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.