East Jefferson Gets Jazzy Tomorrow

Enjoy the flexible rhythms of jazz and the melancholic sounds of the blues at tomorrow's Jazzin' on Jefferson, a free outdoor festival aimed at bringing the local community together to celebrate its contribution to two of America's greatest musical genres: jazz and blues.


A View of the East Riverfront from Belle Isle

The event, organized by the Jefferson East Business Association (JEBA), succeeded at bringing 10,000 people to the area called the East Jefferson Business district during its inaugural year in 2004, and hopes to beat that number at this year's festival.

With East Jefferson resident and blues-great Eddie Burns playing the festival, as well as the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and many other local musicians, artists, and restaurants showcasing their own specialties, I have no doubt they will.

The festival runs from 11 am - 9 pm on Saturday, June 25. It will be held within a closed-off section of East Jefferson Avenue and Chalmers. Visit JEBA's website for detailed performance schedules and more information.

JEBA is one of five districts that was selected in 2002 as a recipient of the RE$TORE Detroit! designation, a project created by the Mayor's Office of Commercial Revitalization (ONCR); selected districts were each awarded $640,000 grants for neighborhood revitalization projects. The goal of the program is to empower local businesses, residents, and property owners to work together, rather than separately, to strengthen their respective districts and create a more community-oriented area.