Michigan Jazz Festival Fundraisers
The Michigan Jazz Festival raises funds all year to keep its annual July festival free. Two fundraising events are upcoming.
On Sunday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m., the Rising Star Jazz Vocal Competition will hold its Finals at Aretha’s Jazz Café in Detroit. Five finalists will have been selected from among dozens of applicants to perform on stage under the supervision of veteran Toledo vocalist Ramona Collins. The top vocalist of the evening will win a cash prize and will perform with Collins July 16 at the 2023 Michigan Jazz Festival.
Reserved seats are $30 and can be purchased online. All proceeds go to support the Michigan Jazz Festival. Aretha’s is located in the Music Hall Fine and Performing Arts Center, 350 Madison St. in Detroit.
On Sunday, June 18 at noon, the Michigan Jazz Festival will hold its popular Father’s Day Brunch on the Livonia campus of Schoolcraft College, featuring Schoolcraft Culinary’s gourmet buffet and entertainment from vocalist Barbara Ware. Ware will be accompanied by pianist Cliff Monear’s trio and will be joined by special guest Russ Miller on trumpet. Tickets are $45 and must be purchased in advance. Again, all proceeds go to support the Michigan Jazz Festival. The brunch is held at Schoolcraft College’s VisTaTech Center, 18600 Haggerty Rd. near Seven Mile in Livonia.
These two events were preceded by the Festival’s annual Spring Fundraiser, which was held April 2 and featured clarinetist Dave Bennett performing with the group Third Coast Swing.
photograph by Jeff Dunn