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The Detroit Jazz Festival – Labor Day Weekend, 2016

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 7, 2016 | Special Features

Covering all bases, and well! – 37th Annual Detroit Jazz Festival…. Review of Detroit Jazz Festival – Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 2-5, 2016 The Detroit Jazz Festival holds a distinct and venerable place as one of the most treasured jazz festivals in the country. It is the largest free (!) jazz festival in North America. Taking place in downtown Detroit, covering four stages on both sides of  Jefferson Avenue, on Campus Martius and Hart Plaza (bordering the picturesque Detroit River), the festival celebrates the rich tradition of Detroit’s past and present jazz scene. It brings together often neglected regional jazz legends with the best of today’s trend setters. This is the third festival that I have attended, and I eagerly await each visit with the anticipation of an expected jazz smorgasbord of riches. I am proud to say that I have never been disappointed. This is due to the fact that fact that Detroit knows its jazz. From a rich history producing the Jones Brothers (Hank, Thad, and Elvin), to Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef, Milt Jackson, Donald Byrd – the list goes on and on – the Motor City stands along side only New York City as a […]