Summertime is Jazz Festival Time in Michigan

Weekly Series

Jazzin’ Wednesdays at Rec’ Bowl

The Rec’ Bowl in Mt Clemens features Jazz on Wednesdays for the seventh summer in a row. It features an outdoor barbeque with covered seating, a dance floor, cash bar and great music. The location is 40 Crocker Boulevard in Mount Clemens and their phone is 586-468- 7746. The music is presented by the Greater Detroit Jazz Society. Most concerts begin at 6:30 p.m.

Jazz at Roberts Riverwalk Hotel

Roberts Riverwalk Hotel, 1000 River Place Drive in Detroit, has a jazz series on Thursdays from early June to August this year. Happy Hour is 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. and the music starts at 7:00 p.m.

Music On the Plaza

This annual festival takes place at the Village Festival Plaza, Kercheval at St. Clair in downtown Grosse Pointe. Concerts start at 7:00 p.m. on Thursdays. Rain location: Maire Elementary School, 740 Cadieux.

Taylor Music and Arts in the Gardens

Starting in early June, the Music & Art in the Gardens enters its sixth season in Taylor. The Taylor Conservatory and Botanical Gardens are located at 22314 Northline Rd. in Taylor. Phone 888-383-4108. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the music starts at 6:30 p.m.

Jazz at the Pond in Brighton

This popular free outdoors series returns to downtown Brighton’s Mill Pond gazebo on Main Street.

Chene Park Summer 2018

Chene Park on the Detroit Riverfront features a number of well-known smooth jazz acts this summer, like Kamasi Washington on July 25. The more mainstream jazz acts include David Sanborn on June 13, Branford Marsalis on June 27.

Jazz In the Garden by Toledo Grows

Toledo Grows encourages community gardens and puts on a Thursday evening jazz series in July and August. Concerts take place 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; the garden opens at 5:30. There will be a barbeque vendor on the grounds and baked goods will also be for sale. Tickets are $10 for general admission. The Gardens are located at 900 Oneida Street inToledo (phone: 419-720-8714). Please park at Bancroft entrance.


Jazz Festivals

Summer Solstice Jazz Festival in East Lansing

The 22nd annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival will make its way to downtown East Lansing June 22–23, featuring the very best of local, regional and national talent. This year the headliners are vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater withThe Gathering Orchestra.

This free-to-all festival is centered around a large tent located in the heart of downtown East Lansing in Parking Lot 1, 230 Albert Ave., Ann Street Plaza, located on the northwest corner of the Albert - M.A.C. intersection and the Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 East Circle Dr.

The festival is presented by the City of East Lansing, Wharton Center for Performing Arts and the MSU College of Music, with artistic direction by Rodney Whitaker.

Elkhart Jazz Festival 2018

The lineup for this year’s Elkhart Jazz Festival is impressive, as usual, as it includes some great names in swinging jazz. The list includes Lee Ritenour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Shades of Blue (USAF). The festival takes place June 22–24 in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.

Michigan Jazz Festival

The 24th annual Michigan Jazz Festival is Sunday, July 15, at Schoolcraft College in Livonia. See details on our front page.

Flint Jazz Festival

The Flint Jazz Festival features live jazz, art, crafts, food, drinks under the giant oaks in Riverbank Park July 27 – 29. A daily pass costs $5 and a weekend pass $10.

Lansing JazzFest

The 24th annual Lansing JazzFest happens August 3 and 4 on the streets of Old Town.

Detroit Jazz Festival

The Detroit Jazz Festival is Labor Day weekend in Detroit's Hart Plaza and Campus Martius. See details in our previous issue.

A2 Jazz Fest

The third A2 Jazz Fest will take place on September 28 – 30 at the LIVE Nightclub, 102 South First St. (corner of Huron), and the Kerrytown Concert House. The lineup includes much of the best in Ann Arbor jazz as assembled by Jazz Fest founder bassist Dave Sharp.


Blues Festivals

Jackson Blues Festival

The Jackson Blues Festival will take place May 31 – June 2 at the Jackson County Airport, Reynolds Field, 3606 Wildwood Ave., in Jackson. Daily admission is $5 on May 31, $10 on June 1 and 2.

Blues Fest Windsor 2018

Blues Fest Windsor is a four-day event with 28 bands starting on Thursday, July 12, and going through Sunday, July 15. It takes place on the Windsor Riverfront across from Caesars Windsor. It is a ticketed event.

2018 Ann Arbor Blues Festival

The second (not counting the festivals earlier incarnations starting in 1969) Ann Arbor Blues Festival has just announced its lineup for the August 17–18 event. The festival will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Fairgrounds.

Smokin’ Jazz & Barbeque Blues Festival

The Smokin’ Jazz & Barbeque Blues Festival comes to Main Street in downtown Brighton September 8 and 9. The lineup features some of the best blues and funky jazz in the area.


Other Music Festivals

Detroit Music Weekend

Detroit’s Music Hall has organized a weekend (June 14-17) of music culminating on Saturday June 16 from 2:00 to 11:00 p.m. on several stages around the Music Hall (350 Madison).

Top of the Park 2018

The Top of the Park features a few jazz and blues acts on the stage in front of Rackham on the central campus of the University of Michigan.

There are also Summer Festival concerts on June 9 with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and on June 28 with Jazzmeia Horn at the Power Center.

Concert of Colors

The Concert of Colors, Detroit's Diversity Festival, is running for the 26th year around Midtown July 11 – 15.