Arts & Entertainment
Hart Beats
Jewish jazz greats take
the stage at this year's Ford
Detroit International Jazz
Festival in Hart Plaza.
BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News
new name, a new director, some
new performers — but the same
familiar great jazz sounds.
That's the story of this year's
annual Ford Detroit International Jazz
Festival, now in its 21st year and the largest
free jazz festival in North America. Set for
Labor Day weekend, it runs Friday-Monday,
Sept.1-4, at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit.
This year's lineup features 125 national and
local acts on five stages, playing for more than
12 hours each day. It's loaded with jazz veter-
ans like Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln and
Dr. John, as well as some 20- and 30-some-
thing jazz stars. And sprinkled among the tal-
ented performers are some well-known Jewish
jazz greats.
Presented by the Music Hall Center for the
Performing Arts, the festival's title sponsor for
the fifth year is Ford Motor Company, which
has dropped the legendary Montreux name
from the title.
'After all of these years, the Montreux,
Switzerland, jazz festival people decided we
should pay them a fee for using the word,"
said Ford spokesman Ron Thomas.
"We felt it would be better to use the money
to obtain the best performers for our festival.
With the Ford and Detroit names more promi-
A
nently in the tide, it gives the city of Detroit a
more permanent ownership of the festival."
Whether dropping the Montreux name will
affect attendance remains to be seen, but it's
been thriving at the Detroit festivals in recent
years — reaching more than 800,000 in 1999.
Thirty-five other corporations and businesses
co-sponsor the event.
Taking the reins at the right time as the fes-
tival's permanent director is Frank Malfitano,
founder and director of the jazz festival in
Syracuse, N.Y. He replaces Jim Dulzo, who
resigned over disagreements with Music Hall
management. Malfitano, 54, named Music
Hall program director, starts his new duties
after this year's festival.
Ed Love, longtime Detroit radio jazz per-
sonality, now heard on WDET-FM (101.9),
had a one-year contract to organize this year's
festival and scrambled to put together a cred-
itable collection of jazz stars. "I sought jazz
legends, favorites of today and artists of
tomorrow," he said.
Other headliners include the Michael
Weiss Sextet, the Caribbean Jazz Project, the
JazzTimes Superband, Poncho Sanchez, the
Mingus Big Band, youngsters Donald
Harrison, Jr. and Stefon Harris, Brasil
Brazil, Carla Cook, Barry Harris, bagpiper
Rufus Harley, Pam Wise and the Afro-
Cuban All-Stars, Los Gatos and Terrence
Blanchard.
.
Clockwise from top:
Randy Brecker of the
JazzTimes Superband:
"I developed an ear for hard bop
and jazz by listening to
all of the top groups. '
Michael Weiss of the Michael Weiss Sextet:
"Jazz is experiencing a difficult
period right now, but it will thrive,
thanks to festivals like Detroit's."
The Caribbean Jazz Project
features, left to right, Steve Kahn,
Dave Samuels and Dave Valentin.
"I've striven to develop a fresh
new sound and a creative
approach to the vibes,"
says Samuels.