appearing with a lot of different
bands, from salsa to soca, he felt
his Jewish heritage entertaining
at klezmer weddings.
“A European label hired the
production company I worked
for to make demos for young
artists, and I got the idea for a
composers’ collective [New Jazz
Composers Octet],” says Weiss,
51 and single. “We started 20
years ago, and we all brought in
tunes and played them.
“I’ve always tried to work with
the legendary artists and have
my own bands with up-and-
coming guys. The bands have all
been different conceptually, but
they’ve all been about finding
young talent needing experi-
ence.”
The David Weiss Sextet was
about his writing with young
musicians. Point of Departure
developed out of the period of
jazz that showcased a lot of flux.
“We’ve been to Israel twice,”
says Weiss, who regularly is
heard in New York clubs. “The
first time, we played for the
Jerusalem Jazz Festival and
appeared at a museum and a
club. The second time was at the
Tel Aviv Jazz Festival.
“The first time we played, we
went right back home. The sec-
ond time, I was able to stay an
extra couple of days, and some
locals were nice enough to drive
me back to Jerusalem to see
[some history].”
Weiss feels very comfortable
with Detroit audiences, describ-
ing them as filled with people
informed about the jazz scene
and its local history. He will
do very little talking about the
people being celebrated, relying
on the music to carry the shows.
The pieces will draw attention
to both the past and the future,
especially when represented
on Point of Departure albums.
“Snuck In” and “Snuck Out”
both included music by Charles
Moore and captured a live show.
More of Moore’s tunes will be in
an upcoming release, still unti-
tled, to be available in February.
“Detroit jazz fans come up after
concerts and tell me about Kenn
or Charles,” Weiss says. “The fes-
tival brings out the cream of the
Detroit jazz fans.”

Festivus
For The
Rest Of
Us

There’s a festival

for every taste this

Labor Day weekend

(and beyond).

Suzanne Chessler
Contributing Writer

A steel bar
mitzvah
boy by
Boris
Kramer

H

it the Detroit Jazz Festival,
then check out the many
more ways to extend the
fun Labor Day weekend experiences
offered in the metro area as the
summer comes to a close.
Those who like to view and buy
art will find juried works offered
at a number of annual events,
where Jewish artists are among
those showing individualized
approaches.
Allan Teger, a psychologist
manipulating photographic sub-
jects, will have a booth at Ford
Arts, Beats & Eats (artsbeatseats.
com), running Sept. 2-5, in down-
town Royal Oak. Visitors also can
listen to many musical performers
and sample foods from popular
restaurants.
“I’ll be showing images of minia-
ture toys placed on human bodies
as landscapes,” says Teger, based in
Florida. “I want to express my inter-
est in perception and show that
there is more than one way to look
at something. I play with reality.”
Phil Kutno showcases a stream
of consciousness approach to
detailed pencil drawings also
scheduled for Ford Arts, Beats &
Eats. The artist, who has no plan

as he begins a drawing, addition-
ally will display his oil paintings of
newsmakers, including music icons
Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.
“The drawings reflect where I
come from and my artistic values,”
says Kutno, who describes himself
as an intuitive artist and included
a sketch of a New York synagogue
supported by his family as a detail
in The Flood.
Kutno, who lives in Arizona,
extends opportunities to see his
work by participating in the Art &
Apples Festival, scheduled Sept.
9-11 (pccart.org), in Rochester.
Boris Kramer, who is based in
Pennsylvania, will also be at Art &
Apples, showcasing Judaica pieces
he formed out of steel, bronze
and copper. Although he is not
Jewish, Kramer was encouraged to
enter this field by a Jewish couple
operating a Toronto gallery that
carried his sculptures.
More local happenings include:
• For those who want to get
a rural feel, there is the Fifth
Third Bank Michigan State Fair,
offered Sept. 1-5, at the Suburban
Collection Showplace in Novi.
Agricultural contests, the Shrine
Circus and parades enter into

Artist Jacqueline Drake will show
her encaustic (wax) paintings at
Franklin’s Art in the Village.

the mix so long a state tradition.
Michiganstatefairllc.com.
• The Michigan Peach Festival,
running Sept. 1-5 in Romeo, gives
foodies a chance to enjoy peaches
in all kinds of creative ways with
plenty of sports competitions —
tennis, running, golf, softball — to
take care of the calories. Music,
arts and carnival rides also are
offered. Michpeachfest.com.
• The Hamtramck Labor Day
Festival, Sept. 3-5, has a so-called
Yacht Race, a fun event involving
pushcarts that look like canoes
on wheels, among the traditional
foods, varieties of music, art and
carnival fare. Hamtownfest.com.
• A one-day event, the Franklin
Roundup and Art in the Village,
has food, music and art for a
Labor Day tradition in the cen-
ter of town, near to the popular
Franklin Cider Mill as it opens for
the season. The Roundup includes
a parade, midway games, petting
farm, pony rides, inflatables, magi-
cian and rescue dogs for adoption.
Franklinartinthevillage.com.

*

Bodyscapes: Regatta by Allan Teger

*

August 25 • 2016

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