E 2017 E prograM F R GUIDE - Grand Jazz Festgrandjazzfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/GRandJazzFest-Day-of...the jazz love going at this awesome nightclub and ... including stints

Sunday, August 20 1:00pm - Jazz Student Band - Blushing Monk2:30pm - The Isaac Norris Project4:00pm - organissimo5:30pm - Four80East7:00pm - Nate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon Willis

Saturday, August 1912:30pm - Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with Edye Evans Hyde 2:00pm - Terry Lower/Jazz Expedition Sextet 3:30pm - Ed Stone and the Flowmasters 5:00pm - Tumbao Bravo 6:30pm - Bryan Lubeck 8:00pm - HEADLINER - Richard Elliot

2017prograM

GUIDE

6TH ANNUAL

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WWW.grandjazzfest.orgTake the GRandJazzFest Survey at grandjazzfest.org/2017-survey/

Love our volunteers!! Follow us on Facebook and signup at our link on

a nonprofit organization

is proud to have produced

“ and ”Welcome Enjoy!

GR aNd JazZ Board of Directors

Audrey Sundstrom, President • Molly Klimas, Vice President • Desiree Foster, Secretary • Krista Koster, Treasurer

Chris Arnold, Director • Rob Brandt, Director • Steve Hilger, Director • George Navarro, Director • Isaac Norris, Director

Eddie Tadlock, Director • Victoria Upton, Director • Dee Washington, Director • Robert S. Womack, Director

yFancFacesChildren’s Face Paintingand Party Planning

Erin Buchanan-Alvarez616-402-3125

Page 4 • 2017 GRandJazzFest Program Guide

2017 GRandJazzFest Program Guide • Page 5

WelcoMe to GRaNdJazzFest 2017!Welcome to the 6th annual GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation at Rosa Parks Circle in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids! The Board of GR and Jazz along with the businesses and citizens of Grand Rapids welcome you and hope you enjoy yourself. Thank you for joining us here today!

It's wonderful to be celebrating our sixth GRandJazzFest and to have so many members of our community, visitors, jazz enthusiasts and sponsors embrace, experience and enjoy GRandJazzFest!! We owe our success to all of you!

GR and Jazz – our 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and Board of volunteers devoting their time and energy to the cause – is excited and pleased to produce GRandJazzFest for the enjoyment of our community and its visitors. I am eternally grateful to our Board members!! The Board of GR and Jazz would like to thank Patti Flood for being a founding Board member and for 5+ years of dedication to GRandJazzFest!! We already miss your cheery smile at our meetings.

The GR and Jazz Board has grown! We welcome and thank new Board members Chris Arnold, Isaac Norris, George Navarro, Eddie Tadlock, Victoria Upton, Dee Washington and Robert S. Womack!! Their love of Grand Rapids and our community is appreciated!! Thank you to our returning Board members Rob Brandt, Desiree Foster, Steve Hilger, Molly Klimas and Krista Koster for their tireless work and dedication to GRandJazzFest!!

My sincere gratitude to our entire Board for embracing and sharing the vision of GRandJazzFest and making it a reality for our sixth year!

We could not have brought this festival to you today without the generosity and community-minded support of our Sponsors and Friends – there is no us without you!

Our special thanks to DTE Energy Foundation, our Presenting Sponsor, who joined our journey at its onset. DTE Energy Foundation shares our vision for GRandJazzFest – a FREE, two-day, family-friendly jazz festival featuring international and Michigan-based artists for our diverse community and visitors to experience and enjoy.

We are grateful for the continued generosity of all of our Sponsors:

Our Diamond Sponsors:The City of Grand Rapids, Gilmore Collection, GR and Jazz, IntentPR – Sponsors since the beginning!!

Our Silver Sponsors: Corporate Live, DGRI (Downtown Grand Rapids Inc.) and GRAM (Grand Rapids Art Museum).

Our Bronze Sponsors:Amway Hotel Corporation, Comcast, Consumers Energy, Experience Grand Rapids, Matt Huizenga – Video Producer, Icon Sign, Lake Michigan Credit Union (LMCU), Mercy Health, Meijer, MoxieMen Incorporated and Steelcase.

Our Friends of GRandJazzFest:Many Friends have supported this event since 2012; their continued generosity enables us to produce GRandJazzFest each year. Please check the Sponsor Banners and Sponsor Page in this program for their names.

Our Sponsors and Friends made the choice to give back to our community and provide an opportunity for all to experience an original American art form – jazz. Their ongoing commitment enables GRandJazzFest to continue, for without Sponsors and Friends, there would be no GRandJazzFest. Please consider becoming a Sponsor of

GRandJazzFest to ensure its future!! Check out grandjazzfest.org for sponsorship information and more.

Whether you are new to jazz or a longtime lover, our lineup offers opportunities to experience a wide range of jazz styles, something for everyone to enjoy and be inspired by. Our headliner, the well-known, Richard Elliot, will get you moving and dancing with his charged, contemporary and funky jazz saxophone!

Our thanks to all of our performing artists for their enthusiasm and excellence in their craft. Thanks also to our awesome emcees who help to introduce each musical act. And, of course, we owe our gratitude to our dedicated service providers of GRandJazzFest – Blue Lake Public Radio, Corporate Sound, Gilmore Collection, Fancy Faces, GRAM, Grand Rapids Event Management (GREM), Gray Design, Hungerford Nichols, IntentPR, Swift Printing, WGVU, WLAV, WYGR and the many awesome new and returning GRandJazzFest volunteers who help to make GRandJazzFest great!

We hope you will enjoy the musical journey with the diverse Michigan-local and internationally known jazz bands at GRandJazzFest, and take the time between sets to experience some of the wonderful restaurants, bars, shops and museums that Grand Rapids has to offer. The Family Guitar Tent is back for GRandJazzFest 2017!! Check it out and enter to win a guitar (you must be present to win)!! The GRandJazzFest main/merchandise tent offers T-shirts, artists' CDs and cold bottled water to keep you cool and hydrated throughout the festival. Stop by and check it out!

Back by popular demand, we have FREE face painting for kids and kids at heart, by Fancy Faces!! Stop by their table and pick your favorite design. We'd love for you to post your “Fancy Faces” on our GRandJazzFest Facebook page at www.facebook.com/grandjazzfest!

Your input is important to us! Please complete the brief GRandJazzFest survey available at http://grandjazzfest.org/2017-survey/. Free Wi-Fi (iserv) is available at Rosa Parks Circle, thanks to the City of Grand Rapids. Thank you for taking the time to help us continually improve our festival!

Don't leave downtown GR without stopping by The B.O.B. for an incredible GRandJazzFest After Party on Saturday after our headline act wraps up! There are food and drink specials, a chance to win a dining tour of the nine Gilmore Collection restaurants (a $400 value) and an open jam session with Steve Hilger and other local and visiting jazz musicians. Bring this event program with you to The B.O.B. to get in without a cover charge. The jazz and fun keep going well into the night!!

Jazz saxophonist and educator Ahmad Alaadeen said, “Jazz does not belong to one race or culture but is a gift that America has given the world.” Please support our Sponsors and Friends, who deserve a huge THANK YOU for bringing the gift of GRandJazzFest to you.

Art Blakey said, “Jazz washes away the dust of every day life.” For me, jazz rejuvenates my spirit and soul. May the dust of every day life be washed away, and may your spirit and soul be rejuvenated today at GRandJazzFest! Relax and enjoy!

Thinking of and missing you, Dad, and thankful you brought jazz into my life …

Audrey SundstromGR and Jazz, President


Michael Ellis, President

Proud supporters of the GRandJazzFest.

Congratulations on a great event!


Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra Saturday 12:30pm

In keeping with a tradition established with the first GRandJazzFest in 2012, the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with vocalist Edye Evans Hyde opens the 2017 event. For more than 35 years, the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra has been one of Michigan’s premier jazz ensembles, featuring some of the finest musicians in the area playing swinging original compositions and arrangements as well as traditional favorites. More at grjo.com.

Edye Evans HydeSaturday 12:30pm

2011 West Michigan Jazz Society Musician of the Year Edye Evans Hyde has been singing jazz, blues and pop music for more than 30 years in West Michigan, Los Angeles, Asia and Europe. Over the years, Evans Hyde has shared the stage with world-renowned blues singer Linda Hopkins, pop singer Michael Bolton, vocalist Maria Muldaur, actress Connie Stevens, the late Ray Charles and Cuban trumpet player Arturo Sandoval. More at edyeevanshyde.com.

Keep the jazz going!Join us for an After Party on Saturday, August 19, at The B.O.B.! The B.O.B. hosts an After Party after our headline act closes up the first night of GRandJazzFest. The B.O.B., located at 20 Monroe Ave. NW., is just steps away from Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids. We'll keep the jazz love going at this awesome nightclub and entertainment venue! Join us post-GRandJazzFest on Saturday, August 19, for the After Party downstairs at The B.O.B. for an open jam session with Steve Hilger and other local jazz musicians! Enjoy food specials at The B.O.B.'s restaurants and nightclubs during the After Party!

Congratulations!

on GRandJazzFest!

Keep the Music Playing!

- Audrey’s Mom



Terry Lower / Jazz Expedition SextetTerry Lower / Jazz Expedition Sextet

Terry LoWer/Jazz ExpeditioN SextetSaturday 2:00pm

Terry Lower / Jazz Expedition Sextet performs Saturday at the festival. Lower, a virtuoso jazz pianist, has been a fixture on the Michigan jazz scene for over 30 years. He’s also performed outside the USA including stints on Carnival and Costa Cruise Lines and two concert tours in Italy. In 2016, Lower was named West Michigan Jazz Society’s Musician of the Year. Joining Lower on the Jazz Expedition Sextet will be Rob Smith on trumpet, Michael Dease on trombone, Jim Hayward on saxophone, Ray Tini on bass and Larry Ochiltree on drums. More at terrylowermusic.com.

Ed Stone and the FlowmastersEd Stone and the Flowmasters performs Saturday

Ed StoNe and the FloWMastersSaturday 3:30pm

Ed Stone and the Flowmasters performs Saturday at GRandJazzFest. Stone, a jazz guitarist and vocalist, has played in numerous Top 40 groups and brings his songwriting and music to national audiences. Joining Stone are the Flowmasters, with bass, drums and a keyboard for a smooth jazz show. They’ve performed at the New Center Park Summer Music Series, Idlewild Music Festival, Belle Isle Jazz Concert Series and at many other venues nationwide. More at edsterlingstone.com.

“We celebrate the spirit of jazz that made this event a reality!” Eric & Sharai

Thank you, DGRI, for designating GRandJazzFest as a Signature Event in 2015 and 2016!! We are proud to share this distinctive honor with ArtPrize and LaughFest!

ThaNk you, DGRI!


Tumbao BravoTumbao Bravo returns to the

TuMbao BraVoSaturday 5:00pm

Tumbao Bravo returns to the GRandJazzFest stage for an encore performance after rain – and even a tornado! – cut short the group’s performance at the 2016 festival. Formed in August 2003 by reedman Paul VornHagen and conguero Alberto Nacif, the band is an exciting Cuban jazz combo that has released four critically acclaimed CDs. Winner of the 2005, 2007 and 2013 Detroit Music Awards for Best Jazz Recording and Best World Music Band, this combo has performed at all of the major Michigan jazz/music festivals. More at tumbaobravo.com.

No stranger to the GRandJazzFest stage, Bryan Bryan LubeckLubeck returns to the fest for a repeat performance of

Bryan LubeckSaturday 6:30pm

No stranger to the GRandJazzFest stage, Bryan Lubeck returns to the fest for a repeat performance of Spanish guitar and urban grooves. Lubeck, who performed in 2015 and also brought with him a special Family Guitar Tent, does the same at this year’s festival. Fiery guitar and pop vocals fueled by his seven-piece Latin-urban band make Lubeck a rousing favorite with diverse audiences. His sensitive instrumental ballads coupled with the exciting flamenco styles from critically acclaimed albums have proved to a new generation of music lovers that the contemporary elegance of Spanish guitar is more powerful today than ever before, especially when combined with the grooves of his Latin-urban band. Be sure to check out the Family Guitar Tent sponsored by Godin and Cordoba Guitars while you’re at GRandJazzFest! More at brianlubeck.com.


• Chris and Bob Arnold

• Blue Lake Public Radio

• Rob and Shelly Brandt

• Configura

• Eric and Sharai DeLong

• Derek Draft, DDS -

• Grandville Family Dental Care

• Ebony Road Players

• Ellis Parking

• Fancy Faces Face Painting

• Gloria Flanders

• Desiree and Robert Foster

• Grand Rapids Community College

• Hilger Hammond, PC

• Steve Hilger and Deborah Richmond

• Hungerford Nichols CPAs + Advisors

• IKOR of West Michigan

• Kitchen 67

• Molly and Paul Klimas

• Krista Koster

• Leavens, Strand & Glover

• Magic Radio 104.9

• Rick and Cindy Malamed

• Michigan First Credit Union

• George Navarro

• Isaac and Lisa Norris

• Queen Bee's Nest

• Rockford Construction

• The Peter F. Secchia Family

• Rick and Mary Stevens

• Audrey and Greg Sundstrom

• Swift Printing & Communications

• Eddie Tadlock

• Victoria Upton

• Dee Washington

• WGVU

• Robert S. Womack

THANK YOUTO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS

AND FRIENDS OF gRANDJAZZFEST!

Friends of GRandJazzFest



Presenting Sponsor

Diamond Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors


WWW.MATTHUIZENGA.COM


saxophonist headlines the 6th Richard ElliotRichard Elliot

Saturday Night Headliner / Main Headline Act

Richard ElliotSaturday 8:00pm

Scotland-born, Los Angeles-raised veteran saxophonist headlines the 6th Richard Elliotannual GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation! Long known as the “James Brown of Contemporary Jazz” for the intense soul inspirations of his recordings, Elliot has added GRandJazzFest to his relentless tour schedule. Audiences love Elliot’s joyfully exhausting onstage performances, digging deep into his R&B and jazz roots. Infectious melodies and funky grooves flow and follow a two-word mantra – Rock Steady – the name of his highly anticipated debut on Artistry Music. With a bestselling discography of more than 15 recordings since 1986’s Initial Approach,

thousands of live dates spanning over two decades and one of the largest and most loyal fan bases in contemporary urban jazz, it’s incredible to hear Elliot declare: “What I’m doing now, enjoying this upward trend in my career, is seriously the most fun I have ever had.” The multi-talented tenor-man, composer and producer has been on one of the most incredible rolls of his career since the 2005 release of Metro Blue, which debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart. More at richardelliot.com.



The Isaac Norris ProjectThe Isaac Norris Project is an assembly of Grand

The Isaac Norris ProjectSunday 2:30pm

The Isaac Norris Project is an assembly of Grand Rapids-area musicians who represent themselves individually as jazz, gospel, blues and R&B artists. Collectively under the direction of Isaac Norris, these musicians seek to develop and perform original smooth jazz and soul-inspired compositions. All have been great supporters of Norris by lending their talents for recording and performance of his original compositions in his latest CD release, Something to Say. The group includes Debra Perry on keyboard, Tom Cutts on guitar, Dee Washington on drums, John Parker on bass and Isaac Norris on saxophone. Washington and Norris are also new GR and Jazz board members. More at isaacnorrismusic.com.

Blushing MonkBlushing Monk – the band selected to

Blushing MoNkSunday 1:00pm

Blushing Monk – the band selected to perform during GRandJazzFest 2017’s Student Showcase – is led by Dutcher Snedeker, a Grand Rapids-based pianist with a long history of live-jazz performance. Snedeker hails from a musical family where he grew up surrounded by a variety of music styles. A current master’s student at Western Michigan University and a GVSU graduate, he is an active part of the West Michigan music community, with multiple nominations at the local WYCE Jammies and a jazz award from ArtPrize 2013. Joining Snedeker as part of the Blushing Monk band are Brad Fritcher on trumpet, Caleb Elzinga on saxophone, Joe Vasquez on bass, Jordan Otto on drums and Olin Clark on guitar. More at dutchersnedeker.com.



organissimoorganissimo returns for an encore after

OrganissimoSunday 4:00pm

organissimo returns for an encore after rain and a tornado cut short the group’s performance at the 2016 festival. Formed in 2000, organissimo’s music leaps over fences and satisfies a diverse range of tastes. Their sound is instantly identifiable yet constantly evolving, infusing elements of funk, gospel, blues, progressive rock and Latin rhythms into a solid foundation of jazz. Shifting meters, deep grooves, melodic finesse and tight ensemble interplay are hallmarks of the organissimo sound. The latest CD, Dedicated, hit No. 5 on the JazzWeek charts and stayed in the Top 10 for eight weeks. More at organissimo.org.

Four80EastFour80East joins the Sunday lineup for

Four80EastSunday 5:30pm

Four80East joins the Sunday lineup for GRandJazzFest 2017. The band is an electro-jazz collective that’s all about the groove. Mixing jazz with soul music and electronic production, the Canadian producer duo of Rob DeBoer and Tony Grace have created a signature bass-propelled sound that entrances listeners of their recordings and enthralls audiences at their live shows. Since breaking out with their critically acclaimed first release The Album in 1997, Four80East has been a mainstay on contemporary jazz radio and touring circuits with hits like “Eastside” and “Noodle Soup” and six subsequent albums. As a production team and as artists, DeBoer and Grace have had global success. They’ve won every major music award in their native Canada, from a Juno to a MuchMusic Award to a Canadian Radio Music Award. More at four80east.com.

Paul and Molly Klimas

Congratulations

on a wonderful community event!GRandJazzFest !

FAMILY GUITAR TENTThe Family Guitar Tent and guitar giveaways are back thanks to GRandJazzFest performer Bryan Lubeck and sponsors Cordoba Guitars and Godin Guitars. Visit the tent in between musical acts to check out guitars, meet Bryan and put your name in for drawings for guitars. There will be two drawings and winners will be announced on Saturday and Sunday of the festival (must be present to win).

47

Greg and Audrey Sundstrom



The trio takes to the GRandJazzFest stage on Sunday night. Harasim, a Nate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon WillisNate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon Willis

NATE HARASIM & NILS FEATURING BRANDON WILLISSunday 7:00pm

The trio takes to the GRandJazzFest stage on Sunday night. Harasim, a Nate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon WillisGrammy nominee and Soul Train Award recipient, is a producer, composer, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist whose many live performances have included President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Ball, the Dubai International Jazz Festival and the 2015 GRandJazzFest. The Michigan-based artist’s album Rush debuted on the Billboard charts at No. 17 and was the

No. 6 album of 2011 on SmoothJazz.com. Joining Harasim at GRandJazzFest is NILS, an L.A.-based guitarist whose talents are featured on the contemporary jazz hit “Impact” produced by Harasim. Rounding out the trio is Brandon Willis, a saxophonist featured on “Impact.” Willis is a rising star from Newcastle, Washington, who brings a soulful sound and charismatic persona to the northwest jazz scene. His eagerly anticipated debut album First Time was developed with the likes of pianist/arranger Eugene Bien, Kenny G’s touring guitarist John Raymond and keyboardist Donyea Goodman. More at nateharasim.com and brandonwillismusic.com.


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Documents

E 2017 E prograM F R GUIDE - Grand Jazz Festgrandjazzfest.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/GRandJazzFest-Day-of...the jazz love going at this awesome nightclub and ... including stints