Iowa City Jazz Festival Bops and Boogies in the Hawkeye State This Weekend

The Iowa City Jazz Festival strides into the only "City of Literature" in the United Stated this weekend for a bopping good time to be had by all. Featuring four jam-packed stages of hot and cool jazz, the festivities kick off this Friday evening, July 1, and end with a fireworks display on Sunday.

Performers scheduled to celebrate jazz music in Iowa this weekend include the Larry Fuller Trio, Poncho Sánchez, United Jazz Ensemble, the North Corridor Jazz All-Stars, New York organist Akiko Tsuruga, the Marquis Hill Blacktet, the Damani Phillips Trio and legendary drummer and educator Phil Hey's eponymous boogie-woogie quartet.

Presented by Iowa City's Summer of the Arts foundation, executive director Lisa Barnes spoke to the Cedar Rapids-Iowa City Gazette about the organization's commitment in introducing their local community to new and exciting avenues of artistic expression:

"Part of our mission is bringing people together through the arts," Barnes said. "A lot of people may or may not be familiar with jazz ... it's kind of a niche, but jazz is rooted in so many types of music."

As a "community landlocked here in the middle of the U.S.," music selection committee member John Kenyon added, "you've got to drive a considerable amount to see [the] kinds of acts" presented by the festival this weekend in Iowa City.

Now in its 26th year, the festival is still looking for help in executing the weekend's entertainment. Little Village magazine recently published the call to arms for willing jazz fans in the area:

"The Jazz Festival is still currently in need of volunteers for this upcoming weekend. If you're interested in helping out, contact information is available on the Summer of the Arts website. The festival will finish this Sunday at 9:30 p.m. with a fireworks show that one can view while relaxing on the Pentacrest lawn."

More information can be found at www.summerofthearts.org.

Watch some highlights from last year's fest here:

We want to hear from you. If you’re an Iowan, let us know if you’ll be attending the Iowa City Jazz Festival this weekend in the comments section below.

TagsIowa City Jazz Festival, Larry Fuller Trio, Poncho Sánchez, United Jazz Ensemble, North Corridor Jazz All-Stars, Akiko Tsuruga, Marquis Hill, Damani Phillips, Phil Hey