Windsor Ontario News / Entertainment

New summer jazz festival (con't)

So Gallippi set to work two months ago to produce an all-new summer jazz event.

He contacted one of Detroit’s best known jazz musicians, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave (see pictures), who agreed to headline the event Saturday night.

The rest of the acts will be largely from Windsor. And who knew so many existed?

The line-up includes Acoustix Quartet, Black Orchid, Ian Smith and Friends, Lucky Strike Trio, Soiree, Al Lukas Band, Cloverjoy, Chimoca, Six Degrees, Huladog and the Max Marshall Trio.

Gallippi says he also got in touch with Walkerville Collegiate Institute for the Arts.

The school’s jazz band will perform Saturday afternoon.

The music won’t be exclusively jazz but will “venture off” in some cases to other closely-related music such as Roots, Funk and Motown.

Money will also go to the International Dragon Boats for The Cure, a local charity that raises money to fight breast cancer.

The festival won’t only have music.

Several restaurants will also have food booths. T hese include Chanoso’s, Oishii, Tecumseh Roadhouse, Gourmet Emporium and Big Tony’s of course.

Gallippi called the event a “mini-Epicure” noting that the city’s well known Festival Epicure, held for years along the river, will not take place this summer mainly due to lack of large sponsorships.

This month’s event has been approved by the city for 2,058 people.

“It’s a nice size lot,” Gallippi says.

He also wants it to be family-oriented. There will be artists and kids’ activities such as face painting.

The admission is only $4.

“We’re here so people can experience the music and experience the food.”

Veteran Windsor jazz musician and promoter Hugh Leal, who produced the Windsor Jazz Festival in the 1990s, praised the event.

“I think anybody trying to promote jazz is doing something great,” he said. “Hopefully they’ll get a good turnout.”

WindsorOntarioNews.com