Sunday July 6, 2025 Port Windsor Jazz & Arts Festival

July 6 @ 12:00 pm - 8:30 pm

Cost: 0

Event Website/Tickets  

MUSIC

* The Grenier/Macklem Quintet featuring top Windsor jazz pianist Kevin Grenier and Windsor’s 2024 Juno Award nominee, trumpeter Russ Macklem. Special guests will be Detroit’s Kasan Belgrave who has toured with Wynton Marsalis and The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and Toronto guitarist Reg Schwager, Order of Canada recipient and Juno Award winner.
* The Juno Award Winners Spotlight featuring Toronto’s Kevin Turcotte on trumpet and Reg Schwager. Backed by Windsor’s Mike Palazzolo on bass, currently world touring with jazz legend Bob James, and former Windsor drummer Nick Bracewell, now a member of Raagaverse. Their album Jaya was nominated for this year’s Juno Award for “best jazz album of the year.”
* UWindsor SOCA Jazz Faculty Combo. A rare opportunity to hear these artists assembled as a group. Featuring Mike Karloff, piano; Mike Palazzolo, bass; Bob Fazecash, trumpet; Steve Woods, sax; Shahida Nurullah, vocals. Special guests are veteran Windsor drummer Kevin Venney and Juno Award winner Reg Schwager.
* OrchestrAction…Windsor’s new 14-piece big band led by saxman Len Temelini. Top Windsor and Detroit players with vocalist Christine Chemello
* Austin DiPietro Quintet…Windsor’s top young jazz trumpeter leading his Detroit sidemen, all graduates of the Wayne State University jazz program. (recording live for a “Live at Mackenzie Hall” album.
*Coffee House Combo…Windsor’s popular young jazz combo featuring vocalist Natalie Culmone
Evening pub patios: Ryan Fontaine Trio with vocalist Sara Fontaine at Barrelhouse, Ian Smith Trio at the Dominion House, Mike Karloff leading the top UWIndsor SOCA jazz students at Sandwich Brewery, Ray Bower Quartet and Tom Hogarth Trio at Walkerville Brewery.

VISUAL ART
Area visual artist will exhibit in the Court Auditorium of Mac Hall during the two afternoon jazz combo performances. The work of LaSalle’s Dennis K. Smith will be featured including his jazz-themed paintings of artists featured in the Mackenzie Hall Jazz Series: Mike Karloff, Kasan Belgrave and Preservation Hall Jazz Band star Charlie Gabriel. Dennis will also show other music-themed paintings including a rare image of legendary Amherstburg jazz composer Shelton Brooks, born there 1886.The composer of the giant hits Darktown Strutters Ball and Some of These Days.

DANCE
The ANH Dance Company led by Mayor’s Arts Award-winner Anh Nguyen will perform throughout the afternoon at the Mac Hall Gallery including live music. Anh has made guest appearances with The Danny Grossman Dance Company, American Ballet Theatre, Detroit Dance Collective and the Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. His choreography and compositions have been commissioned and performed by Wayne State University Dance Company, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, Kalamazoo Symphony, Detroit Institute of Arts and Toronto International Dance Festival. The Globe & Mail describes his creativity as “brilliant”.

POETRY
City of Windsor Poet Laureate Peter Hrastovec and Mayor’s Arts Award winner Leslie McCurdy will read as well as other local poets on Poet’s Patio at Mackenzie Hall.

Mary E. Bibb park & Mackenzie Hall

3277 Sandwich St. W,
Windsor,, N9C 1A9
Phone: 519-255-7600

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