Iowa City Jazz Festival returns with a local focus
This year, the Iowa City Jazz Festival is going back to its roots.
Rather than hosting the bigger national acts seen in previous shows, KCCK’s Dennis Green and the rest of the Board of Directors have chosen to emphasize the jazz scene right here in Iowa City.
However, while the board does appreciate local music, the decision is also related to having a smaller budget.
“We had some sponsors pull out, and we were able to hire fewer national headliners,” Green said. “When people put a few bucks in that [Summer of the Arts donation] bucket when they walk on the Pentacrest, that’s a huge help in keeping the quality of the festivals up.”
He has been the KCCK general manager for 10 years, eight of which he has spent with the festival.
“You can always tell who the real jazz fans are because on Monday morning after the festival is over, they’re the ones who are sunburned,” he said.
The Toyota Scion of Iowa City Jazz Festival, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, will kick off at 3 p.m. Friday with local food venders opening for business. Some of the restaurants include Aladdin Restaurant, Caribbean Kitchen, Masala, Hoard’s Bakery, the Pit Smokehouse, and Oasis Falafel, which will deliver food ranging from traditional barbecue to home-brewed sugar-cane root beer (from Wild Bill’s Olde Fashion Soda Pop Co.).
Toyota Scion of Iowa City is the main sponsor for the event, and it helps to ensure the festival is free to public. Other major sponsors include the Eastern Iowa Airport and theiowacityblog.com.
The festival will take place downtown with four music stages — the Local and College Stages will be on Clinton Street, the Youth Stage will be on Iowa Avenue, and the Main Stage will be in front of the Old Capitol.
The first Jazz Fest took place in 1991 as a one-day event with bands such as the Tom Davis Quintet, Dox Big Band, Dennis “Daddy-O” McMurrin and the Demolition Band, and the Paul Smoker Trio.
Now, the festival provides three days of music, food, and fun. According to the Summer of Arts website, the average attendance for the Jazz Fest is around 50,000, and it estimates that the festivals have brought in more than $7 million to the economy of Iowa City.
The music will start at 4:30 p.m. Friday with the United Jazz Ensemble performing on the Main Stage. The Bob Washut Dream Band will close out the first day of music at 8 p.m.
The festival will resume at 11 a.m. Saturday with the Dave Leffler Trio at 1:30 p.m. on the Local Stage. Roswell Rudd’s Trombone Trio will be the Main Stage headliner on Saturday. Things will wrap up on July 4 with more music, culminating in a performance by legendary jazz organist and vocalist Dr. Lonnie Smith at 8 p.m., followed by fireworks above Hubbard Park.
Smith will celebrate his 78th birthday on July 3, the day before he takes the Main Stage. He was named “Organ Keyboardist of the Year” five times in the past seven years by the Jazz Journalist Association, and he recently released the album Spiral, which builds on the soulful jazz the musician has played throughout his career.
The musician said he likes performing at large music festivals, but he believes people can feel the music better at small clubs.
“The people are the ones who inspire you to play,” he said. “When you’re at big festival, sometimes the sound is a little different for the people and you. I’ve been playing at the Village Vanguard [New York City’s legendary jazz club] for many years.”
But he still enjoys playing festivals because “you get to play for people who have never seen or heard you live.” Smith played at the Jazz Fest in 2000 and shared the stage with John Scofield Trio, Christian McBride Band, and Ravi Coltrane Quartet.
KCCK program director Bob Stewart said he’s looking forward to seeing Smith perform.
“It’s that soul-jazz sound I really like,” he said. “Some of the big-band stuff on Friday night is going to be pretty good too, but Dr. Smith, I think, will be the highlight.”
Iowa’s jazz radio station has been broadcasting the festival’s Main Stage acts over its signal, 88.3 FM (106.9 FM in Iowa City), for around 10 years, but only approximately five of those were live, as this one will be.
National Public Radio also has visited Iowa City for the festival three times in the last decade. The program “Jazz Set” has recorded the festival four times in the past eight years. The national jazz magazine Downbeat previously named it one of the “Top 10 Festivals in the Nation.”
KCCK student producer Lisa Stark said she’s excited about hearing Smith play.
“He plays some really great funky organ, and it’s danceable jazz music,” she said. “Whenever I listen to music, it’s hard for me not to move.”
In addition to producing some dance-worthy music, Smith is also known for covering other artists’ songs (including The Beatles’ “Come Together” and songs by Jimi Hendrix and Beck). During live shows, Dr. Smith is always getting into the music and smiling behind his Hammond B3 organ.
Two other bands Stark is excited about in this year’s Jazz Fest are Koplant No and Lake Street Dive.
“Lake Street Dive’s performances are really upbeat and fun. And it has funny great lyrics,” she said. “They tell really good stories within them.”
Iowa City native Bridget Kearney plays bass for Lake Street Dive, which is known for performing energetic jazz shows around the nation.
“It always felt great to come back and play in Iowa City,” she said. “But this for me is especially a momentous occasion, because it’s the Jazz Festival, which is something I’ve been going to for as long as I could remember.”
Lake Street Dive recently finished a new album this year, but it won’t be released in time for the Jazz Fest. However, the group will play many songs from it at the festival, and Kearney hopes to have it out by mid-July.
Koplant No will play on the Main Stage before Lake Street Dive. Stark said she likes to listen to Koplant No intently.
“The music is so beautiful for me,” she said. “The kind of jazz [the members] play is kind of like jazz for the year 2010. It’s very progressive. They’re using a lot of the technology that’s available to them, and I think that’s really cool.”
Koplant No is locally known for its smooth, yet sometimes chaotic, music. Trumpeter Brian Lewis Smith also plays tracks from his laptop, much like a DJ, when performing live in order to create more layers in the group’s sound.
Though the local food and music will be the emphasis of the festival, those aren’t the only events scheduled to take place. Every night after the Jazz Fest ends, the Mill, 120 E. Burlington St., and jazz organist San Salamone will host an after-party with more live music. The Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn, is also planning on having a party on Saturday with McMurrin and the Demolition Band.
On Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., the fun-zone area will provide various activities for kids of all ages. Music-related crafts will be provided, but Summer of the Arts Executive Director Lisa Barnes said there will also be a bouncy castle and inflatable joust game (not just for kids).
Stark said she will take her daughter, Lila, down to enjoy the activities and music.
“I’m excited to have her be able to participate in an event like this,” she said. “She’ll be surrounded by music all day, and her association with playing and having fun, with music being a part of that, is really good for her.”
For years now, the Iowa City Jazz Festival has been delivering music to audience members, while creating a sense of community. Smith said that even with a lower budget, the quality of music at this year’s festival is no exception.
“Steve Grismore has done an amazing job of getting some of the best bands in the jazz genre,” he said. “Some of the best shows I’ve seen have been at the Iowa City Jazz Festival.”
Iowa City Jazz Festival Schedule
Jazz Fest opens to public
Friday 3 p.m.
Saturday 11 a.m.
July 4 11 a.m.
Live Music Starts
Friday 4:30-9:30 p.m.
Saturday 1:30-9:30 p.m.
July 4 1:30-9:30 p.m.
(with fireworks following last performance)
Stage Locations
Main Stage: Old Capitol
Youth Stage: Iowa Avenue
Local and College: Clinton Street
Music schedule:
Friday
4:30 p.m. United Jazz Ensemble, Main Stage
5:30 p.m. Saul Lubaroff Quintet, Local Stage, presented by Bachmeier Interiors/Carpet One
Oatts Brothers, College Stage, presented by That Cellular Place
West Des Moines Valley Youth Combo, Youth Stage, presented by West Music
6 p.m. U.S. Army Blues, Main Stage
7:30 p.m. Saul Lubaroff Quintet, Local Stage
Oatts Brothers, College Stage
West Des Moines Valley Youth Combo, Youth Stage
8 p.m. Bob Washut Dream Band, Main Stage
Saturday
1:30 p.m. Dave Leffler Trio, Local Stage
UI Latin Jazz Ensemble, College Stage
Silver Swing, Youth Stage
2 p.m. Equilateral, Main Stage
3:30 p.m. Dave Leffler Trio, Local Stage
UI Latin Jazz Ensemble, College Stage
Silver Swing, Youth Stage
4 p.m. Public Property, Main Stage
5:30 p.m. The Magic Changes, Local Stage
Gabe Medd Ensemble, College Stage
Turnaround, Youth Stage
6 p.m. Gabriel Espinosa “From Yucatan to Rio,” Main Stage
7:30 p.m. The Magic Changes, Local Stage
Gabe Medd Ensemble, College Stage
Turnaround, Youth Stage
8 p.m. Roswell Rudd’s Trombone Tribe, Main Stage
July 4
1:30 p.m. Sean Mawhirter Quartet, Local Stage
Nextet from UNI, College Stage
Washington High Jazz Combo, Youth Stage
2 p.m. Koplant No, Main Stage
3:30 p.m. Sean Mawhirter Quartet, Local Stage
Nextet from UNI, College Stage
Washington High Jazz Combo, Youth Stage
4 p.m. Lake Street Dive, Main Stage
5:30 p.m. Nate Jenkins Band, Local Stage
Groove Theory, College Stage
Jazz Enigma, Youth Stage
6 p.m. Paul Smoker Notet, Main Stage
7:30 p.m. Nate Jenkins Band, Local Stage
Groove Theory, College Stage
Jazz Enigma, Youth Stage
8 p.m. Dr. Lonnie Smith, Main Stage
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