  Pjazz Member Username: Pjazz Post Number: 82 Registered: 04-2005 |
If you went to the Jazz festival post who you saw and how it was. I went Sunday and saw Kurt Elling and Don Byron's Junior Walker Project. Kurt was Great and Byron Had everyone Dancing. | ||
Ramcharger Member Username: Ramcharger Post Number: 451 Registered: 05-2006 |
I didn’t make it down there this year, but I was wondering if the noise from the Grand Prix made it at all difficult to enjoy the music? | ||
Texorama Member Username: Texorama Post Number: 50 Registered: 12-2006 |
I was there yesterday and had a great time seeing Bettye LaVette. Wasn't sure her gloomy, tragic ballads would work in the festival setting, but she went over very well. Also enjoyed the young Chicago saxwoman Tia Fuller and her all-female band. Asked a guy who had been there Saturday during the Grand Prix whether noise had been an issue, and he said you could hear it farther down the Riverwalk, but not in Hart Plaza at all. I guess the big stone wall on which the Pyramid Stage sits is a good barrier. | ||
Fishtoes2000 Member Username: Fishtoes2000 Post Number: 278 Registered: 06-2005 |
Betty Lavett was great yesterday and drew a good crowd. "Hello, Detroit. I'm back." I really enjoyed Lavett's chats between songs that gave some local history and perspective. | ||
Citylover Member Username: Citylover Post Number: 2602 Registered: 07-2004 |
Carl Alllen_ Rodney Whittaker project swinging like mad. Yusef Lateef mesmerizing and magical.His music may sound different to some but it has it's roots in gospel and he had the crowd right there with him. The Clayton-Hamilton orchestra were spectacular. Jeff Hamilton may be the swingingest drummer out there and he has chops that are nothing lass than mind boggling. Nice job Detroit. | ||
Erikto Member Username: Erikto Post Number: 600 Registered: 11-2003 |
Wish I could have gone... I saw Bettye Lavette at the '05 Detroit Jazz Festival. Last time I saw her, she talked about a meeting with Kenny Rogers in Detroit that resulted in here (terrific, I think) cover of "I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In". Hope I get to see Yusuf Lateef one of these years, I really like the album "Yusuf Lateef's Detroit"; I played stuff from it on the radio a few times. My Detroit music connection would diss me hard for forgetting the name yet again, but I saw a wonderful pianist in a bar near Harmonie Park at the 2005 fest, and we met the gentleman, too. He played with Moms Mabley and lots of people ever since, but I don't think he tours. I met Bob Babbitt at the hotel that night, too. | ||
Wfw Member Username: Wfw Post Number: 296 Registered: 03-2004 |
I saw Scott Henderson and Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood on Saturday night. I had a great time, and I've got to say that I enjoyed Henderson more thatn MSM&W, which was a bit of a surprise. Still, they were pretty freaking great as well. Good times in the D. | ||
Jazzstage Member Username: Jazzstage Post Number: 91 Registered: 08-2007 |
Kudos to Terri Pontremoli for the artists she booked. The crowds were overflowing and enthusiastic. I heard Faruq Z. Bey, Dave Brubeck, Medeski, Scofield, Martin and Wood, Poncho Sanchez, Kenny Barron, Regina Carter, Charles Tolliver, Kurt Elling, Conrad Herwig, Spanish harlem Orchestra, Chris Codish and the Motor City Horns with guest Alexander Zonjic, Clayton Hamilton Orchestra as well as the incredible events in the jazz talk tent. It was all slamming but Charles Tolliver with Craig Handy just killed me. Same with Spanish Harlem orchestra and Conrad Herwig. I could go on forever but Mark Stryker already said it way better than I ever could in the Freep. | ||
Sec106 Member Username: Sec106 Post Number: 12 Registered: 03-2007 |
Absolutely fabulous on Sunday what a night we had Kurt Elling and Patti Austin were great. The crowds were fantastic. The only problem was they moved the Campus Martius Stage over to the side. On Friday we went to see Regina Carter and you could not hear a thing and there was less seating then if they had left it the way it was before. But the whole thing was stellor. | ||
Mauser765 Member Username: Mauser765 Post Number: 1861 Registered: 01-2004 |
MSM&W photos - those guys KILLED ! http://www.detroitfunk.com/200 7/09/02/medeski_scofield_marti n_wood.htm | ||
Lfrac88 Member Username: Lfrac88 Post Number: 7 Registered: 07-2007 |
I saw Kurt Elling as well, with the Wayne State Jazz Big Band- yay WSU! I'm in the music department myself as a french horn major, so it was nice to see all of my music classmates down there. I would highly suggest going to a WSU Jazz concert during the year, at the small recital hall in Old Main- they are always great shows, and much more intimate that the Jazz Fest. | ||
Jazzstage Member Username: Jazzstage Post Number: 93 Registered: 08-2007 |
Nice pics but whoever wrote the blog is an idiot. Typical kid that thinks they are entitled to having everything for free. | ||
Kilgore_south Member Username: Kilgore_south Post Number: 221 Registered: 05-2005 |
Wish I could have seen Herbie Hancock on Friday. A personal hero of mine. But did make it for pretty much everything on Saturday. Particularly enjoyed The Miracles and Medeski Martin and Wood. I wish MM&W had longer to play; seemed like they were just getting into it when their set ended. Organissimo was a nice surprise too. Also thought downtown looked good and nice to see the big crowds. | ||
Leob Member Username: Leob Post Number: 99 Registered: 10-2005 |
Ah the VIP section quandry !! I slipped into the VIP section (2nd row)for all of Scott Henderson and was geeked to still be there for 45" of the MSM&W set. The VIP section for Henderson was LARGELY EMPTY which was just wrong... With MSM&W as the section became more populated, a young security gal, started "doing her job" and was ejecting the non-credentialed. When I was confronted I said; "guess you'll have to drag me out". This rent a cop actually called the police who eventually arrived to walk out a whole row of well behaved music lovers including myself. She did such a great job of clearing out the section that the incensed crowd crashed the barriers for the encore.Way to maintain control! Now I understand the need and importance for the VIP section because there is no free lunch. The corporate sponsor (who the fest direly needs) dictates the size and configuration of those seats.They would take their ball and go home if the organizers objected. If you plan ahead and contribute cash to the Fest you get perks like VIP credentials. These are the people that actually show up for the sets as opposed to Joe Blow Chase Manhattan middle manager! I plan to contribute for next year. The lesson I hope organizers learned this year is that there is a right way and wrong way to divide seating for "VIPS" split the stage down the middle, left half - a few rows VIP and right half those that are willing to show up early !! | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2465 Registered: 10-2003 |
We spent about 5 hrs on Saturday afternoon and about 6 hrs on Monday afternoon/evening. Enjoyed Faruq Z. Bey and the Northwood Improvisation Project, Dave Brubeck, Maria Muldaur, Bettye Levett, and the Classical Jazz Quartet with Ron Carter and Lewis Nash. All terrific performances!!! Local groups we saw included Nadir Distorted Soul, Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones, Alexander Zonjic with the Motor City Horns and Thornetta Davis. Great session on the Detroit Bass Players in the Jazz Talk tent!! Very interesting discussion with bassists Beans Richardson, Ron Carter, Marion Hayden, and Don Mayberry, with commentary by jazz critic Ira Gittler. Thanks, Jimg!! Couldn't agree more about the VIP seating problem. The first show we were at early Saturday afternoon had VIP seating that was totally empty, leaving the musicians without anyone sitting in front of them. That's a difficult situation for both the musicians and their fans!! | ||
Citylover Member Username: Citylover Post Number: 2607 Registered: 07-2004 |
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs .dll/article?AID=/20070904/ENT 04/70904017/1002/BUSINESS&them e=JAZZFEST082007 |
