Photos courtesy of CCEVB Jazz guitar master Larry Coryell willl appear at Papa Charlie’s in Lutsen on Sunday, May 24.
The Cook County Events and Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the Seventh Annual Grand Marais Jazz Festival, Memorial Day Weekend, May 22 – 24. “We moved the Jazz Festival to Memorial Day weekend based upon feedback from past festival visitors,” said Kate Surbaugh, events director. “People said they would welcome more time to settle in, relax, and linger over a long weekend of jazz. We were happy to oblige.”
Grand Marais Jazz Festival founder Mike Raymond explains his vision for the Festival, “Cook County has all the natural beauty of Monterey, California or Newport, Rhode Island, home to some of the most famous jazz festivals. Once we overcame the logistics of our remote location, it has been a good way to energize our tourism-based economy during the spring season. We’ve succeeded to this point in bringing some top jazz talent to our festival and I think we are now on the radar as a significant annual jazz event in the eyes of jazz musicians.”
Among the highlights of this year’s Festival will be East Coast jazz educator and vibraphonist Joe Baione at the Summit Chalet at Lutsen Mountains Saturday morning. Canadian Juno Award nominee Melissa Walker, a talented jazz vocalist who performs with some of the top names in jazz, will appear Saturday night at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts. Guitar master Larry Coryell will perform Sunday night at Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains.
Canadian Juno Award nominee Melissa Walker, a talented jazz vocalist will appear Saturday, May 23 at the Arrowhead Arts Center.
Returning to the Festival this year is Latin percussionist Rolando Matias with his Latin jazz BeBop trio We Is. This Sunday night performance at Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains will feature a Hammond B3 organ groove compliments of Dean Marcellana.
The Festival will also highlight the visual arts in Cook County, and will include an arts crawl and live jazz performances at Betsy Bowen Studios and Sivertson Gallery in Grand Marais, as well as Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen. Additional performances will take place at a variety of venues throughout the weekend, including gypsy jazz band Clearwater Hot Club at the GunFlint Tavern Friday and Saturday nights, Sunday jazz brunches at Bluefin Bay in Tofte and Naniboujou Lodge in Hovland, and a Sunday night jazz dinner at Lutsen Resort.
For a full festival line-up and to purchase tickets, visit www.grandmaraisjazzfest. com.
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