Aug 12 - 14 2016
Flint Jazz Festival

Flint Jazz Festival

Presented by Greater Flint Arts Council at The Meadows

Don’t miss the exciting lineup at the 2016 Flint Jazz Festival presented by Greater Flint Arts Council!! Family fun for ALL ages.

JOIN US FOR GREAT JAZZ: Check our this Amazing Line up!!!:

Friday August 12:    5pm – 8:30pm 

5pm-6:30pm        The Bobcats

7PM-8:30PM        BRIAN AUGER’S OBLIVION EXPRESS

 

Saturday August 13:    2pm – 8:30pm

2pm-3pm            Kevin Collins Drum Company

3:30pm-4:30pm  Swingin’ Chopin

4:30pm-5pm       Tapology with Bruce Bradley

5:00pm-6:30pm  Lunar Octet

7PM-8:30PM      CHRISTIAN SANDS TRIO

 

Sunday August 14:    2pm – 8:30pm JOE FRYE NIGHT!!!

Joe Frye founded the People’s Jazz Band in 1980. This led to the organization of the Flint Jazz Festival which he produced for 20 years. His enthusiasm for music and as a mucisian has earned him the well deserved “Flint’s Jazz Ambassador”

2pm-3pm           Ferguson / McDonald / Hill Trio

3:30pm-4:30pm  OVACiiR

5pm-6:30pm       People’s Jazz Band

7PM-8:30PM      DAVE BENNETT QUARTET

 

BRIAN AUGER’s London home was bombed in 1944. “We were actually very fortunate, because the house was absolutely ruined, but none of us were hurt,” he recalls. When I got back home, two years later, the thing that really grounded me was when I walked in the room, there was my piano.” In 1965, Brian got a call from Long John Baldry, who had been on Beatles Christmas shows. John had seen him play in a club in Manchester with the organ trio, and asked Brian to put a band together. So Auger rounded up guitarist Vic Briggs, and John got Rod Stewart. Brian also recruited a young, mod singer named Julie Driscol. “Steampacket,” collapsed in 1966 after one year. After Steampacket broke up, “what it did do was it took me out of the jazz world and made me play through such a variety of material that in the end I began to focus toward those various musical styles that really rubbed off on me,” recalls Brian. “That was the idea of the [Brian Auger] Trinity, a combination of blues, Motown and Messengers.” In November 1967, their first album, Open, was released in France, and the French just went crazy. “All of a sudden we were booked at the Montreux Jazz Festival as the headliner in 1968—no rock-jazz band had ever done that, these were pure jazz festivals. Following that, we got the Berlin Jazz Festival the same year—one of the most purist of all.” In the mid to late 1990’s, Auger formed the Oblivion Express, with his children Karma on drums and Ali performing, as the lead vocalist. Brian toured Europe, where he drew large crowds at several jazz festivals, including a two night gig at the famed Montreux Jazz Festival. And for fans in the States, Brian and the Oblivion Express have started touring all over America at clubs and festivals as well.

CHRISTIAN SANDS, is a Steinway sponsored artist and three-time Grammy Nominee. From a very early age, Christian possessed an insatiable appetite for music. He was enrolled in music classes at age 4 and wrote his first composition at age 5. He started playing professionally at the age of 10, and studied at the Neighborhood Music Schooland the Educational Center for the Arts in New Haven, CT. He received his Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees from the Manhattan School of Music. For his participation on the MSM “Kenya Revisited” album, Sands received a Grammy Nomination for Best Latin Piano Solo. His meteoric rise in the jazz world already includes performances with the legendary Oscar Peterson and Dr. Billy Taylor. He teaches and promotes the passion and richness of jazz to young people as well as to mature audiences. In 2015 he started the Jazz Kids of Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, and he also teaches at Jazz in July, where he is an alumnus. A deeply rich and soulful feeling can be heard in Christian’s music, characterized by his infectious energy and spirit. It was that same spirit that caught the attention of Grammy award winning bassist, Christian McBride, who asked Sands, then 20 years old, to sit in at the Village Vanguard with his big band, Inside Straight. That appearance led to Sands becoming a member of bassist Christian McBride’s Trio, with whom he has toured throughout the world.

DAVE BENNETT is a blazing clarinet sensation playing the “swing style” of Benny Goodman. Leading His Tribute to Benny Goodman, Dave has been a featured soloist at Carnegie Hall with The New York Pops (2013) and has played the show with 35 other US and Canadian orchestras including Nashville, Detroit, Rochester, Omaha, Toronto, Vancouver, Orlando, San Antonio, Jacksonville, Portland, OR and Portland, ME…with Houston and Calgary coming in 2016. Fifty performing arts centers across the USA have had success with his presentations. An annual fixture at several American music festivals, Dave’s “Rockin the ‘50s” show always brings down the house! Dave pays tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis (piano and vocals), Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley (electric guitar and vocals). Dave’s original compositions are influenced by the style of Roy Orbison, the “Soul of Rock and Roll”. Some of his annual “roots music” presenters include The Sacramento Music Festival, The Southern Oregon Music Festival, The Central Illinois Jazz Festival, The Clambake Jazz Festival, and The Redwood Coast Music Festival. Dave performs at The Grand Hotel Jazz Weekend every Labor Day onMackinaw Island. Dave’s “Swing to Rock” roots music show premiered as a symphony pops program April 2016 with The Kingston Symphony Orchestra (ON). Dave has been featured on NPR Radio’s “Jazz at Riverwalk.” He made his European debut in 2008 at the The Bern Jazz Festival (Switzerland) in a combo with jazz legends, Benny Goodman band alumni guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and vibraphonist, the late Peter Appleyard. The quartet includes John Hill (drums), Jeff Pedraz (bass) and Cliff Monear (piano).

BOBCATS
This dynamic group of eleven musicians featuring Bob Shultz are mostly from Southeast Michigan with some traveling further. The group was organized by Dave Miller and Dave Huber motivated by their love of classic jazz. This is only their fourth gig as a group but be prepared for a mature performance.

KEVIN COLLINS DRUM GROUP
Kevin Collins also known as the rhythmologist is a well-respected percussionist throughout the country. He plays several forms of percussion instruments. Kevin’s musical genre includes all forms of music such as Jazz, Blues, Big Band, Latin and Caribbean. Kevin has also incorporated West African drumming and Cuban drums into his Jazz.

SWINGIN’ CHOPIN
Swingin’ Chopin, led by prominent Detroit area bassist and arranger Rich Kowalewski, specializes in adaptations of melodies from the Classical repertoire performed in American and Latin American styles.The Quartet has looked to Frederic Chopin and other great Classical composers for inspiration. Members include Kurt Schreitmueller (piano), Joe Ivers (sax) and Rob Emanuel (drums).

TAPOLOGY
Thirty years ago seasoned actor Alfred Bruce Bradley took up the art of tap dancing to expand his repertoire. He didn’t learn from a tap school, he learned from people who were tapologists. Years later he brought his daughters up in the tap culture and then expanded his tutelage to other children by joining under Creative Expressions Dance Studio founded by Sheila Miller-Graham.
In 2001 the Tapology Festival was born to bring together legendary dancers from all over the world, with dance schools and underprivileged youth in the Flint, Michigan, area.

LUNAR OCTET
The Lunar Octet was formed as a forum for a group of Ann Arbor based composer and performers to develop and present their original compositions. The original members had a wide range of musical backgrounds, including rock, classical, jazz, and Latin music. When brought together through weekly rehearsals, these influences yielded an innovative blend of creative original instrumental works. Members include: Sam Clark (guitar), Brandon Cooper (trumpet), Jeff Dalton (bass), Steve Hiltner (sax/flute), Aron Kaufman (percussion), Mark Kieswetter (piano), Jon Krosnick (drums) and Paul Vornhagen (sax).

OVACiiR
Born Frank Randall III, OVACiiR grew up in Flint, Michigan. He taught himself how to play drums at the age of 5 by the age of 9 had added bass, electric guitar and keyboards to his talents. His dad Frank Randall, Jr. was the band leader of the group “The Four Gents” who had a hit called “Soul Sister”. OVACiiR took an interest in jazz, soaking up everything from the virtuoso piano playing of Oscar Petersen, to the jazz fusion of Roy Ayers and Herbie Hancock. He found his way to Los Angeles Californiaand immersed himself in the local music scene. Playing keyboards for some of top R&B Jazz groups in California.

FERGUSON / MCDONALD / HILL TRIO
John Hill was an adjunct percussion teacher at the University of Michigan-Flint from 2003-2010, and has been adjunct faculty for Mott Community College since 2006. He is currently the director of the Mott Community College Jazz Ensemble. In addition to teaching full time, John Hill is a very active and jazz clinician and jazz/classical percussion performer. Rufus Ferguson is a pianist based in Kalamazoo, Michigan. He received his undergraduate degree from Western Michigan University and is currently a jazz piano Graduate Student at Western Michigan University where he studies under Jeremy Siskind.

PEOPLES’ JAZZ BAND
In 1980, Joe Freyre organized The Peoples’ Jazz Band as an employment and training project for the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act program. He did it as a volunteer because he was not eligible for a CETA job himself. Although the group was only contracted to give 168 performances, it ended up doin more than 200 throughout the Flint area. Although they are scattered across the US, The band reunites annually for the Flint Jazz Festival in honor and memory of Joe Freyre.

 

Exciting News!!! Plan Your STAY-cation and grab a DISCOUNTED ROOM at the Inviting and Beautiful Holiday Inn Express 1150 Robert T. Longway Blvd, Flint Michigan 48503… Stay where the Stars stay!!! Located just minutes away from the Jazz Fest grounds near the Flint Cultural Center! Don’t MIss Out!!! Make your Reservations by Friday August 5th. Call Today! 810.238.7744 and Ask For “The GFAC Group Rate”. This Deal wont “Stay” Around Long!!!              While your here in Fantastic Flint… well on the way to being known as FLINTASTIC!… Plenty of Time for Jazz! AND Plenty of Time for FUN while your at it!!! Enjoy World Class Restaurants, including 501, Blackstone’s, and…WHO Knew!!!???… The Cork who boasts Genesee County’s largest wine list and Tenacity Brewery, one of Michigan’s Top 25 Breweries. Great shopping is in the area too! !! Don’t miss our amazing Farmers Market…always plenty of fun there! …Or take in a day of culture and pay a visit to the Flint Institute of Arts or the Sloan Museum…and of course, your stay won’t be complete with out a stop by Greater Flint Arts Council. Come see what wonders await in our engaging gallery filled with art by award winning Michigan artists! Call Lanie Nix, Certified Tourism Ambassador for the Greater Flint Arts Council at 810.336.9555 for more ideas for a Wonderful Jazzy Weekend “Stay”-cation or Vacation Get-Away!!!!   It Gets EVEN BETTER!!!…Volunteers are Needed!!! If you love jazz, being outdoors in the summer breeze, and being helping hands for a worthy cause, THIS is the volunteer job for you! Call Greater Flint Arts Council for more info on volunteer opportunities for the Jazz Fest and more! 810.238-ARTS(2787).                                                      Want MORE JAZZ??? Enjoy Greater Flint Arts Council’s JAZZNITE Every 4th Thursday EACH Month near Beautiful Downtown Flint!!!! Time Stacked for a great night of Jazzy Fun!!!:4pm-6pm: Totem Books/5pm-7:30pm White Horse Tavern/6:30pm-8:30pm Knob Hill Bed & BreakfastCheck out JAZZNITE each month on geneseefun.com to get the details on Twelve of the Hottest Nights of the  year!!! Oh Yeah! AMAZING!…RIGHT???!!!…Are YOU JAZZZZZED UP yet???

 

 

 

 

 

Admission Info

$5 on Friday includes Weekend pass.Otherwise Sat and Sun $3 daily.

Phone: 810-238-ARTS (2787)

Dates & Times

2016/08/12 - 2016/08/14

Location Info

The Meadows

1231East Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48503