FeedsAll that jazz
Season finale set in Canton
By all accounts, the inaugural V98.7 Smooth Jazz concert series has been a success.
“I think from what we’re hearing, they’re very well received,” said Debbie Bilbrey-Honsowetz, recreation coordinator for Canton Leisure Services.
Concerts in Canton traditionally take place in a venue such as Heritage Park, but this year Canton took the show on the road. A trailer, known as the Canton Live! stage parked in the middle of various parking lots in the Ford Road commercial district.
To end the season, the festivities will return inside, to the Village Theater at Cherry Hill.
Internationally renowned jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic will perform at 8 p.m. on Sept. 8 at the theater.
The other concerts were free, but audience members will have to pay $20 to see Zonjic and his ensemble. Most of the proceeds from ticket sales will be put aside for future public arts projects inside the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) district—in other words, Ford Road. The DDA sponsored the jazz series, along with Leisure Services and V98.7 Smooth Jazz.
Bilbrey-Honsowetz said the series brought some excitement to the commercial corridor. Shoppers were quick to stop by, whether they had expected to find a concert or not.
“It’s a nice mix,” she said. “They’re either coming out for the purpose of the concert, or else they’re out doing things and they happen to stumble onto them.
Zonjic has been around the world, performing in Japan, England, the Philippines and Mexico. He’s also played at Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and the Apollo Theater in New York.
Tickets for the concert are available at the Summit on the Park, 46000 Summit Parkway or by phone at (734) 394-5460.
More information about the concert series is available at http://www.canton-mi.org. Zonjic’s website is www.zonjic.com.
