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Is the Detroit Jazz Festival worth the trip?


jes1982

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The lineups are always incredible, but there's always so much overlap that you'd miss out on shows you'd love to see. And, no offense as I have nothing but love for Detroit's jazz history (because where would we be without the Jones brothers?), but as a Michigan resident said to me, "It's in Detroit."

So if lineups were equal, Chicago or Detroit?

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That whole "It's in Detroit" thing bothers me for its implications, but to answer your question, at least from my POV, Chicago strikes me as having just a bit more interesting line-up. Of course, your taste may say otherwise. Detroit's show is nothing to apologize for though. I've heard good things about both in the past as great hangs.

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I'm a regular attendee of the Detroit Jazz Fest and a frequent visitor of Detroit for other jazz concerts. I know that Detroit has been having some problems, but I've never had any kind of issue within the city. Detroit can be counted on to attract a diverse enthusiastic crowd. For me, if the festivals boasted equally attractive lineups, it'd come down to distance and the expense of hotel accommodations.

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I went last year and was floored by how vibrant, alive and engaged with the community it was. In some ways it felt like I was going to a festival in the heyday of the music. The music felt very alive, and not like a museum or a quiet polite orchestra performance. The festival itself seemed to take over a third of the downtown area, enthusiastic crowds for endless blocks in any direction. Extremely diverse crowds of every age, class, race, it felt like the entire community really embraced it. There were plenty of the traditional faces you'd see in the festival crowd, people who grew up on the music and diehard fans, but there were just as many people who probably did not consider themselves "jazz fans" but were just as engaged, enthusiastic and respectful.

I booked a relatively cheap hotel right less than a quarter mile from the main stages, using Expedia or a similar site. I was surprised and very impressed with that portion of downtown Detroit. You can see the city really has a rich history and the many buildings downtown were very impressive in scale, but also in the beautifully diverse architecture and history. The city felt like a lost treasure.

I realize the real problems the city has, and that everything might not be as clean and nice on weekends when they aren't hosting the jazz festival but it felt more like Manhattan than the bleak and decaying city that I'd imagined based on a couple of prior visits to venues on the outer rings of the city. The city was easy to get around, which is refreshing in comparison to Chicago. They had some cool coffee shops and restaurants too. I had a great memory my last night of the festival, doing an impromptu three mile walk down the main strip with my girlfriend, from the restaurant back to the hotel. We walked past a Tigers MLB game as it was letting out, a bunch of theaters, all while watching fireworks along the horizon on one of the most beautiful nights of the year. It really made me a fan of the city and I root for Detroit to start to turnaround like other rust belt cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh are slowly starting to do.

Seeing Ahmad Jamal perform at a packed and enraptured crowd was in my top three all time musical experiences. Similar to Chicago, it really made me a proponent of free outdoor urban festivals that fit into the community.

Edited by micha
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A month ago I was thinking very seriously of going, but my last two experiences have made me completely swear off trying to drive to the States over a holiday weekend. I literally was stuck at the border for 3.5 and 7 hours. I'm never doing that again, and the price to fly to Detroit that weekend is just ridiculous. So sadly I don't think I'll ever make it.

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I went last year and was floored by how vibrant, alive and engaged with the community it was. In some ways it felt like I was going to a festival in the heyday of the music. The music felt very alive, and not like a museum or a quiet polite orchestra performance. The festival itself seemed to take over a third of the downtown area, enthusiastic crowds for endless blocks in any direction. Extremely diverse crowds of every age, class, race, it felt like the entire community really embraced it. There were plenty of the traditional faces you'd see in the festival crowd, people who grew up on the music and diehard fans, but there were just as many people who probably did not consider themselves "jazz fans" but were just as engaged, enthusiastic and respectful.

I booked a relatively cheap hotel right less than a quarter mile from the main stages, using Expedia or a similar site. I was surprised and very impressed with that portion of downtown Detroit. You can see the city really has a rich history and the many buildings downtown were very impressive in scale, but also in the beautifully diverse architecture and history. The city felt like a lost treasure.

I realize the real problems the city has, and that everything might not be as clean and nice on weekends when they aren't hosting the jazz festival but it felt more like Manhattan than the bleak and decaying city that I'd imagined based on a couple of prior visits to venues on the outer rings of the city. The city was easy to get around, which is refreshing in comparison to Chicago. They had some cool coffee shops and restaurants too. I had a great memory my last night of the festival, doing an impromptu three mile walk down the main strip with my girlfriend, from the restaurant back to the hotel. We walked past a Tigers MLB game as it was letting out, a bunch of theaters, all while watching fireworks along the horizon on one of the most beautiful nights of the year. It really made me a fan of the city and I root for Detroit to start to turnaround like other rust belt cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh are slowly starting to do.

Seeing Ahmad Jamal perform at a packed and enraptured crowd was in my top three all time musical experiences. Similar to Chicago, it really made me a proponent of free outdoor urban festivals that fit into the community.

Where were these coffee shops and restaurants??! I've been there many times over the past 14 years and have yet to find any coffee shops or restaurants even open in the evening, other than the sports themed pubs immediately next to the baseball stadium.

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For coffee I liked both Great Lakes Coffee and Roasting Plant. The former had a cozy laid back atmosphere and also offered wine and beer. The latter was on the same intersection of one of the main jazz stages downtown, and had a large selection of freshly roasted beans, with a more streamlined urban-commuter type of atmosphere. For restaurants, the one downtownish that I went back to is Seva, which is a vegetarian place but the food is creative and well done. It's a bit hidden down an alley so easy to miss, but is clean and has a nice and serene outdoor garden patio that I ate at both times.

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That whole "It's in Detroit" thing bothers me for its implications, but to answer your question, at least from my POV, Chicago strikes me as having just a bit more interesting line-up. Of course, your taste may say otherwise. Detroit's show is nothing to apologize for though. I've heard good things about both in the past as great hangs.

My apologies if I offended anyone with the "It's Detroit" comment. Not my opinion--just referencing what a Michigan resident had said to me.

Thanks for the feedback.

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I went last year and was floored by how vibrant, alive and engaged with the community it was. In some ways it felt like I was going to a festival in the heyday of the music. The music felt very alive, and not like a museum or a quiet polite orchestra performance. The festival itself seemed to take over a third of the downtown area, enthusiastic crowds for endless blocks in any direction. Extremely diverse crowds of every age, class, race, it felt like the entire community really embraced it. There were plenty of the traditional faces you'd see in the festival crowd, people who grew up on the music and diehard fans, but there were just as many people who probably did not consider themselves "jazz fans" but were just as engaged, enthusiastic and respectful.

Good to hear! Thanks.

I love how smoothly the Iowa City JF is run and it's a nice college town, but it seems much of the crowd is there for the street fair and chatting during most of the music (despite the level of talent on stage). The listening crowd can be an extreme minority, but I guess that's par for a free outdoor festival.

I've had some good and bad experiences at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Attendance has increased, which has helped because it's a relatively small park and it's the die-hards that are showing up early enough to secure good real estate.

Looking at Detroit's multiple stages, I'm wondering how difficult it is to go back and forth from stage to stage and have a good listening experience.

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For coffee I liked both Great Lakes Coffee and Roasting Plant. The former had a cozy laid back atmosphere and also offered wine and beer. The latter was on the same intersection of one of the main jazz stages downtown, and had a large selection of freshly roasted beans, with a more streamlined urban-commuter type of atmosphere. For restaurants, the one downtownish that I went back to is Seva, which is a vegetarian place but the food is creative and well done. It's a bit hidden down an alley so easy to miss, but is clean and has a nice and serene outdoor garden patio that I ate at both times.

Now that's interesting, as I know Seva has a restaurant in Ann Arbor (and I would guess it is the mother restaurant). I had no idea they operated in Detroit as well. I also just learned that Seva moved from downtown to the west side, which I will have to keep in mind if I ever make it back to Ann Arbor.

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I went last year and was floored by how vibrant, alive and engaged with the community it was. In some ways it felt like I was going to a festival in the heyday of the music. The music felt very alive, and not like a museum or a quiet polite orchestra performance. The festival itself seemed to take over a third of the downtown area, enthusiastic crowds for endless blocks in any direction. Extremely diverse crowds of every age, class, race, it felt like the entire community really embraced it. There were plenty of the traditional faces you'd see in the festival crowd, people who grew up on the music and diehard fans, but there were just as many people who probably did not consider themselves "jazz fans" but were just as engaged, enthusiastic and respectful.

Good to hear! Thanks.

I love how smoothly the Iowa City JF is run and it's a nice college town, but it seems much of the crowd is there for the street fair and chatting during most of the music (despite the level of talent on stage). The listening crowd can be an extreme minority, but I guess that's par for a free outdoor festival.

I've had some good and bad experiences at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Attendance has increased, which has helped because it's a relatively small park and it's the die-hards that are showing up early enough to secure good real estate.

Looking at Detroit's multiple stages, I'm wondering how difficult it is to go back and forth from stage to stage and have a good listening experience.

I went in 2013, and I loved the whole experience. I did not have a tough time going from stage to stage, but I went solo which gave me lots of freedom to move and find places to sit, stand, etc. The distance from the Cadillac Square stage to Hart Plaza probably needs to be taken into consideration, but it is not too far. If you are not paying for VIP passes, determine the sets for which you want the best seats possible and plan accordingly. Last year, if you wanted a "good' seat for Ahmad Jamal, you probably needed to have your seat before the set that preceded him began. I really wanted to hear Charles Lloyd, and while I got there early, I would not have had a problem finding a decent seat later. Also, I really liked the acts at the Pyramid Stage in Hart Plaza, and, when I wanted to, I would go see/hear what was happening at the other Plaza stages as I wanted.

When I got back from the festival, I made an iPod playlist of songs that represent what I experienced (shared below). The one artist that is glaringly absent, based on what I really enjoyed, is something by Michael Weiss. He had a great set, and I have yet to find something that I want to include to represent my appreciation of his Detroit 2013 performance

“Be My Monster Love,” David Murray Infinity Quartet w/Macy Gray, Be My Monster Love

“Rabo de Nube,” Charles Lloyd Quartet, Rabo de Nube

“Across the Universe,” Bill Frisell, All We Are Saying…

“Sunrise,” Warren Wolf, Wolfgang

“Footprints,” Dave Liebman + Richie Beirach, New Life-Live in Cologne 2009

“Flying Toward the Sound,” Geri Allen, Flying Toward the Sound

“1944 Stomp,” James Carter, The Real Quietstorm

“Croquet Ballet,” The Cookers, Cast the First Stone

In my humble opinion, the only way Detroit could be better would be if they improved the festival food vendors. My earliest jazz festival experiences were on the central Gulf Coast. I did not find any regional food that could compare as festival food with the NOJ&HF soft shell crab po boy, but that is a high bar. For quality of jazz, ease of moment from one stage to the next, level of fan engagement with the performances, etc., the Detroit festival is great.

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I work on the Chicago Jazz Festival, which is also heavily community-centered, and the Detroit fest is our great competition each year. Some people go to both festivals. Chicago has plenty after-fest sets each night in clubs, lofts, concert rooms. Is the Detroit festival completely free to the public, like ours?

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I work on the Chicago Jazz Festival, which is also heavily community-centered, and the Detroit fest is our great competition each year. Some people go to both festivals. Chicago has plenty after-fest sets each night in clubs, lofts, concert rooms. Is the Detroit festival completely free to the public, like ours?

Yes. Detroit has VIP passes for sale that provide front & center seating at 3 of the 4 stages, but every show at the festival site (Cadillac Square and Hart Plaza) can be attended free of charge. I did not try the "late night" sets at the bar/lounge in the Renaissance Marriott to learn if those shows cost anything. Nor can I gauge how crowded they were.

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I went last year and was floored by how vibrant, alive and engaged with the community it was. In some ways it felt like I was going to a festival in the heyday of the music. The music felt very alive, and not like a museum or a quiet polite orchestra performance. The festival itself seemed to take over a third of the downtown area, enthusiastic crowds for endless blocks in any direction. Extremely diverse crowds of every age, class, race, it felt like the entire community really embraced it. There were plenty of the traditional faces you'd see in the festival crowd, people who grew up on the music and diehard fans, but there were just as many people who probably did not consider themselves "jazz fans" but were just as engaged, enthusiastic and respectful.

I booked a relatively cheap hotel right less than a quarter mile from the main stages, using Expedia or a similar site. I was surprised and very impressed with that portion of downtown Detroit. You can see the city really has a rich history and the many buildings downtown were very impressive in scale, but also in the beautifully diverse architecture and history. The city felt like a lost treasure.

I realize the real problems the city has, and that everything might not be as clean and nice on weekends when they aren't hosting the jazz festival but it felt more like Manhattan than the bleak and decaying city that I'd imagined based on a couple of prior visits to venues on the outer rings of the city. The city was easy to get around, which is refreshing in comparison to Chicago. They had some cool coffee shops and restaurants too. I had a great memory my last night of the festival, doing an impromptu three mile walk down the main strip with my girlfriend, from the restaurant back to the hotel. We walked past a Tigers MLB game as it was letting out, a bunch of theaters, all while watching fireworks along the horizon on one of the most beautiful nights of the year. It really made me a fan of the city and I root for Detroit to start to turnaround like other rust belt cities like Cleveland and Pittsburgh are slowly starting to do.

Seeing Ahmad Jamal perform at a packed and enraptured crowd was in my top three all time musical experiences. Similar to Chicago, it really made me a proponent of free outdoor urban festivals that fit into the community.

Where were these coffee shops and restaurants??! I've been there many times over the past 14 years and have yet to find any coffee shops or restaurants even open in the evening, other than the sports themed pubs immediately next to the baseball stadium.

First, I can only second what Micha said about the experience of the Detroit festival and I'm heartened that as an outsider he picked up on many of the things that make the festival and city so special. As for Greg's comments (sigh ...) We've been through this before. There are innumerable restaurants and bars of all stripes within walking distance of the festival and even more choices if you prefer to drive 5 minutes or less to get to Corktown. Off the top: Roast, Wright and Co., Taqo Detroit, Downtown Louie's Lounge, Cliff Bells, Park Bar, Small Plates, Ottava Via, Two James Spirits, La Feria, Great Lakes Coffee, Slow's, Mercury Bar, Sugar House, 24 Grille, Coach Insignia, Joe Muer Seafood, London Chophouse, Vincente's, Angelina, Fountain Bistro, Tom's Oyster Bar, Green Dot Stables. I could go on for a while ... I'm leaving a ton of places out.

Edited by Mark Stryker
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  • 9 months later...

The 2015 lineup has been announced. While I have not done anything yet to get myself to Detroit for it, I am excited about the possibility of hearing Ron Carter, Oliver Lake, Rudresh Mahanthappa, the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and the LMO conducted by Carla Bley w/ Steve Swallow. And, I am open to hearing just about anything and coming away with some new favorite jazz artists.

http://www.detroitjazzfest.com/2015lineup.html

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