The Grand Marais Jazz Festival this year was another success, bringing in guests from all over the region to enjoy world-class music in venues throughout the county.
“There was good attendance at all the events and there were outstanding performances,” said Mike Raymond, one of the organizers of the jazz festival. The festival, which featured big names in jazz, many from the East Coast, included a jazz brunch at Naniboujou Lodge and Bluefin Resort on Sunday.
“Naniboujou was packed, and there was good attendance at the West End as well,” Raymond said.
One of the goals of the jazz festival is to bring visitors to the North Shore in the shoulder season and this goal was met, he said. “I saw very few familiar faces. 80 percent were from out of town — that was good.”
There was live music at art galleries and the GunFlint Tavern over the weekend, too, rounding out the musical experience for the community and visitors.
One of the highlights of the weekend was the opening of the Spring Art Underground Show at Betsy Bowen’s Studio Gallery and the start of summer hours at Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen where Gordon Thorne played Sunday afternoon.
Jazz pianist Chris Gillis played at the Art Underground Opening, at Sivertson Gallery and at the Pie Place. He and fiddler/violinist Max Bichel played at Bowen’s and at the Pie Place. Gillis played with the Si!vertones at Sivertson Gallery on Friday.
Here’s a very short clip of Gillis playing at Sivertson Gallery.
Here’s one where he plays with Max Bichel at Betsy Bowen’s Studio.
And last, but not least, Gillis with the Si!vertones.
There was lots of new work at Betsy Bowen’s gallery where artists from around the region are featured in the spring show.
Betsy is in the process of completing a woodcut print she started when she was in Uganda working with a woodcut printmaker there. Here is her print key block for “Peace.”
This is a print of the key block for "Peace."
To find out more about her trip to Uganda and her art, visit her Web site.
There is new work at Last Chance Gallery, including painted canvas rugs and tote bags by Fran Rubinstein of Milwaukee.
- Fran Rubinstein paints canvas with colorful designs which she turns into rugs and totes. They are at Last Chance Gallery in Lutsen.
