Jazz Festival draws diverse crowd

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By Catherine Petersen | Saturday, July 26, 2008 8:19 PM CDT | () comments

Clarinet player Adrian Cunningham of Sydney, Australia, plays with the New Wolverine Jazz Orchestra during the Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival on Saturday at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport. (Andrew Link/QUAD-CITY TIMES) Buy this Photo

From all over the country, they come for the music.

At the Clarion Hotel in Davenport to the stands at Modern Woodmen Park, crowds this weekend are enjoying the sounds of jazz at the Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival.

“It gives me chills to see this many people loving the music of Bix Beiderbecke,” said Jim Maihack of the St. Louis Rivermen.

The St. Louis Rivermen are a crowd pleaser this weekend because of their upbeat tempo. Darrin and Meryce Unruh traveled from Minneapolis for the festival and count the group as one of their favorites.

The couple had attended five years ago and decided this year it was time to return. However, they were disappointed that the riverside venue had changed to Modern Woodmen Park due to the saturated grounds from last month’s flooding. “LeClaire Park has a charm of its own,” Darrin said.

Manny and Tewanta Lopez, of the Manny Lopez Quintet, agreed. The local musicians have enjoyed the ease of set-up at Modern Woodmen Park, but prefer seeing the audience closer to the stage. “The [LeClaire] Park has a special aura about it,” Tewanta explained. They enjoy seeing the crowd interacting and dancing as they play. “It’s festive music,” added Manny.

Stan and Bev Weber of Dixon, Ill., have been attending the festival for 25 years. They enjoy the convenience of staying at the Clarion for the weekend and take advantage of the indoor location rather than battling the sun. “We’re too old for that,” Bev laughed.

Regardless of location, the music of Bix Beiderbecke brings people of all ages together. At age 12, Calvin Wallace is the youngest member of the Bix Beiderbecke Youth Memorial Jazz Band. After hearing Beiderbecke recordings for a 4th grade school project, Wallace knew he wanted to play the trumpet. Though his parents own a guitar store, they obliged and bought Wallace his first coronet so he could make the band.

Likewise, Jack Hudson of Atlanta hopes he can share jazz with his son, Mike, 7. Though he came for the Quad-City Times Bix 7, Hudson took advantage of the runners’ free festival admission. “It’s not just a race,” Hudson said.

“It’s about the music and the man.”

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2450 or newsroom@qctimes.com.