Detroit Jazz Festival Presented by Rocket Mortgage Announces 2022 Lineup

The Detroit Jazz Festival presented by Rocket Mortgage, the world’s largest (and best) free jazz festival in the world, tonight announced its lineup for Labor Day weekend during a livestream preview event that included a live performance from the 2022 Artist-in-Residence Chucho Valdés. The Festival is expected to be back live, in-person in downtown Detroit.

The Detroit Jazz Festival Livestream Preview Event was held with a limited audience at the future home of the Gretchen C. Valade Jazz Center at Wayne State University, in Midtown Detroit. The Gretchen Valade Jazz Center is scheduled to open Fall 2023.

The Festival lineup announcement also coincided with International Jazz Day, a global celebration to raise awareness about the virtues of jazz as an educational tool, peace, unity, dialogue and enhanced cooperation among people.

“It’s extremely befitting we announce the 2022 Festival lineup on what is considered a global day of unity in the jazz community,” said Chris Collins, president and artistic director, Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation. “As we look forward to pivoting back to an in-person format, this year’s lineup reflects our renewed mission to feature legacy artists, propagate and nurture the next generation of jazz performers and audiences, and showcase the diverse tapestry of jazz in one festival.”

“We are proud to present the Detroit Jazz Festival, a marquee event that celebrates jazz’s rich history in our hometown of Detroit,” said Laura Grannemann, the Vice President of the Rocket Community Fund. “This event is more than a festival, it’s a community that comes together to celebrate music, our city and each other.”

Here’s a partial listing of this year’s Festival lineup: 

Friday, Sept. 2

Chucho Valdés “The Creation” with the Yoruban Orchestra, Hilario Duràn & John Beasley, Musical Directors, The extraordinary summation of an extraordinary career

The Soul Rebels 

Saturday, Sept. 3

The New Orleans Groove Masters with Herlin Riley, Jason Marsalis & Shannon Powell

Roosevelt Collier

Julian Lage

Harriet Tubman featuring Brandon Ross, Melvin Gibbs & JT Lewis

Donny McCaslin

Ranky Tanky with very special guest Ms. Lisa Fischer

Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet

Vijay Iyer Trio

Abdullah Ibrahim & Ekaya

Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band with special guest Marquis Hill

Sunday, Sept. 4

Bill Frisell Trio featuring Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston

José James presents Yesterday I Had the Blues: The Music of Billie Holiday

Georgia Anne Muldrow

Antonio Sánchez & Bad Hombre with Thana Alexa, BIGYUKI & Lex Sadler

Nubya Garcia

Tottori Jazz Generation Band

Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Brian Lynch

Cécile McLorin Salvant

Roberto Fonseca YESUN

The Lighthouse Project

Duets – Dianne Reeves, Chucho Valdés & Joe Lovano

 Monday, Sept. 5

Theo Croker – LOVE QUANTUM featuring Gary Bartz

Ethan Iverson Trio (with Larry Grenadier and Nasheet Waits)

Dianne Reeves

Artemis featuring Renee Rosnes, Ingrid Jensen, Nicole Glover, Alexa Tarantino, Noriko Ueda & Allison Miller

Emmet Cohen Trio

John Scofield’s “Yankee Go Home” featuring Vicente Archer, Jon Cowherd & Josh Dion

JD Allen Trio

Chucho Valdés Quartet

 The full Festival schedule will be available as the event nears.