Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival

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The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival was a blues and jazz festival held in Ann Arbor , Michigan since 1969 .

history

Originally a blues festival, it was expanded to include jazz music in 1972 and therefore bore his name. Initially supported by the University of Michigan, the festival turned into an event sponsored by volunteers that was carried out in collaboration with the city. After the 1974 festival, there was a big hiatus until 1991, when there were changes in the city government and the Republicans took over the majority and there was no permission for a festival in Gallup Park. The 1974 festival was held in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. But since many possible spectators were prevented from crossing the border, the festival turned into a financial fiasco. It appears that the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival is taking a break for financial reasons after the program was cut back in previous years.

The festival was held in the following locations:

  • Gallup Park
  • The Michigan Theater
  • The Bird of Paradise Jazz Club

At the beginning of its history, the festival was entirely open-air, but the Michigan Theater and Bird of Paradise Jazz Club were added as venues over time. In addition to the concerts, there were other activities, such as a children's tent in Gallup Park, an educational program and a meet the artist program, where you could get to know performing artists.

The following albums were also recorded at the festival (there are also video recordings, but these were never released):

  • Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972 (2-LP vinyl) Atlantic Records SD 2-502 Recorded live at Otis Spann Memorial Field
  • "Please Mr. Foremann": Motor City Blues of the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1973 Schoolkid's Records SKR 2101-2
  • The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, Vol. 2, 1972 Little Sonny: "Blues With A Feeling" Schoolkid's Records SKR 2102-2
  • The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival, Vol. 3, 1973 "Grind It!" Roosevelt Sykes & Victoria Spivey Schoolkid's Records SKR 2103-2
  • "Well All Right!" King Biscuit Boys / Big Walter Horton Schoolkid's Records SKR 2104-2
  • Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra Outer Space Employment Agency The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1973 Total Energy, NER3021
  • Sun Ra and his Intergalactic Arkestra Outer Space Employment Agency The Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972 Total Energy, NER3026

The line up of the first two blues festivals

1969

Friday 1st August 1969

Saturday 2nd August 1969

Sunday 3 August 1969 afternoon

Eve:

1970

Friday

  • Roosevelt Sykes
  • Bukka White
  • Mighty Joe Young
  • Jimmy Dawkins
  • John Lee Hooker
  • Howlin 'wolf

Saturday afternoon

  • Harvey Hill
  • Hound Dog Taylor
  • Lazy Bill Lucas
  • Juke Boy Bonner
  • Luther Allison
  • Albert King
  • Fred McDowell

Eve

Sunday afternoon

Sunday evening

  • Little Joe Blue
  • Lowell Fulson
  • Big Mama Thornton
  • Junior Parker
  • Son House

Other artists at the festival

Boogie Woogie Red with the Boogie Brothers, Eddie Burns , Ray Charles , Deborah Coleman , Tab Benoit , Mighty Joe Young Blues Band with Eddie Taylor and Carey Bell , The Johnny Otis Show, Ornette Coleman Quartet, Victoria Spivey , Bonnie Raitt, Katie Webster, James Cotton , Maria Muldaur , Son Seals , Snooky Pryor & John Nicholas, Etta James , John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Gil Scott-Heron Charles Brown, Ben Harper, Taj Mahal, Dr. John , Cassandra Wilson , Fontella Bass , Marcia Ball , Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers, Honeyboy Edwards, Paul deLay , Bo Diddley , Big Bill Morganfield & The Bob Margolin Blues Band, Keb 'Mo', Little Milton , Hubert Sumlin , Robert Cray Band, Shemekia Copeland , Ike Turner And The Kings Of Rhythm

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b History of the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival ( Memento from June 23, 2012 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ↑ Ann Arbor News