Shoreline Jazz Festival returns after 2-year COVID hiatus

Pop, funk, R&B, Motown and jazz will be on the bill when jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic teams up with the West Michigan Symphony, conductor Terry Herald, and Detroit R&B vocal group Serieux at the Shoreline Jazz Festival on Aug. 26. 

The concert, which starts at 7 p.m., kicks off the three-day festival at Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon.

With arrangements by Terry Herald, the program will include such tunes as “Night Crawler” by Bob James, “Little Sunflower” by Freddie Hubbard, Peter White’s “Isabela,” “River Raisin Nights” by James Lloyd, and Zonjic’s own “Motor City Sway.”

Many collaborations, but first at festival

Although Zonjic has performed in concert with WMS at the Frauenthal Center—and as a regular solo act at WMS’s downtown listening room The Block—this will mark the first time he has brought the orchestra to his celebrated Shoreline Jazz Festival. But it’s been a longstanding ambition.

Jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic

“We’ve been talking about this and planning it for a long time,” Zonjic says. “I love bringing all these great musicians to the community, and the chance to also bring my favorite symphony orchestra to our festival stage is a dream come true.”

The feeling is mutual.

“Alexander is not only a terrific musician, he is a force of nature,” WMS CEO Andy Buelow says. “You can’t spend time with him without absorbing his energy, enthusiasm and vision. We are thrilled to collaborate with him on bringing back the Shoreline Jazz Festival.”

Absorbing Motown’s influences

The legendary jazz flutist grew up in Windsor, but he was continually crossing the bridge from an early age and absorbing the culture and spirit of the Motor City, with its potpourri of hard rock, Motown, jazz, and classical arts. Playing lead guitar in an R&B group throughout high school, Zonjic first picked up the flute at age 21 and soon was honing his classical chops in lessons with Detroit Symphony principal flutist Ervin Monroe. 

All of these elements—coupled with outstanding musicianship—went into making up the unique Zonjic blend of jazz, rock and classical elements that comes out in unexpected but pleasing ways in everything he does.

Hailed as “Best R&B vocal group in Michigan”  by the Black Music Award Association, Serieux was founded in 1998 to resurrect the Motown style of The Temptations, The Contours, and The Four Tops. Since then, the high-energy Serieux has become one of the most prolific American soul music vocal groups. 

West Michigan Symphony is headquartered in Muskegon, but its cultural footprint extends throughout the region. It is made up of high-caliber professional musicians playing a challenging repertoire and collaborating with world-acclaimed guest artists. The orchestra’s core season comprises eight concerts at the Frauenthal Center in downtown Muskegon.

Tickets to the Shoreline show are $25, general admission. Call 419-280-1073 or go to shorelinejazzfestival.com. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs.