Root Position
	Root Position, a jazz quintet based in London, was created by American trombonist Rob Killips, originally a native of Lansing and former music student at Michigan State University. This British-American fusion of skillful and inventive musicians produces a fresh sound from sparkling to dramatic that is taking European audiences by storm.  The group's dynamic arrangements of original repertoire features styles ranging from Jazz and Latin to Funk and Rock -- and its masterful soloists make it a powerful source on the international jazz scene.
In recent years, Root Position was the only band from Britain selected to perform at the Leverkusen European Jazz Festival (Germany) where Rob Killips was voted "European Young Jazz Artist 1995."  Root Position was also honored with the "People's Choice Award" for their performance at the Getxo International Jazz Festival (Spain).   Other members of the group include Richard Exall, sax, John Crawford, piano, Mike Bradley, drums, and Rob Rickenberg, bass. Return to Schedule

Sonny Fortune

When Critics speak of Sonny Fortune, names like Coltrane, Cannonball, Young, Hawkins, and Parker are mentioned.  Quite a legacy - but well deserved -- for Sonny Fortune embodies all of the finest qualities of those late, great musicians:  hard work, dedication to his art, and exceptional music.   Lucky for us, Sonny is still here and blowing hard.  This 59-year-old decided to pursue jazz at the age of 18.  The list of musicians he has performed with is like a who's who of jazz:  Elvin Jones, Mongo Santamaria, McCoy Tyner, Buddy Rich, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat Adderley - the list goes on and on.  Sonny's groups have always featured his own compositions, and he has toured the world.  CBS TV's "48 Hours" with Dan Rather did a feature on Sonny in 1993.  He is a featured soloist on the soundtrack for the Jack Nicholson film, "The Crossing Guard."  He headlined the first Chicago Playboy Jazz Festival and is frequently featured at jazz festivals worldwide.  Something extraordinary happens when Sonny Fortune begins to play - fiery and incisive one moment, warm and soothing the next - you'll feel exhilarated. Return to Schedule

Frank Morgan

Wynton Marsalis once said of Frank Morgan, "There is no one around who is better on the alto saxophone. What comes out of his horn is soulful, full of fire and timeless." In 1986 -- having spent nearly half a lifetime in prison -- Frank Morgan, once hailed as the "New Bird," began a remarkable comeback to finally add his own distinctive imprint to the bop legacy of Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonius Monk. Morgan's recent Telarc releases "Bop!" and "Love, Lost and Found" show this propensity for the essence of the bebop tradition -- and, at the age 64, a rapport with generationally younger musicians who share that affinity. Frank Morgan teams with Russian trumpeter Valery Ponomarev at the 1998 Flint Jazz Festival. Return to Schedule

Valery Ponomarev

Russian-born trumpeter Valery Ponomarev calls his jazz band "Universal Language" for good reason.  Ever since he was first turned on to jazz as a teenager growing up in Moscow, the music has been a universal language for him.  "Jazz music is a very strong spiritual force that penetrates great distances and temperature drops, and whatever historical and cultural differences there may be," says Ponomarev, who has called New York home since the mid 1970s.   From 1977 to 1980, Ponomarev filled the trumpet chair in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers previously held by Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard, among others.  Ponomarev is often compared to Brown,  his stylistic hero.   Ponomarev has toured the world as a leader and a sideman, working with drummer Max Roach, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, and saxophonists Lee Konitz, Paquito D'Rivera, Benny Golson, and Frank Morgan.  Return to Schedule

Afro-Rican Ensemble		Truth
Get ready for a tasty blend of high-powered Latin and New Orleans rhythms.  The ensemble sets out a rumba buffet of jazz, funk, and sal-soul (salso& soul) and old time swing that you won't want to miss.   Ed Moed on keyboards is originally from New York City and was exposed to Latin sounds at an early age which inspired his style permanently.  Keith Newton on tenor sax and flute is a master soloist.  He has the fire and complexity of John Coltrane,   adding soul to the band.  Leader Rolando Matias is the Latin percussionist and is Puerto Rican.  He started playing salso and jazz, then moved on to the blues and to playing harmonica.  Cecelio Valdez Washington is another Latin percussionist from Pittsburgh.  He has played with Willie Bobo and Mongo Santamaria.  A master of bongos, Greg Loughman on bass is the rock of the group.  He provides a solid, pulsing foundation on which others build.  Jose Nelson - drums - passionate and powerful whose heart and soul have been given to the music he plays. Afro-Rican Ensemble Home Page		The force behind Truth is drummer and percussionist Miguel Gutierrez.  Miguel loves to explore world rhythms and odd meters, bringing freshness to familiar material -- exploring the mix of Latin America and straight-ahead jazz.  Miguel has performed with Claudio Roditi, Dizzy Gillespie's United Nations Orchestra, and Nancy Wilson.  Truth features bassist Hubie Crawford (formerly with Earl Klugh).
Return to Schedule

Sherman Mitchell

A hometown jazz institution, trombonist-flutist-saxophonist Sherman Mitchell achieves new heights every time he performs. Although "semi-retired," Sherm still manages a healthy itinerary playing special bookings nationally and throughout the Great Lakes. A prolific composer ("Once Upon a Lifetime," "Far From Tranquil") and educator (Michigan State University, explores mainstream, Latin, Brazilian, and his own works, equally at home with ballads and up-tempo jazz. He's performed at jazz festivals worldwide -- from Europe to Montreux-Detroit. Return to Schedule

Designated Hitters		Stephenie
Leader and pianist Pat Cronley thought this name appropriate for his group because he uses different musicians constantly.   Be sure to check them out because he always has the best of the best!		Vocalist Stephenie is always a favorite at the Flint Jazz Festival.  You can expect a diverse selection of songs and she is sure to captivate with her versatile voice.  Stephenie has just become a published author of original poems and pictures.
Return to Schedule

Layers		Rayse Biggs & Friends
This Lansing based group has something for everyone -- Leader Mike Daniels on drums,  Dennis Therrian on piano, Nick Colandro on bass, Jeff Hall on sax, and Coke McKesson on vocals.  Another great band to start out another day of awesome jazz!		Recording artist Rayse Biggs is one of the most dynamic and versatile horn players on the scene today.  He was born in Detroit and reared by some of the greatest jazz artists in the country.  Rayse received formal training from Oakland University.  He has performed with such artists as Freddie Hubbard, Lew Tabackin, Dizzy Gillespie, Lou Rawls, B. B. King, and Sonny Fortune.  Biggs has performed on the Arsenio Hall show, Soul Train, and Saturday Night Live.  He recently received a grant from the Detroit Council of Arts to present a series of workshops and concerts in the Detroit Public Schools.
Return to Schedule

Sheila Landis		Roger Jones
Sheila Landis has been performing her unique style of jazz and blues since 1973 and has appeared in scores of Metro Detroit's most exciting venues. She has developed her own style, drawing upon the melodic inventiveness of the legendary Sarah Vaughan, appealing to the most discriminating of jazz enthusiasts. In 1991 she received the Metro Times "Best Jazz Vocalist" award, followed in 1994 by Detroit Music Awards "Best Jazz Vocalist." Recordings include "Fine and Mellow" and "Jazzscapes," both self-produced SheLan Records releases with guitarist Rick Matle.		Roger Jones was born in Flint in 1971 and graduated from Carman-Ainsworth High School. He attended the Oberlin Conservatory from 1989 to 1992. Playing professionally since the age of 17, Roger has performed with Marcus Belgrave, Bobby Watson, Wallace Roney, Dwight Adams, Joe Henderson, and J.J. Johnson.
Return to Schedule

Randy Napoleon Quintet		Kenn Cox Quartet
At age 21, Napoleon is beginning his ascent up the ladder of jazz guitarland and all who listen are quickly taking notice.   The Ann Arbor Pioneer High School grad just completed his junior year at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  He's been playing guitar for only eight years and again this year will ignite the festival stage.		Kenn Cox remains one of Detroit's golden jazz all-stars as an international composer, pianist, and bandleader for more than four decades.  He's jammed with an encyclopedia of jazz luminaries including Ben Webster, Joe Williams, Wes Montgomery, Helen Humes, Roy Haynes, Betty Carter, and Jackie Mclean, among others.  Cox is a member of the National Negro Musicians Association, the International Association of Jazz Educators, and is a faculty member at Michigan State and Wayne State Universities, where he teaches African American Music History.
Return to Schedule

Detroit Jazz Winds Big Band		Phil Lasley
Bandleader and bassist Hamid Dana has had a varied career as a jazz bassist, actor, stage director, musical director, and conductor for theatre productions.  He started as a Central Michigan student, working with Saginaw and Bay City area musicians until 1960, when he moved to Detroit.  In the Motor City he's worked with Jack Brokensha, Johnny Trudell, Tom Saunders, Marcus Belgrave, and Teddy Harris, Jr.  Dana has also worked with national notables like Chris Connor, Bob Crosby, Tony Pastor, Tex Beneke, and Ralph Marterie.  After five years teaching in Japan, he launched the 18-piece Detroit Jazz Winds Big Band to promote Michigan jazz artists' compositions and arrangements.		Award-winning saxophonist Phil Lasley is a "musician's musician."  His tone is bright and his phrasing uniquely his own.  Demanding the most of himself each time he plays, whether a beautiful ballad, blues, bop, or swing, Phil's compositions are exciting, creative, honest, and mature.
Return to Schedule

Tim Tomke		Sunny Wilkinson
Tim has been living on the west coast since 1969 and, in addition to performing with his group, The Tim Tomke Trio, he has performed with Eddie Henderson, Tom Harrell, James Leary, Roy Brooks, Ira Sullivan, Ron McClure, Chet Baker, Pepper Adams, George Bohanan, and many others.  He has been involved in the business of music and television production for many years in San Francisco and Burbank, and he has headlined at the Flint Jazz Festival and performed at the North Sea and Montreux Jazz festivals.  He is currently performing in jazz clubs in the Los Angeles area.		Her melodious and emotional vocals are accompanied by her husband, jazz professor-pianist at MSU Ron Neuman.  Sunny keeps busy by performing, teaching at WMU and holds and important position with the IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) plusl oves being a mother and wife.   Covering straight-ahead or popish contemporary jazz, she varies soft ballads, bebop scat lines, and warm bossa nova accentuations.  She has been featured with big bands of Count Basie, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass, and has sung with Mark Murphy, Bill Watrous, Milt Hinton, and Curtis Fuller.
Return to Schedule

Mott Combo & Mo' Jazz		Joseph Lulloff
The jazz festival is a place where we learn to appreciate all styles of jazz.  It is also a place to give students studying jazz an outlet to gain experience playing this true American art form.  Please support this group of aspiring students who may someday be part of the future legends of jazz.  "Mo' Jazz" personnel are on piano - Nate Harrison (18); bass - Brad Dotson (18); drums - Lamar Rahmaad (17); tenor sax - Brandon Mata (16); and his twin brother on alto sax - Brent.		In demand as a soloist and clinician at several universities and conservatories of music throughout the United States and Japan, Professor Joseph Lulloff enjoys an active career both as a teacher and performer in both jazz and classical idioms.  Professor Lulloff recently performed jazz concerts in Chicago, St. Louis, and Japan in Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, and Tokyo, as well as locally throughout the state of Michigan.  Professor Lulloff performs as saxophonist with the St. Louis Symphony (since 1987), as well as with the Minnesota Orchestra, the Flint Symphony Orchestra, and the Michigan Ragtime Orchestra.  Members of his group include Russ Stump, pianist from Fenton; Nick Colandro, bassist from Flint; Charles Ruggiero, drums from Okemos; and vocalist Kristen Gustafson, vocalist from Chicago.
Return to Schedule

Patti Richards		Ramona Collins
If you like the blues, then you won't want to miss this lady.  Patti has a style that is a mix of Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald, and her own history of gospel and blues.  What you get is one dynamite entertainer.  She loves to sing for your enjoyment.  Patti is backed by a great trio that will leave you chanting for more!		Ramona has a strong, satiny voice with a lot of blues and soul seasoning and a very hip sense of humor.  Her band is expert as well:  Mark Lemle - sax, Kevin Eikum - bass, Bobby Welch - drummer, and Eric Gickey - piano.  Ramona appears regularly at Rusty's Cafe and Murphy's Place in Toledo.  She appeared as a surprise guest with the late, great Eddie Russ at the 1995 Flint Jazz Festival and was instantly loved by the audience.  She has a CD out "Live from Rusty's" and is currently working on a new one.
Return to Schedule

Capital Jazz Quartet		U of M Flint Jazz Combo
The Lansing-based Capital Jazz Quartet sports high academic standards. As CJQ bandleader-founder, trumpeter-fluegelhornist Rick Holland (Berklee School of Music, DePaul Univ.) has played in Boston and Chicago with Herb Pomeroy's Studio Orchestra, Makofo Ozone, Frank Mantooth and Louis Bellson's Big Band, among others. Bassist Ed Fedewa (an MSU grad) has worked with Marcus Belgrave, Eddie Russ, and Donald Walden. Drummer Joe Lane, just 22, has two recordings with Shawn "Thunder" Wallace (a 1996 Flint Jazz Festival headliner) and attends MSU. Pianist Terry Lower (Berklee) has recorded with the Larry Nozero Quartet and trumpeter Eddie Daniels.		Led by pianist and associate music professor Mark Bolton, the UM-Flint Jazz Combo is a credit-offering performance group and one of three ensembles in the university's Music/Art department.  The UM Jazz Combo, Jazz Ensemble (big band), and Jazz Choir are open to all students regardless of major.   The combos intended for student musicians interested in developing advanced jazz improvisation skills.  Band members learn small group interaction, transcribing techniques, piano voicings, and have opportunities for composing and arranging.   Besides fall and winter concerts, the Combo maintains an active schedule for numerous university and community events.

Return to Jazz Festival Home Page

Schedule

Artist Info

About the Festival

Sponsors

MasterPlan, Inc.

How to Get There

Past Festivals