Year: 1996
A legendary impromptu battle between James Carter and David Murray in 1996 showcased the electrifying spontaneity and competitive camaraderie of Detroit jazz.
Year: 2019
A surprise fireworks display mid-performance becomes part of the improvisation, creating an unforgettable fusion of music and spectacle.
Year: 2019
After two rainouts, Stanley Clarke finally triumphs with a powerful performance under clearing skies, proving that persistence and music can outlast any storm.
Year: 1980
Amid Detroit’s economic struggles, Mayor Coleman Young and civic leader Robert McCabe launched a free jazz festival that revived downtown and united the city through music.
Year: 2006
When the festival faced a financial crisis, philanthropist Gretchen Valade stepped in with a lifesaving endowment, preserving its legacy and keeping it free for all.
Year: 1988
A broke college student finds inspiration and hope at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, witnessing jazz legends perform for free and realizing the power of music as a unifying force.
Year: 2010
A blues guitarist returns to the festival stage where he once watched from the crowd as a child, realizing a lifelong dream in front of his hometown.
Year: 2019
Renowned bassist and festival headliner Stanley Clarke praises the Detroit Jazz Festival’s long-standing commitment to showcasing the entire spectrum of jazz music.
Year: 2012
During Sonny Rollins’ electrifying performance, an audience spontaneously erupts into dance, transforming the concert into a citywide celebration of joy and unity.
Year: 2002
When flight delays leave Elvin Jones without a band, he delivers a masterful solo performance that mesmerizes the crowd until his musicians arrive.
Year: 1983
Jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald graced the stage at the 1983 festival with a magical, historic performance that left an unforgettable mark on Detroit’s musical memory.
We could not find a recording from that day but here are the two in action at the NY Blue Note 23.05.2002 playing "Sad Kind of Love"
Labor Day 1996 delivered a legendary jazz duel still talked about in Detroit. That year, hometown hero James Carter, a young saxophone phenom, found himself on stage with veteran tenor titan David Murray for an impromptu “cutting contest.”
As evening fell, the two saxophonists went toe-to-toe, trading solos with increasing fervor. Carter, then in his late twenties, threw down dazzling, lightning-fast runs; Murray answered with deep, soulful wails. Neither man would back off. Chorus after chorus, they pushed each other to more outrageous heights, the musical equivalent of a heavyweight bout.
The crowd at Hart Plaza went wild, responding to each creative “punch” with gasps and cheers. By the end, both horn men were breathless and grinning, horns held high in mutual respect. That night has entered festival lore.
It showcased the Detroit Jazz Fest at its best: bridging generations and styles, and proving that friendly rivalry on stage could lift the music, and the audience, to ecstatic levels.
Interview: Chris Collins - The Legacy of Gretchen Valade and the Detroit Jazz Festival - 3-29-2025
By the mid-2000s, Detroit’s beloved jazz festival hit rough financial seas. Its long-time title sponsor, Ford, pulled out in 2005, and there were genuine fears the free festival might go silent.
Enter Gretchen Valade, a Detroit philanthropist, jazz lover, and chair of Mack Avenue Records. In 2006, Valade stepped in like a guardian angel with a multi-million dollar endowment to save the festival. She established the Detroit International Jazz Festival Foundation, ensuring the event’s production and free admission could continue.
Valade wasn’t just writing checks – she was fulfilling a cultural mission. “I love jazz and I love Detroit,” she said, explaining that preserving this festival meant nurturing Detroit’s status as a global jazz epicenter and inspiring the next generation.
Thanks to her generosity, the festival not only survived, it thrived – expanding year-round educational programs and commissioning unique performances. Detroit’s jazz community began affectionately calling her the “Angel of Jazz.” Every note played on Labor Day weekend since is a tribute to Gretchen Valade’s belief in the music, the city, and keeping jazz free for all.
A back stage live recording from @slb🗿 in 2019. AUTUMN LEAVES -- Ron Carter and Pat Metheny
In 2019, the Detroit Jazz Festival celebrated its 40th anniversary – four decades of world-class jazz, free on the streets of the Motor City. The festival marked the milestone by inviting back former artists-in-residence for special reunion performances.
Bass icon Ron Carter, guitar great Pat Metheny, pianist Danilo Pérez and others returned, joining that year’s resident artist Stanley Clarke for a star-studded lineup. Over Labor Day weekend, downtown Detroit transformed into a sprawling jazz club, with multiple stages humming. There were moments of reflection – a tribute to the late Aretha Franklin had Detroiters wiping tears yetalso swaying in joy, embodying the city’s resilient spirit.
And there were moments of triumph – like when a little rain tried (but failed) to halt the music, and Chick Corea led thousands in a sing-along of “Spain” under clearing skies. By this 40th year, the festival had firmly earned its reputation as the world’s largest free jazz festival, drawing over 300,000 attendees annually.
It’s more than an event – it’s a Detroit institution, one that the people here genuinely feel they own. As the 40th edition showed, the Detroit Jazz Fest isn’t just keeping jazz alive; it’s continually breathing new life into the art form, in a city that treats it like a beloved family reunion every year.
We could not find a recording of this event, but here is an insightful interview with the legend JOE LOVANO by @Cleveland Time Records
“Labor Day weekend 2019, I was side-stage introducing Joe Lovano’s late-night set. The band was mid-song, deep in a mellow groove, when BOOM! Sudden bursts of color lit up the sky behind us.
A massive fireworks display from the riverfront erupted right in the middle of Joe’s soloj. I froze, thinking the show would halt – but Joe just glanced over his shoulder at the sparkling sky and started riffing off the sound of the fireworks!
He and drummer Otis Brown III fell into a playful rhythmic duel as if the pops and bangs were part of the percussion. The crowd whipped around to watch the fireworks, torn between two spectacles.
But Joe never lost his cool – he winked at us and kept blowing his sax, improvising a soundtrack to the light show. By the time the band segued into a ballad (“If You Could See Me Now,” fittingly), the horns came back in as the last fireworks fizzled.
The audience roared. I’ll never forget it – a perfect Detroit jazz moment, where the city’s noise became part of the music.”
Kevin, Festival Emcee, 2019
A golden recording of Sun Ra - Sept 1, 1988 - Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan posted by @tractrecords
“As a broke college kid in the late ’80s, I couldn’t afford the jazz clubs. But one Labor Day at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, I planted myself on the Hart Plaza steps and suddenly the legends I’d only heard on records were right in front of me.
Don Cherry’s horn soared, Pharoah Sanders unleashed spiraling saxophone cries – all of it free under the summer sky. I remember looking out at the Detroit River, the Canadian skyline beyond, and feeling a rare hope in the air.
Strangers were nodding to each other with every solo. The city had been through hard times, but in that moment, the music made us optimistic again. I knew then that jazz wasn’t just background music – it was a living, unifying force. And I had gotten it all as a gift from my city.”
Chris, Jazz Fan, 1988
“I’ve attended the festival for decades, but nothing tops the night Sonny Rollins played in 2012. The man was in his 80s, yet his tenor sax had us spellbound.
By the time he launched into an upbeat calypso number, I noticed people were starting to sway. Then one by one, folks just got up and danced in the aisles, can you imagine? At a jazz show! I grabbed my husband’s hand and joined them.
Sonny’s horn was laughing and shouting with joy, and this huge grin spread across his face when he saw hundreds of us dancing. In a city known for Motown, we turned a jazz performance into a soul train line that night.
I even saw a few ushers clapping along, tears in their eyes. It felt like a church revival and block party rolled into one, led by a jazz legend who made us feel every note.
We weren’t just an audience anymore; we were part of the show.”
Marcia, Longtime Attendee, 2012
“I’ve been a Stanley Clarke fan forever, and I swear the Detroit skies had it in for him, until 2019. In 2014, Stanley’s headlining bass set got axed by a freak thunderstorm.
In 2017, again storms forced a cancel. We were crushed. But Stanley kept coming back. By 2019, the festival made him artist-in-residence and scheduled three shows for him, a little insurance policy.
Sure enough, on Labor Day evening those dark clouds rolled in once more. I groaned, not again! The final set was delayed as rain poured down. A lot of folks ran for cover, but many of us refused to leave, we’d come too far to miss this.
After an hour, the rain eased. Stanley strode out to cheers, plugged in, and played like a man possessed. Every thump of his bass felt twice as victorious. And when he hit the last note, the clouds had cleared to a starry Detroit sky. He took the mic and said, ‘Third time’s the charm, Detroit!’
We roared. In a city that’s weathered hard times, we knew exactly what he meant. That night, the music won.”
Darnell, Festival Regular, 2019
“My first time on a Detroit Jazz Festival stage, I had to take a minute because I almost couldn’t believe it. I flashed back to being a little kid at Hart Plaza – Mom had brought me to the festival when I was just a toddler. I remember sitting on her shoulders, hearing blues and jazz riffs waft over the river.
That’s when the dream sparked.
Fast forward to 2010: I’m plugging in my guitar on that very plaza. The crowd stretches out in front of me. I was an unsigned local bluesman, but here I was, opening the day’s lineup. We launched into our set, and folks actually got up from their lawn chairs to dance to our blues.
Later I learned the Detroit Jazz Festival was one of the best moments of my career. It wasn’t just about “making it” as a musician – it felt like giving back to the city that raised me on music. When I hit the last chord, I looked up at the Detroit skyline and thought, ‘I’ve come full circle.”
Chris Canas, Blues Guitarist
We could not find this exact recording, but have found one from the same year, showing Elvin's drumming prowess. Clip from @Zycopolis TV
“Afternoon set, early 2000s – legendary drummer Elvin Jones was supposed to play with a full band, including Ravi Coltrane on sax. But as the downbeat time arrived, no one but Elvin was there.
Flights delayed, we heard. The crowd murmured, restless. Elvin, ever the professional, just gave a calm nod. He walked on stage alone, sat at the drum kit, and started a solo like it was the grand finale.
And wow – he unleashed thunder. Ten minutes turned to twenty; he was sweating, smiling, taking us on a rhythm journey all by himself. You’d think a drum solo might lose people, but his playing was so passionate that the audience was rapt.
Twenty minutes in, I see Ravi Coltrane rushing up with his horn. One by one the others scrambled on stage near the end of their allotted time. But by then Elvin had already given us a once-in-a-lifetime show.
When the last musician arrived, Elvin hit a final crash and casually said into the mic, ‘Glad you could join us!’ The crowd went crazy.
That day I learned that in jazz, and in Detroit, the show will go on, even if one man has to carry it.”
Andre, Stage Crew Member, 2002
Presentation of the first vinyl signed Montreux-Detroit International Jazz Festival in 1980.
In 1980, Detroit was a city in need of healing. Mayor Coleman Young asked a civic leader named Robert McCabe to create something bold, a free jazz festival to draw people back downtown.
McCabe had big ambitions: he partnered with Switzerland’s famed Montreux Jazz Festival to launch the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival that Labor Day. That first year, crowds of Detroiters of all stripes flooded Hart Plaza, united by music at no cost.
The city’s once-vibrant center came alive again with the sounds of bebop and blues instead of silence. What started as an economic revitalization idea quickly became a cultural beacon. Detroit’s rich jazz legacy, from clubs on Paradise Valley to Motown’s soulful grooves, now had a grand yearly stage.
The festival was born of resilience and hope, and from day one it belonged to the people of Detroit.
Although this is not the specific show in question, in this is an awesome clip featuring an interview with Ella Fitzgerald and some of her show highlights in 1983.
By its fourth year, the Detroit Jazz Festival was attracting true jazz royalty. In 1983, the legendary Ella Fitzgerald graced the Detroit Jazz Festival stage, marking a pinnacle of pride for the city.
That September evening, thousands gathered at the riverfront as Ella, “The First Lady of Song”, strolled onstage in downtown Detroit. Accompanied by an all-star band (including pianist Oscar Peterson, who also appeared that year), Ella delivered a magical set of Great American Songbook classics and scat improvisations.
Her voice danced effortlessly from silky sweet to bluesy growl, echoing off the skyscrapers. Longtime Detroit jazz fans in the crowd knew they were witnessing history, Ella’s appearances were growing rarer in the ’80s, and this would be one of her final performances in the region.
When she closed with a spirited “Flying Home,” Detroit’s night sky seemed to glow a little brighter. The audience’s standing ovation wasn’t just for that evening’s show, but for Ella’s six decades of brilliance.
Jazz royalty had come to the Motor City, and she left an indelible sparkle in the festival’s early history.
