GRandJazzFest with regional and national acts took over downtown Grand Rapids, but there was plenty more live music to embrace, too. (Photos, video)
Rocking the Lot: Jackyl drew a big crowd to The Intersection’s parking lot on Friday. (Photos/Anthony Norkus Photography)
Q: How does a jazz musician end up with $1 million?
A: By starting out with $2 million.
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I figure that old joke about gigging musicians says a lot about the passion that jazz players have for their genre regardless of monetary gain. And lots of those players — national, regional and local — are showing that passion this weekend on stage at the second annual GRandJazzFest on Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids.
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Meijer Gardens. (Photo/Anna Sink)
It all started with the always compelling Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra and singer Edye Evans Hyde on Saturday, with a day full of diverse sets, ending with headliner and Chicago guitarist Nick Colionne, who literally rubbed elbows with the crowd. And there was plenty more hepcat action on Sunday, with a full day of music starting at noon with performances by two student bands led by Madison George and Olin Clark, followed by the Randy Marsh Organ Trio and more. Check out some Local Spins video highlights below.
The swingin’ weekend actually got an early start with Thursday’s appearance by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park and stayed in the great outdoors with the hard-rocking Jackyl and Wayland playing The Intersection’s “Rock the Lot” series in the parking lot next door to the nightclub (captured in some terrific photos by Tony Norkus). And there was live music outside Mangiamo’s, too, as part of the the East Hills Big Bang Art Festival.
Madison George performing at GRandJazzFest on Sunday. (Photo/Wende Alexander Clark)
There was a fair amount of indoor fun, too, with the Jim Shaneberger Band at Tip Top Deluxe Bar & Grill, JD Eicher & the Goodnights playing a free show at Spring Lake’s Seven Steps Up (which included performance of a new song by Eicher and Seven Steps Up’s Michelle Hanks that was co-written with Michael Pearsall) and the Michigan Mafia String Band firing up the bluegrass/country/folk/blues machine at Zellie’s Opry House in Howard City in a show that proprietor Terri Grannis said “lit the place up” and left people “happpy, happy, happy.”
And congrats to Kathy Arends, whose name was chosen at random from photographers who’ve contributed to Local Spins Weekend Photo Galleries so far this summer. Arends, who took photos at Pedro’s Pig Roast in Grand Haven, will win a $25 gift certificate to The Intersection. You could win, too. Just send photos of live music events that take place Thursday through Saturday to jsinkevics@gmail.com by Sunday morning. If your image gets chosen for a photo gallery, your name will be placed in a drawing for a gift card to a local venue.
THE LOCAL SPINS WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY (Aug. 18, 2013)
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2013, Spins on Music
The first day of GRand Jazzfest was a combination of great weather, a great crowd, and one of the best selections of jazz artists to play in Grand Rapids. I’ve never seen Nick Colione before, high energy, and yes, the sharpest dressed man in jazz