Last year’s line-up would be hard to match, with such headliners as Patricia Barber, Stefon Harris, Terrell Stafford, Jane Bunnett’s Spirits of Havana, and the Yellowjackets, among others. The weather was only partly co-operative--a torrential downpour delayed things a bit on Saturday afternoon—but the main stage’s new location on the campus green (“The Pentacrest”) offered some shade and pleasant surroundings; the concession booths lining adjacent streets provided global treats—everything from smoked fish curry, falafel, and gazpacho to the obligatory roasted corn and fresh lemonade.

Featuring  Pat Metheny, Mark Knopfler, Madeleine Peyroux,
Charlie Haden, Paul Anka, John Mayall and Omara Portuondo

Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, happening this summer from June 30 to July 10, courtesy of official presenter General Motors of Canada in collaboration with Stella Artois. Fresh on the heels of our triumphal 25th anniversary blow-out, the seminal event will begin in less than two months. As in the past, there’ll be some 2000 musicians rolling into town from all corners of the planet, bringing the sounds of jazz and its diverse musical cousins along for the ride. This year marks the longawaited return of Festival darling Pat Metheny, scheduled for no fewer than 5 formal appearances and, hopefully, a few informal ones, as he did in 1997. What follows is an overview of all the indoor shows on the program for this year’s Fest, apart from those already announced, of which several have already sold out – notably Madeleine Peyroux and Michael Bublé.

Hugh Masekela, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, The Headhunters, The Funky Meters, Diane Schuur featuring Dave Samuels' Caribbean Jazz Project and Wilmington's own Raye Jones are among the featured performers for this year's 17th Annual DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, the largest free jazz festival on the East Coast.

Wilmington Mayor James M. Baker and Cultural Affairs Director Tina Betz today announced the scheduled lis of performances for the 2005 Festival that will be held Friday, June 3 through Sunday, June 12. Most evening performances for the Festival will be staged in Rodney Square in Downtown Wilmington. Other events associated with the Festival will be presented at nearby Downtown venues. "Our wonderfully supportive group of Jazz Festival sponsors, led by DuPont, has provided Tina Betz and her team with the backing needed to assemble another outstanding Jazz Festival honoring the memory and music o Wilmington's jazz king Clifford Brown," said Mayor Baker. "We hope everyone will head to Wilmington for week-long celebration of jazz, featuring an exciting and entertaining list of national and local performers." Sylvia Banks, Manager, Corporate Contributions at DuPont said the company is proud of its contributions to one of the City's most popular events. "We're delighted to be part of the 2005 DuPont Clifford Brown Jazz Festival. Not only does the Festival provide our community with the opportunity to see and hear world-class jazz performances, but it also gives us a chance to show -off downtown Wilmington as a vibrant and exciting city."

Presented by the North Shore Music Association and WTIP North Shore Radio, the festival home is this charming harbor community along the Superior Hiking Trail. Grand Marais provides a perfect setting for an early spring festival, scheduled between the summer season of fishing, camping, hiking and kayaking, and the winter cross country and snow shoe season. Grand Marais is about 2 hours north of Duluth—which makes a great stopping point for a few hours enroute north from the Twin Cities. This is a great opportunity to catch a national sensation (Allyson) as well as some of the best artists from the Twin Cities and the upper Midwest away from the context of an urban club.

Photo by Howard A. Gitelson

Got your beach chairs, shades, and sunscreen ready? It’s time to mark your calendars for the annual Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival, to be held throughout the metro area June 12-26. National headliners this year will include sax legend Benny Golson, organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith, the vibrant beats of the Yellowjackets, and chanteuse Rosanna Vitro, along with our own home grown stars such as Bruce Henry, Doug Little, Butch Thompson, and Mulligan Stew. From soloists to big bands, from straight ahead to over the edge, from student clinics to club stages—this is the biggest jazz event of the year in not only the Twin Cities but the upper Midwest.

Read more about the performers:
• Festival Profiles: Boppin’ Saxes Headline Hot Summer Jazz Festival
• Festival Profiles: Sizzling 88s at the Hot Summer Jazz Festival
• Festival Profiles: Jazz, Classically Speaking--Kelly Rossum at Mears Park
• Festival Profiles: Hot Summer Voices