Buchanan Jazz Festival this weekend

Published 9:50 am Thursday, August 27, 2015

Buchanan will celebrate some of America’s greatest music this weekend during the return of the city’s annual jazz festival.

The free event is scheduled to run from noon until 10 p.m. in the Buchanan Common. It will feature a variety of artists playing selections from the “Great American Songbook.”

“All these tunes of the American Songbook are in the subconscious minds of people — they just don’t realize it,” said Dean Allrick, event organizer and musician. “It is the most wonderful music of all time. I just hope people will come out and enjoy the event.”

A couple hundred people came to the festival last year, Allrick said, when it was combined as a jazz and art festival.

Attendees will have an opportunity to swing to the music of Hoagie Carmichael, Cole Porter, the Gershwin Brothers, Duke Ellington, Frank Sinatra, and more.

Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to bring a canned food item for donation to the Redbud Area Ministries Food Bank.

The Buchanan Common is located in historic downtown Buchanan near the Pears Mill and the Tin Shop Theatre, just south of Front and Main streets.

Allrick kicks off the event at noon with his jazz trio of bassist Michael Harmon and drummer Peter Manheim.

At 2 p.m., tenor saxophonist and singer Juli Wood will be accompanied by the electronic sounds of Demos Petropoulos and drummer Mike Schlick. At 4 p.m., guitarist Lee Rothenberg and bassist Dennis Carroll will accompany jazz vocalist Hinda Hoffman.

The evening headline event begins at 7 p.m. with the Pat Mallinger Seven. The group consists of Pat Mallinger on saxophone, jazz vocalist Gayle Kolb, trumpeter Bobby Lewis, pianist Brad Williams, guitarist Alejandro Urzagaste, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Xavier Breaker.

The Buchanan Jazz Festival is a part of the Last Saturdays on the Common Series and is funded entirely by private donations.

Sponsors of the event include: Inovateus Solar, Logistick, Adam and Krista Parin, TJ Kanczuzewski, Bucktown Tap, Redbud Hardware and Dean Antiques.