Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra croons in the Dunes
“We get friends, wine, sandwiches, and a blanket, and sprawl out at the annual Dune Climb Concert expecting the music to wake up the bear and make her dance!” Painting by Hank Feeley
The 15th annual Dune Climb concert will take place Sunday, July 14 at 7 p.m. Imagine a beautiful summer’s evening at the foot of the Dune Climb in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, hundreds of families enjoying their pre-concert picnics and then a musical program provided by artists of national stature: this is the magical mixture which has filled audiences with warm memories every year since the first Dune Climb concert in 1998. The setting is magnificent and the music is even better. The concert at the Dune Climb is presented annually by the Glen Arbor Art Association and is free to the public. Because of the unique venue and incomparable music it routinely draws an audience of several thousand.
This year the Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra will present big band and original compositions. Some of the area’s finest musicians will be performing, including vocalist, Edye Evans-Hyde.
For more than 35 years, The Grand Rapids Jazz Orchestra has been one of Michigan’s premier jazz ensembles, playing swinging original compositions and arrangements as well as traditional favorites. The musicians that create the live sounds are some of the area’s best soloists and sidemen available. Many have jazz projects of their own, yet dedicate time to fostering the performance of live big band jazz. The band was founded in 1977 by the late Bruce Early, and has performed with many famous artists such as Clark Terry, Louis Bellson, Phil Woods, Pearl Bailey, Kenny Wheeler, Randy Brecker, Maria Schneider, Allen Vizutti, Phil Wilson and Bobby Shew, and has been enjoyed by thousands of people at concerts, dances, and festivals throughout the region.
There is no charge for the concert, however, a National Park pass is required for parking. Free shuttle busses will provide transportation to overflow parking lots. Bring chairs or blankets to sit on. Some folding chairs are also provided in front of the stage. In the event of rain, the show will take place at the Glen Arbor Town Hall.
The Dune Climb concert is part of the Glen Arbor Art Association’s Manitou Music Festival which is underwritten in part by grants from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and Oleson Foundation, as well as corporate sponsorships from Art’s Tavern, Cherry Republic, Glen Lake Chamber of Commerce, The Homestead Resort, McCahill’s Crossing Dairy Bar and Motel, On the Narrows Marina and individual contributions. The full schedule of concerts is available at GlenArborArt.org or by calling the Glen Arbor Art Association at (231) 334-6112.
