Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival facts for kids

The Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival is a cool music event held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It started way back in 1969 as the Ann Arbor Blues Festival. Later, in 1972, it grew to include jazz music too!

This festival has had some ups and downs. It stopped for a while in 2006 but then came back to life in 2017. It's now a non-profit event, meaning it's run by volunteers who love music.

What began as a simple outdoor concert has become a whole weekend of fun. You can enjoy blues and jazz music during the day. In the evenings, there are indoor concerts and live jazz shows in clubs. The festival even used to have special activities for kids and programs where you could meet the musicians!

Many famous musicians have played at the festival. Some big names include James Brown, Ray Charles, Miles Davis, Al Green, and Bonnie Raitt.

Where the Music Happens: Festival Venues

The first festivals (before 1974) took place in a big open area. It was called "Fuller Flats." In 1972, this spot was renamed the Otis Spann Memorial Field. This was done to honor a great blues musician named Otis Spann.

Outdoor Concerts and Indoor Shows

Even though the festival started outdoors, some evening shows moved inside. Places like the Michigan Theater and the Bird of Paradise club hosted these concerts. In 2017, the festival went back to its roots, holding events outdoors again.

Saturday and Sunday outdoor concerts often happen in Gallup Park. This is a large park covering about 70 acres (28 hectares). It sits right along the Huron River. The park can hold over 10,000 people! It has a main stage, tents for shade, food stalls, and even a special tent just for kids.

The Michigan Theater is a beautiful old theater. It has hosted some of the biggest jazz and blues stars. The Bird of Paradise Jazz Club was another popular spot. It was run by jazz musicians and hosted many concerts. Sadly, this club closed in 2004.

In 2017, the Ann Arbor Blues Festival returned to a grassy field. This was at the Washtenaw Farm Council Fairgrounds. It was just a few miles from where the very first festival happened in 1969.

A Look Back: Festival History

The Ann Arbor Blues Festival in 1969 was very special. It was the first major blues festival in North America. It focused on modern electric blues music. Many legendary blues artists performed there. These included B.B. King, Freddie King, Muddy Waters, Big Mama Thornton, and Howlin' Wolf.

An album of performances from that 1969 festival was released in 2019. It even reached number 10 on the Billboard Blues Albums Chart!

How It All Began

The Ann Arbor Blues Festival was created by students from the University of Michigan. Cary Gordon and John Fishel led the effort. The university helped sponsor the first festival. Later, a group called the Canterbury House also offered support.

To learn more about blues music, the students visited Chicago. They met Bob Koester, who owned a record store and a blues record label. He told them about clubs where they could hear blues musicians. He also gave them names and numbers of artists. Before the festival, they even held a practice concert. The Luther Allison Trio played to introduce students to the blues.

John Fishel felt it was important to hold a second festival in 1970. Many older blues musicians were getting older or passing away. He wanted to make sure their music was heard. He traveled to Chicago again to find more artists. This time, musicians like Buddy Guy and Hound Dog Taylor joined. They also found artists from outside Chicago, like Bobby Bland and Big Joe Turner.

However, the 1970 festival lost money. Another big rock concert was happening at the same time. This meant fewer people came to the blues festival.

Growing Bigger: Adding Jazz

Because of the money loss, the university didn't want to fund the festival in 1971. So, it was canceled that year. But in 1972, Peter Andrews and John Sinclair helped bring it back. Peter Andrews had experience managing bands. John Sinclair was a big blues fan.

They decided to make some changes. First, they added other types of music, like jazz and rhythm and blues. That's how it became the Ann Arbor Blues and Jazz Festival! Second, they wanted to bring in bigger stars. This would attract more people and help the festival make money. A friend of Sinclair's even gave them $20,000 to help.

In 1972 and 1973, adding famous artists like Ray Charles and Miles Davis worked! More people came to the festival. The 1973 festival also featured Detroit blues artists.

Festival Recordings

Over the years, many performances from the festival have been released as albums. Here are a few:

• Magic Sam, Magic Sam Live (1981)
• Ann Arbor Blues Festival 1969: Vols 1&2 (2019) - This was chosen as a 'Favorite Blues Album' by AllMusic.
• Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival 1972: Recorded live at Otis Spann Memorial Field (1973)
• Art Ensemble of Chicago, Bap-Tizum (1973)
• Sun Ra, Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Arkestra, Sun Ra, Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Arkestra: at the Ann Arbor Blues & Jazz Festival In Exile 1974: It is Forbidden (2001)
• Miles Davis, Complete Ann Arbor 1972 (2011)