Lineup for the 2003 Michigan Jazz Fest

The Michigan Jazz Festival in Livonia has for eight years been a great opportunity to hear some of the best local bands at no cost in a very comfortable setting. The Ninth Michigan Jazz Festival will be held in the new VisTaTec Center at Schoolcraft College, 18600 Haggerty Road (between 7 & 6 Mile Roads) in Livonia on Sunday July 20 from noon to 10:30 p.m. The VisTaTec Center is the new extension to the Waterman Center, which will provide the two indoor venues. The big bands will use the new multi-purpose room and the smaller groups will use the new 300-seat room across the hall. There will be one tent outside. This is one less venue than in the last few years, but the organizers hope to return to four venues next year.

A detailed schedule was not available at press-time. If you are not on the Michigan Jazz Fest mailing list, you can obtain a schedule by sending a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Midge Ellis, 20457 Maplewood Street, Livonia, MI 48152. Schedules will be mailed to the mailing list in June.

The bands scheduled to perform this year are:

• George Benson Quartet
• Bess Bonnier Quartet
• Brookside Jazz Ensemble/Judie Cochill
• Chris Collins & Jazz from the Shamrock Shores
• Jam Session
• Matt Michaels/Jack Brokensha
• Larry Nozero Quintet
• Ed Nuccilli & Plural Circle
• Tom Saunders & the Detroit Jazz All Stars
• Schoolcraft College Jazz Band
• Naima Shamborguer Quintet
• Alma Smith Quintet
• Louis Smith Quintet
• Tartar Sauce Jazz Band
• Dennis/April Arabian Tini Quintet
• John Trudell Big Band
• Barbara Ware Quartet
• Wayne State University Jazz Lab Band I doing a Tribute to Count Basie
• The World's Oldest Saxophone Section

Performers from previous Michigan Jazz Festivals: (TOP) Gene Parker and Johnny Trudell; (LEFT) the late Pistol Allen; (RIGHT) Lou Smith

photographs by Lars Bjorn