08.04.08
Arresting Site of the Month, August: Detroit International Jazz Festival
The 29th installment of one of America’s finest musical gatherings is a Motor City traditon, and a splendid way to mark Labor Day. The Detroit International Jazz Festival will cook and swing on six stages in and around Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park and, as is tradition, the 2008 lineup boasts stars from near and far. In addition to talented-beyond-their-years high school and university ensembles, stalwarts like Dianne Reeves, Christian McBride, Roy Hargrove, and the peerless Hank Jones will entertain the huge crowds downtown from August 29-September 1, as will ”A Love Supreme: The Philly/Detroit Summit,” which will spotlight these two musical hotbeds. The festival Web site is packed with jazz links, a photo gallery from last year’s event, and more. Get ready to thrill your ears and eyes over four days at an event that brings together longtime jazz lovers and so many others — especially kids, just beginning to experience this magnificent American art form — fittingly set in the heart of a city that continues to play a large role in its ongoing development.
