Rosa Parks Circle Jazz - WKTV Journal

Edye Evans Hyde and the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra will open the annual free GRandJazzFest. (Supplied)

By K.D. Norris

ken@wktv.org

There will be some new sounds and some familiar sounds dancing around “The Circle” as the GRandJazzFest 2017 returns to Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 19-20.

Jazz will flow from the opening set — the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with the superb Edye Evans Hyde fronting, scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday — to the closing set of Grammy nominated keyboardist Nate Harasim & NILS featuring Brandon Willis, at 7 p.m. on Sunday.

The JazzFest, presented by DTE Energy, is free to the public, with a come-and-go, festival seating format.

Saxophonist Richard Elliot will headline the festival, with a Saturday night closing set at 8 p.m.

“We’re thrilled to have Richard Elliot headline the sixth annual GRandJazzFest,” Audrey Sundstrom, festival founder, said in supplied material. “He’s a huge name in the jazz and R&B world.”

The Scotland-born, Los Angeles-based, Elliot is one of 11 performers and bands who will play throughout the two-day weekend. The eclectic array of jazz performances includes genres from big band to straight-ahead, from contemporary to Latin-Cuban.

“We have music for everyone,” Sundstrom said. “The great thing about jazz is there are so many types.”

Performers such as the Big band sounds of the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra with Evans Hyde of vocals, and the jazz organ trip of “organissimo”, with Jim Alfredson on the Hammond B3, Larry Barrris on guitar and Randy Marsh on drums, will be pleasingly familiar to local audiences, the festival always opens eyes and ears to something new.

Pianist Nate Harasim will likely be one of those pleasing new sounds for most people.

In addition to three contemporary urban jazz recordings – including 2011’s very well reviewed Rush – Harasim’s work as a composer, keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist earned a Grammy nomination for his work on Dave Koz’s Billboard No. 1 Jazz Album Hello Tomorrow and a 2014 Soul Train nod for Vandell Andrew’s No. 1 hit “Let’s Ride.” Harasim’s hundreds of stage appearances include performing at President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Ball with best pal Rahn and playing twice at the Dubai International Jazz Festival, according to his website.

For more information on the GRandJazzFest and a complete line-up, see the event’s Facebook page @GRandJazzFest .

GRandJazzFest presented by DTE Energy Foundation returns to Rosa Parks Circle in downtown Grand Rapids, Mich., Aug. 15 and 16, the fourth consecutive year for West Michigan’s only free, weekend-long jazz festival.

The two-day festival will again be free thanks to presenting sponsor DTE Energy Foundation, the City of Grand Rapids and other sponsoring organizations and individuals.

“GRandJazzFest is one of the most diverse and well-attended events in West Michigan. As a major event, it has established its own name on the jazz scene in Michigan and the Midwest,” DTE Energy Regional Manager Roger Royer said.

More than 10,000 people attended the 2014 festival.

“Grand Rapids loves its jazz,” GRandJazzFest Founder Audrey Sundstrom said. “People came from as nearby as local neighborhoods and as far away as other states and Canada. With the great turnout and positive feedback, we’re excited to be producing a fourth annual festival.”

Festival planning for 2015 is underway, with artist selections to be announced in the spring. Like last year, 10 diverse jazz artists and bands will perform, including a major headline act.

Sundstrom said diversity of the lineup is key: “Jazz has so many sub-genres – Latin, straight-up, contemporary, soul and big band, to name a few. If diversity has a sound, it’s the sound of jazz.”

“DTE Energy Foundation is proud to support the diversity and vibrancy that GRandJazzFest brings to downtown. We’ve been so pleased with the past three GRandJazzFests and look forward to the fourth annual event!” Royer said.

Grand Rapids city commissioners approved GRandJazzFest as one of 24 events that it will co-sponsor in 2015, a distinction only given to events that have proven to be successful and enrich the community.

In addition to DTE Energy Foundation and the City of Grand Rapids, sponsors for the 2015 event to date include Experience Grand Rapids, Amway Hotel Corporation, Ellis Parking, Swift Printing, Gilmore Collection, Moxie Men Incorporated and Intent Public Relations.

Sponsorship opportunities are available here: http://grandjazzfest.org/sponsors/

“We are so grateful to all of our sponsors for their support,” Sundstrom said. “We’re seeking additional sponsors to join our sponsors from last year in bringing a full weekend of free jazz performances to West Michigan!”

People can get a taste of what past GRandJazzFests were like by viewing the “recap” videos here: http://grandjazzfest.org/newsroom/video/

More information on GRandJazzFest can be found at www.grandjazzfest.org, and at the festival’s Facebook and Twitter sites – www.facebook.com/grandjazzfest and www.twitter.com/grandjazzfest.