Detroit Jazz Festival announces initial 2024 lineup

Performers include a diverse mix of next-generation and legacy jazz musicians

Apr 11, 2024 at 10:50 am

The Detroit Jazz Festival will be held this year from Aug. 30 - Sept. 2. Stevie Ansara, Detroit Stock City

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The Detroit Jazz Festival, dubbed the “world’s largest (and best) free jazz festival,” is returning to downtown Detroit from Aug. 30-Sept 2. The renowned Labor Day weekend celebration just announced a partial lineup for this year during a recent livestream event.

“This year’s lineup reflects a very dynamic and eclectic combination of next-generation and legacy jazz musicians who reflect the diverse tapestry of jazz and its evolutions,” Chris Collins, president and artistic director of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, said in a press release. “We look forward to their energy and craftsmanship on our stages and seeing our faithful jazz fans in downtown Detroit on Labor Day weekend.”

The festival will take place in person at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park. A livestream option will also be available via live.detroitjazzfest.org.

You can check out the initial 2024 lineup below:

2024 Artist-In-Residence Brian Blade
Billy Childs Quartet, Special Guest Sean Jones
Cameron Graves
Carmen Lundy
Charlie Sepulveda & The Turnaround Plus Special Guest
Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott)
Christian McBride
Ghost-Note
Isaiah J. Thompson Quartet
James “Blood” Ulmer Music Revelation Ensemble
Joshua Redman Group featuring Gabrielle Cavassa ‘Where Are We’ Tour
Kyle Eastwood – Eastwood Symphonic
Marquis Hill: Composers Collective
Melanie Charles
Mimi Fox Organ Trio
Monty Alexander D-Day
Nate Smith
Pablo Ziegler Quintet Featuring Roberta Gambarini
The Bad Plus
The Vibraphone Summit: Warren Wolf - Joe Locke – Jason Marsalis & Chien Chien Lu
TRANSLINEAR LIGHT: The Music of Alice Coltrane featuring Ravi Coltrane with Special Guest Brandee Younger
Zig Zag Power Trio: Vernon Reid – Melvin Gibbs – Will Calhoun

A day-by-day schedule of the lineup and more performers will be announced closer to the date of the festival. Information on VIP passes, artist submissions, sponsorship opportunities, and more can be found at detroitjazzfest.org.

The livestream event preview included performances from 2024 Artist-In-Residence Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, as well as the One-World Jazz Orchestra, a collaboration between the Berklee Global Jazz Institute and Wayne State University’s Jazz Program. The evening also featured a sneak peek at the new Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center, scheduled to open to the public at Wayne State's campus in the fall.

Valade has been a major sponsor of the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation since 2005, supporting the organization’s year-long programming that highlights Detroit’s rich history of jazz music, anchored by the annual festival.

Slideshow

A first look at ‘Little Village’ arts hub in Detroit’s East Village neighborhood

‘It Takes A Village’ Skate ParkBeside The Shepherd and the sculpture park is a skate park designed by Tony Hawk and McArthur Binion. It was one of the first completed installations of Little Village, so it is the piece that has gotten the most use so far.

ALEO DetroitInside The Shepherd’s former rectory is a bed and breakfast coined ALEO, offering a beautiful interior covered in work by local artists. The six guest suites are meant for artists visiting Detroit from out of town who want to be at the center of the city’s creative community.

McArthur Binion FoundationALEO’s third floor serves as the headquarters for the nonprofit organization Modern Ancient Brown, which provides residencies, mentorship, and resources to local BIPOC artists and writers. One artist resident a year will have a full private apartment in ALEO to live and work at during their time in the program.

Little Village LibraryOn the other side of the building, in the former church’s beautiful main space, there will be a library curated by Asmaa Walton of Black Arts Library. Available books will include artist monographs, exhibition catalogs, and research materials focused on artists of color who have made contributions to the arts in Michigan. The area includes tables and chairs to sit and read at with a group, as well as former confessionals turned personal workspaces. In the near future, Black Arts Library has plans to also open a standalone community bookstore in the East Village neighborhood, which will be its first-ever brick-and-mortar.

Art & Music in the former church’s naveApart from the Little Village library, the central nave and adjacent transept of the space feature two gallery spaces that will display rotating artworks. Each entrance/exit of the galleries serves as its own sort of frame to view the intricate architecture in the building. Additionally, the church’s former altar will serve as a stage for big events, with seating at the lower level, as well as above the main gallery.

Charles McGee Legacy Park The theme of the Shepherd’s grand opening will be “Charles McGee: Time Is Now,” honoring the late Detroit artist, in collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Arts Detroit. Outside of the building is a Charles McGee Legacy Park, which features sculptures inspired by McGee’s work. Inside the Shepherd’s gallery spaces is the work that the sculptures were based on, which will be displayed for the grand opening and throughout the following month.

Click to View 17 slides

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About The Author

Layla McMurtrie

Layla McMurtrie is the digital editor of Detroit Metro Times. She's passionate about food, music, art, and Detroit's culture and community. Her work has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Between the Lines, Metromode, and other various Michigan publications.