1996
TAJ MAHAL BAND
This multiple Grammy nominee burns with a love of his own culture, African-rooted music. Whether it's nitty-gritty, urban, gospel, or even reggae, Taj Mahal is true blues. This marks his first Ann Arbor performance with a band in almost 20 years.
ALVIN "YOUNGBLOOD" HART
His grasp of the idioms, tone, humor, irony, joy and breadth of the Afro-American acoustic music tradition is extraordinary. As the old folks would say, 'Boy got thunder in his hands!' Sure does!" - Taj Mahal
WALLACE RONEY QUINTET
A young musician/composer/bandleader who has worked his way up through the ranks for over 20 years, earning the respect of countless masters. Miles Davis was so impressed that following a collaboration at Switzerland's Montreux Jazz Festival, Davis gave Roney one of his trumpets.
PHAROAH SANDERS
In the 1960s John Coltrane took Sanders aboard his spaceship. The rest as Sun Ra would say, is not history, but mystery. Sanders carries on where Coltrane left off, playing free jazz saxophone solos with the coherence, fluidity, and finesse of the classic bebop hornmen.
TERRANCE SIMIEN
The Boston Globe calls him "the hardest working man in zydeco." He has the potential to bring zydeco to a far wider musical syntheses than any other artists in the genre today. Expect a performance of near combustible intensity.
SUE FOLEY
Foley's been sending shivers through crowds who never expected to hear a petite, strawberry blonde play the blues with such passion and poise. Her sassy vocals recall a young Bonnie Raitt and her guitar prowess is equal to the hot guitar slingers in her newly-adopted Texas home.
TRUMPET SUMMIT: MARCUS BELGRAVE QUINTET FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST LOUIS SMITH
Trumpeter and flugelhornist Marcus Belgrave has performed and recorded with many of the biggest names in music, from Ella Fitzgerald, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles to Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Max Roach.
AL HILL & THE LOVE BUTLERS
Multi-instrumentalist Al Hill plays and sings soul-drenched blues as well as anybody. And his latest band features a searing horn section to augment the twin guitars of Hill and Dave Farzalo. Come early to kick off the day with some rhythm & blues, sweet and tender style.
JOHN SINCLAIR & ED MOSS
This special performance unitcs the compclling jazz poetry of New Orleans-based multi-media artist John Sinclair and the gorgeous piano stylings of composer/bandleader Ed Moss into a fresh and wonderful gumbo. This should be a Festival highlight.
MACEO PARKER
Widely known as James Brown's sax player, Maceo has definitely come into his prime. His high energy, rafter raising funk has crowds around the world dancing non stop. The Boston Herald says "get out the sunscreen this will burn your ears."
LUTHER ALLISON
"Fever-and-chills performance...ferocious solos combine the wisdom of a master storyteller with the elegance of B.B. King, the elasticity of Buddy Guy, and the big sting of Albert King." - Guitar Player
COREY HARRIS
Harris is a brilliant interpreter of traditional blues, from Delta slide to Piedmont rag. "Imagine one of the great early Delta blues musicians had come back to life." - Kansas City Star His Detroit debut, opening for Buddy Guy, brought the audience to their feet.
DAVE DOUGLAS STRING GROUP
For American jazz and trumpet there are two virtuosos: Wynton Marsalis and Dave Douglas. But while Marsalis is anchored in the past, Douglas looks to the future. He can navigate seamlessly between the conventions of hard bop, group improvisation and the melding of composition and improvisation.
BIG DAVE & THE ULTRASONICS
Slowly but steadily, this Ann Arbor band has developed into one of the strongest jump-blues bands in the country. Fronted by the fierce, agile guitar playing of Big Dave Steele and the relentless harmonica of Dave Morris, the Ultrasonics are consummate good-time entertainers.
E. LAQUINT WEAVER & THE HALLELUJAH SINGERS
This award-winning Detroit choir is the perfect start to a Sunday at the Festival. A must see as well as a must hear, they are the reason to get to Gallup Park early.
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