East Lansing celebrated its 30th annual Summer Solstice Jazz Festival on Albert Avenue, squeezed between Harper’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken at the Al and Beth Cafagna Founders’ Stage. Activities ranged from chalk to golf, beanbag toss games and Jenga.
There were tents displaying memorabilia, providing festival information and an MSU Broad Art Museum pop-up with jazz instruments. Across the road was the MSU Outreach and Engagement Education Stage.
Vanessa Rubin Quartet was the opening act, where Lead Singer Rubin asked the audience, “Are you ready for me?”
People raised their hands and shouted. A front-row audience member handed Rubin a rose, they blew a kiss to each other and she placed it on the organ. Gayelynn McKinney, the drummer of the Vanessa Rubin Quartet, ripped into a noteworthy solo that captivated the audience.
In 1996, the East Lansing City Council asked the Arts Commission to produce a film festival and a jazz festival to enhance East Lansing's cultural life. Albert Cafagna, then a professor of philosophy at MSU, was asked to start the festival. He came from Detroit and went to school with people who later became famous jazz musicians. Beth Cafagna, co-founder of the festival, worked on it with her husband.
The festival started out small. It took place inside the Erickson Kiva, where — inspired by European summer solstices — they played music from dusk till dawn. The festival eventually moved to downtown East Lansing and played regular outdoor music.
The Cafagnas began with local jazz bands and musicians from Detroit, such as Marcus Belgrave. Originally, the festival lineup featured three or four bands on a single night. The festival eventually expanded to two days — Friday and Saturday — as its own festival.
“From there we were able to raise money and hire bands that were nationally known,” but “we have many great jazz bands throughout Michigan that we have hired over the years,” Beth Cafagna said.
She added that the festival is free for all ages and brings people from across mid-Michigan together.
