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Detroit
Jazz
Festival
unveils
star-studded
2026
lineup
By Simon
Weinstein
— Media
Matters/Entertainment
Tell Us
Detroit
News
DETROIT
— The
sounds
of sax
and
cymbals
filled
the
Gretchen
C.
Valade
Jazz
Center
on
Wednesday
night as
the
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
unveiled
a 2026
lineup
that
promises
to blend
the
past,
present,
and
future
of jazz.
During a
livestreamed
preview
at Wayne
State
University,
audiences
were
treated
to a
performance
by this
year’s
Artist-in-Residence,
Joe
Lovano,
whose
warm
tones
and
daring
improvisations
set the
tone for
the
coming
Labor
Day
weekend
celebration.
Lovano
shared
the
stage
with
Lamy
Istrefi
on
drums,
Leo
Genovese
on
piano,
and John
Menegon
on bass
— a
reminder
of the
artistry
and
collaboration
that
define
Detroit’s
jazz
legacy.
When the
lights
dimmed
and the
roster
appeared,
the
excitement
was
palpable.
Festival
organizers
revealed
a lineup
featuring
Ron
Carter,
Bob
James,
Ravi
Coltrane,
Artemis,
and Kurt
Elling
joining
forces
with
Yellowjackets
— a mix
of
world-renowned
veterans
and
fresh,
genre-defying
talents.
“Each
year, we
strive
to raise
the bar
artistically
while
staying
true to
what
makes
the
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
so
special
— and
2026 is
no
exception,”
said
Chris
Collins,
president
and
artistic
director
of the
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
Foundation.
He
described
this
year’s
program
as “a
living
conversation
between
jazz
legends
and the
next
wave of
innovators,”
designed
to
captivate
listeners
of every
generation.
Collins
also
underscored
the
festival’s
enduring
commitment
to
accessibility.
“This
event
belongs
to the
city,”
he said,
crediting
the
Festival
Foundation’s
patrons,
sponsors,
and
community
partners
for
ensuring
it
remains
the
world’s
largest
free
jazz
festival
— a
point of
pride
for
Detroit’s
downtown
and its
vibrant
cultural
scene.
The 2026
Detroit
Jazz
Festival
returns
to Hart
Plaza
from
Sept.
4–7,
promising
four
days of
world-class
performances,
late-night
jams,
and the
unmistakable
energy
that
turns
the
city’s
riverfront
into one
of the
world’s
great
jazz
stages.
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