INFORMATION:  Sponsors | Vendors | Membership | Volunteer   

Thanks to meaningful collaborations with Wayne State University, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and the Detroit Institute of Art, we are able to nurture the art form, and carry on Detroit’s significant jazz legacy.  These partnerships enable us to have a year-round presence and to enhance music education in various schools and cultural organizations.

But we’re also proud to say that 30 schools – from Boston to Stockton, with lots of Michigan in between – performed at the festival in 2008.  And several of the ensembles had the privilege of performing with some of the greats of jazz, including Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath, Jon Faddis, and Artist in Residence Christian McBride.

In addition, the Pepsi Jazz Talk Tent provided meet-the-artist sessions and panel discussions that allowed fans and students of all ages to delve more deeply into the world of jazz.  Jim Gallert and Lars Bjorn assembled a terrific schedule, made possible in large part by a grant from the NEA Jazz Masters Live* program.

And it's never too early to expose kids to world-class music. Because we are a free event, families can take their children to all of our concerts.  We also created the KidBop area, with stories, participatory programs and great jazz with the wee-boppers in mind. And Arts & Scraps helped us round out the experience with music-related art projects.

The following colleges, high schools, and middle schools performed at the 2008 festival.

Colleges
Alma College Steel Ensemble (Alma, MI)
Berklee College of Music Jazz Ensemble (Boston, MA)
Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet (Stockton, CA)
Central Michigan University Jazz Ensemble (Mt. Pleasant, MI)
Eastern Michigan University Jazz Ensemble (Ypsilanti, MI)
Henry Ford Community College Big Band (Detroit, MI)
Juilliard Jazz Quartet (New York, NY)
Michigan State University Big Band (Lansing, MI)
Oberlin Jazz Ensemble (Oberlin, OH)
Temple University Big Band (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Michigan Jazz Trombone Ensemble (Ann Arbor, MI)
University of Michigan Steelheads (Flint, MI)
Wayne State University Big Band (Detroit, MI)
Western Michigan University Jazz Ensemble (Kalamazoo, MI)

High Schools & Middle Schools
Detroit Jazz Fest All-Star Youth Ensemble
DSO Civic Jazz Orchestra
Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts Jazz Ensemble
Fraser Middle School Jazz Band
Grand Rapids Northview High School Jazz Band
Grosse Pointe South High School Jazz Band
Lakeshore High School Jazz Band
MSBOA All-Star High School Jazz Band
Mt. Pleasant High School Jazz Band
Northville High School Jazz Band
Renaissance High School Jazz Band
Romulus High School Jazz Band
St. Clair Shores Kennedy Middle School Jazz Band
Troy Boulan Park Middle School Jazz Band
Utica Eppler Middle School Jazz Band
Warren Mott High School Jazz Band

*NEA Jazz Masters Live, a program of concerts and conversations, is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts cooperatively managed by Arts Midwest.  Celebrating the living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz, NEA Jazz Masters Live extends the NEA’s comprehensive program of jazz, support that includes the NEA Jazz Masters Award, radio programming featuring NEA Jazz Masters, a compilation CD produced by Verve Music Group, educational resources through the NEA Jazz in the Schools program, and publications and reports.

Home • About • Concerts & Events • Education • Support • Press • Riffs • Merchandise • Travel

© 2008 Detroit Jazz Fest
Site design by NeoSite, LLC