PHOTO BY PHIL I P GOULD
PHOTO BY R. ANDREW LEPLEY
N
Frog Island
S
ince Lollapalooza has declined to grace Pine Knob
with its usual refined sights and sounds this year,
Michigan's most eclectic summer festival now has
nothing to do with rock music at all.
Stock the picnic basket and bring blankets and lawn
chairs for the 15th annual Frog Island Festival tonight
and tomorrow, June 21 and 22. Presented by The Ark
and WEMU (89.1 FM, Ypsilanti), the Frog Island Fes-
tival promises a two-day music fest of jazz, zydeco, Ca-
jun, R&B and blues.
Tonight's New Orleans Party opens with a Frog Is-
land tradition: Charlie Gabriel & His New Orleans Jazz
Band, followed by Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas and
Steve Riley and the Mamous Playboys. Al Rapone and
Zydeco Express close out the night.
The summer heat and Saturday night blues perfor-
mances should make everyone sweat. Mr. B & George
Bedard & The King Pins open the night with a special
reunion concert. Next, the Motor City's Butler Twins
Blues Band followed by Chicago's own Eddie Shaw and
the Wolf Gang and the James Cotton Blues Band per-
form.
But Saturday afternoon is strictly jazz. Kicking off the
day is one of Detroit's most unique big bands, the Bird
of Paradise Orchestra (BOP). According to leader and Jazz man Billy Harper has spent much of his 30-year
Rising Cajun star Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys will play Louisianan swamp
bassist Paul Keller, the 8-year-old orchestra lives for career in Europe. At the Frog Island Festival, he tops
boogie on Friday.
events such as these.
the bill with his quintet.
"(Festivals) are where it's really at for me," said Keller
recently, talking between sets at a Detroit club. "It's great
"We play festivals, clubs, theaters, but we also play
0 The Frog Island Festival is a project of The Ark.
to play in front of a crowd like Frog Island, because we
weddings, bar mitzvahs, dances and other special events.
Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight Friday, June 21, and 11 a.m.-
know the crowd is with us. As far as that connection with We don't mind trying our best to play a hora," he laughed.
midnight Saturday, June 22. The Lyman Woodard Trio,
the audience, that's really important to us."
The hora may not be the order of the day on June 22,
Marion Hayden Sextet and Billy Harper Quintet also
Covering almost a century of music, the orchestra plays but Keller seems anxious to unleash his musicians on
selections from each major jazz era. While playing a fes-
the festival crowd. "It's a neat thing when the audience perform on Saturday afternoon under the big tent by
tival of this proportion would indicate that an act is no can share with the band and you get that energy going the Huron River in Ypsilanti's Depot Town. Tickets are
longer technically "scuffling," Keller said that the BOP back and forth. I know that's going to happen again." ❑ $18/day. Kids under 12 are free. Food booths and drinks
Orchestra doesn't mind cramming itself into the occa-
available on site Call (313) 763-TKTS or the Hotline at
(313)487-2229.
sional banquet hall for private parties.
—Todd Wicks
This Week's Best Bets
Soupy Sales
The funny guy's back on his
native soil, with Mr. Patriotic,
Pat Paulson. Power Center,
Ann Arbor. (313) 764-2538.
Fri., 8 p.m.
Peter
Wolf
OCC
Culinary Classic
Former J. Geils head honcho
appears with Verve Pipe and
D.T.s. State Theatre, Detroit.
(313) 961-5450.
A tasty day of seminars and
wine tastings, along with cigar
selections, a silent auction and
entertainment. Orchard Ridge
Campus. (810) 645-6666.
Fri., 7:30 p.m.
Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
lociDo
, . . v
, 11
Windsor
Stroll
Take a walk on the wild side at
a benefit for AIDS Partnership
Michigan. Hors d'oeuvres,
silent and live auctions, and
entertainment at the Detroit
Zoo's Wildlife Gallery. Creative
black tie. $125 per person.
(810) 547-3783.
Wear your Birkenstocks
and Rockports for the
Detroit Historical Society's
Sunday Stroll of Windsor's
Historic Sandwich Town.
(313) 833-1405
Sat., 7 p.m.
Sun., 2 p.m.