The Lansing JazzFest is a free music festival that takes place each year in the summer in

Lansing, Michigan Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

. It showcases nationally, regionally, and locally known jazz artists such as

Marcus Belgrave Marcus Batista Belgrave (June 12, 1936 – May 24, 2015) was an American jazz trumpet player from Detroit, born in Chester, Pennsylvania. He recorded with numerous musicians from the 1950s onwards. Belgrave was inducted into the class of 201 ...

, the Professors of Jazz at MSU ( Rodney Whitaker, Randy Gelispie,

Diego Rivera Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...

, Derrick Gardner, Sunny Wilkinson, and Rick Roe), Eric Reed, Michael Kaeshammer, Straight Ahead, Don Phillips, Lisa Smith and Mike Skory, Sunrise II,

Jazz Doggs Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

, Tyrone Johnson, the Claudia Schmidt Quartet, Dick Fizzell & the Dixieland Express, Tim Cunningham, Francis Kofi,

Betty Joplin Betty or Bettie is a name, a common diminutive for the names Bethany and Elizabeth. In Latin America, it is also a common diminutive for the given name Beatriz, the Spanish and Portuguese form of the Latin name Beatrix and the English name Beatr ...

, Sheila Landis, Ritmo, Patti Richards,

Los Gatos Los Gatos (, ; ) is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population is 33,529 according to the 2020 census. It is located in the San Francisco Bay Area just southwest of San Jose in the foothills of the ...

, and more. The festival welcomes nearly 15,000 attendees over the weekend.

History

The Lansing JazzFest began in 1995 when the Old Town Business and Art Development Association, having successfully produced OctoberFest (now the Old Town BluesFest), discovered that music festivals are an excellent way to encourage people to visit and enjoy Old Town

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, maki ...

. The local jazz radio station, 89.7 WLNZ, signed on as a founding media sponsor, and Message Makers, a local media company, became its founding business sponsor. In the festival's early days, local musicians donated their time to play at JazzFest, and volunteers from the local community pitched in to see that the 4,000-5,000 people in attendance had a good time. The Lansing JazzFest is the only mid-Michigan festival to increase consistently in attendance every year since its beginning. A virtual show is planned in September 2020 as live shows were cancelled caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.jazzlansing.com/ Jazz festivals in the United States Music festivals in Michigan Tourist attractions in Lansing, Michigan Economy of Lansing, Michigan

History

See also

External links