as a growing group, working to ensure that their Django proclivities don't end up pigeonholing them. This gig adds Philly gypsy guitarist Kruno.

Gerald Cleaver Sunday, 7:30 p.m., Mack Avenue Pyramid Stage: The drummer is one of the current crop of Detroiters making a big stir on mostly small labels out of New York and beyond — but too rarely heard back home. Featuring the horns of J.D. Allen, Jeremy Pelt and Andrew Bishop.

James Carter Septet Monday, 6:30 p.m., Carhartt Amphitheatre: With a larger group than usual, saxophonist James Carter channels ever more raucous (and rockin') energy into his act. That's the way it worked out on his recent disc, Present Tense, ripping the seams of conventional song form in Carterian fashion. Expect no less live.


Off the beaten path

Ted Nash Quartet; Mancini Project Saturday, 1:30 p.m., Absopure Waterfront Stage: The saxophonist-flutist's recent disc, The Mancini Project, gives the slightest nod to Mancini's broad humor (no "Pink Panther," less than two minutes of "Baby Elephant Walk" and "A Shot in the Dark") to concentrate what's wistful, moody and the romantic in his music.

ICP Orchestra Monday 3:15 p.m., Mack Avenue Pyramid Stage: While the reverential Coltrane legacy gets attention in this festival, other streams of the avant-garde are largely ignored. One exception is the 31-year-old little-big band representing a peculiarly Dutch free-jazz ethos (full-name: Instant Composers Pool) not so much led as herded by pianist Misha Mengelberg. Original drummer Han Bennink is a fount of percussive wackness.

Cyro Baptista and Beat the Donkey Monday, 5:45 p.m., Here & Now Stage: Speaking of percussive wackness, there's also Brazilian Baptista's outfit, apt to throw into the mix anything from doo-wop to dynamite (or at least the odd power tool).

http://www.metrotimes.com/music/story.asp?id=13193

[Enforcer]

I've been going to the festivals for over 20 years, and they've never been better than the past couple. I spent all day at the festival yesterday and a good part of Saturday, too. It was an embarrassment of riches; I had trouble deciding which act to catch at any given time. The highlights for me were the Christian McBride group, Pat Martino, Ravi Coltrane and (perhaps the most cookin' of all) Roy Hargrove. Great musical moments and so much cool stuff going on in and around the festival.

Lois, I know JC is involved with supporting the festival now and Carhartt is a huge factor in its ongoing success. All I can say is, it can't be overstated what a great trend I'm seeing with the festival. More artists, more stages, and all accomplished without watering down the content. We've never had so many tough choices to make when deciding who to watch at a given moment. Great work!