Manitou Music Festival presents Jeff Haas, Moxie Strings, Crane Wives, and Peter Paul & Mary Remembered

From staff reports

Well known to many local jazz enthusiasts, Jeff Haas is heard weekly on Interlochen Public Radio’s “New Jazz Archive” and at other venues that feature his trio, quartet and quintet. The Quintet will perform at the top of Bay Mountain overlooking Sleeping Bear Bay, at The Homestead Resort, on July 22 at 7 p.m. Familiar and new jazz tunes will fill the air as the sun sets over Lake Michigan. Jeff Haas comes from a musical family. His father, pianist Karl Haas, was his first teacher and was well known throughout Michigan.

The Jeff Haas Quintet has been performing and recording together since 1996. The group includes Rob Smith on trumpet, Bill Sears on saxophone, Jack Dryden on bass, Randy Marsh on drums and the bandleader and composer Haas at the piano.

“It’s a wonderful group of deeply talented musicians with incredible resumes who are totally committed to connecting with the audience,” enthuses Haas. “And although we have an evening of energetic and engaging tunes planned, these guys are so accustomed to playing together that anyone of us can take the music in a new direction and the rest of us will go with it. That’s when the cool stuff happens especially with musicians of this caliber. That leads to more energy from the audience, which takes the music even higher. All this with the backdrop of The Homestead on Lake Michigan. This will be a fun and memorable one!”

Tickets for this concert are $20 (GAAA members $18). Starting at 6 p.m., audience members will be given chairlift or golf cart rides to the venue at the top of the hill and the concert begins at 7 p.m. The Homestead cannot allow concert guests to carry in food, drinks, chairs, bags or backpacks. Snacks, soft drinks, wine, and beer will be available for purchase at the concert. Sunglasses, visors, or caps are highly recommended. In the event of rain, the concert will be indoors at The Homestead’s Mountain Flowers Lodge.

Concerts at Lake Street Studio Stage

The Manitou Music Festival is pleased to welcome back The Moxie Strings, the electrifying combination of fiddler Diana Ladio and cellist Alison Lynn on Sunday, July 19 at 8 p.m. With their feel-good melodies and foot-stomping, rock-influenced rhythms, this duo has put a fresh, enticing spin on Celtic and Americana music. Diana and Alison join forces with dynamic drummer and world percussionist, Fritz McGirr, who lends his spirited expertise of traditional music’s percussion component and an engaging rhythmic energy to the show. Though rooted in tradition, The Moxie Strings offer listeners the unique opportunity to experience some of the world’s best known instruments and oldest genres through a young, progressive lens. Learn more at TheMoxieStrings.com

The Manitou Music Festival next welcomes The Crane Wives, a home-grown indie-folk ensemble from Grand Rapids, on Sunday, July 26 at 8 p.m. They utilize three-part vocal harmonies, eclectic instrumentation, and a passion for song-craft to create organic music that is both accessible and innovative. Each live show features contagious energy as well as original music that ranges from whisper quiet ballads to danceable grooves. The band formed in 2010 and has released two full-length albums, “Safe Ship, Harbored” and “The Fool in Her Wedding Gown”. They are currently touring the country and completing their third album, to be released in August. Learn more at TheCraneWives.com.

Following that is Peter, Paul & Mary Remembered on Wednesday, July 29, at 8 p.m. The group’s shows have attracted standing room only crowds of both young and old. The group has transcribed each Peter, Paul & Mary arrangement in order to duplicate the exact sound that captured the hearts of listeners worldwide. Reviving many of the beloved hits such as “Puff the Magic Dragon”, “If I Had a Hammer” and a host of others, these seasoned musicians present a smooth blend of authentic harmonies and 1960s nostalgia. This high-energy show combines stellar musicianship, humor, costumes and audience participation for an unforgettable experience. Learn more at PeterPaulMaryRemembered.com.

These performances will take place on the Studio Stage at Lake Street Studios, 6023 S. Lake Street in Glen Arbor. Admission is $15 for the 8 p.m. concert; Children 18 and under are free. Tickets are available at the Glen Arbor Art Association office in Glen Arbor, and online at GlenArborArt.org. Chairs are provided, or you can bring your own. In the event of rain, the show will go on at the Glen Arbor Town Hall.

Glen Arbor Art Association’s Manitou Music Festival is underwritten in part by 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 231-334-6112.