One stop on our Lunar Octet's Michigan tour last month was the central square in Kalamazoo, to play a set at Sounds of the Zoo.
Jennifer Hudson-Prenkert is the founder and executive director of the
Sounds of the Zoo music festival. She seeks to make Kalamazoo a music destination in Michigan by highlighting the state's musical talent. This is the vision that animates her, from the city's website:
"We endeavor to create change through music and believe music is not only creative art but a means to connect and uplift humanity. We believe music can inspire humanity by creating connections that bridge class, gender and cultural divides. Uniting the community by supporting diversity, inclusion, as well as creating awareness towards environmental sustainability and mental health are core values we will give platforms to."
This was an especially satisfying gig, with a great response to our original mix of latin and jazz.
We've had various trumpeters performing with us lately. This time, it was the fabulous Anthony Stanco, who developed his playing in Detroit and counted the great Marcus Belgrave among his mentors. As we played, Anthony's wife followed their little daughter around the park. The next day, she gave birth to their second child. Nice to think that our music motivated the baby to take the plunge.
As a jazz naturalist, I'm always checking out the plantlife we encounter on these tours. Near the stage was a big burr oak, probably hundreds of years old, and probably dating back to a time when this park in the middle of the city was a burr oak savanna of scattered trees and a thick understory of grasses and wildflowers.
