The A2 Jazz Fest will fill downtown Ann Arbor with music on September 27 and 28. Attendance will be free across both locations – the Raven’s Club on Main Street and the First Congressional Church, at the corner of State and William.
“There’s a great trio called Arnold/Jassi/Kramer – they are a guitar based, drum trio featuring John Arnold on guitar, Pathe Jassi on bass and Jesse Kramer on drums. They do Latin fusion, Afrobeat, Cuban, reggae, world jazz,” Dave Sharp, a local composer producer and artistic director of the Blue Llama, who is co-organizing the festival, explained. “Another great group is the Laura-Simone Quartet, led by a student at Michigan State University studying under Rodney Whitaker. Also we have the Rick Roe Trio, which will have Rodney Whitaker on bass and Ali Jackson on drums. They tour, [are] heavily involved in jazz at Lincoln Center and have a lot of really great recordings. And we are going to record that set for a potential release.”
The doors of the First Congressional Church will open at 2pm both days. Sean Dobbins will be leading a student group from 3-4:30pm on Saturday, and Rob Bickley will lead an ensemble on Sunday. A student jazz ensemble will go from 4:30-5:30pm both days.
Laura-Simone Martin of the Laura-Simone Quartet will premiere as an A2 Jazz Fest bandleader from 5:30-6:30pm on Saturday. The MSU student’s quartet includes Nate Winn on drums, Xavier Davis playing the piano, and Paloma Ximena evening things out with a saxophone. She will be followed up by the Rick Roe Trio, featuring Rodney Whitaker and Ali Jackson. They will be playing “some originals [done] myself, by Palmoa Ximena, and Xavier Davis … and some music from women composers.”
“I’m grateful to the A2 Jazz Festival to give opportunities to the younger, rising artists like myself, to showcase their music and bring their bands,” Martin said.
The church stands across from the main campus of the University of Michigan, at the corner of William and State Streets. They will have the Jeff Haas Quitnet from 5:30-6:30pm, playing what they describe on their website as “a vibrant and eclectic jazz ensemble that organically blends Jeff’s passion for jazz, funk, R&B, and Judaica.” New York-based trumpeter and composer Theo Crocker will then return for the first time since 2019 from 7-8:30pm.
The Ravens Club on Main Street will host the evening edition for both days. The Kenji Lee Fortune Teller Quartet will get things going with an hour of music starting at 8pm Then the Aya Sekine Group will take over from 9:30-10:30pm. Arnold, Jassi and Kramer will then play for the last hour of the show until midnight. On Sunday there will be a “Jam Session with Jessie Kramer” according to the schedule, to wrap up the 2025 festival.
“We are always happy to work with the A2 Jazz Fest, and Dave Sharp. Dave has played for many interesting types of services, performances and gigs at the church,” Terry Farmer, the music worship leader of the Congregational Church, said. “We’re looking forward to hosting more performances like the A2 Jazz Fest. We have developed our infrastructure to host more and diverse types of performances. We are looking forward to more music in our fantastic building in the coming years.”
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The festival started in 2016 and is more than just this one weekend. It is a long term musical educational project that exists to use music in order to create community across the greater Ann Arbor area. Around 500 people attended last year’s festival. They are expecting it to be about the same this year.
And while the festival is free, they are accepting donations. Drinks at the Raven’s Club will not be. These donations will both support the festival and the ongoing musical interdisciplinary education efforts that co-organizer Anna Gersh and Sharp do year round.
“It’s more than just music; it’s an experience,” Gersh said. “It’s about soaking in the incredible energy of new jazz voices, connecting with fellow music lovers, and discovering amazing local and international artists in a deep local setting. It’s the kind of event that leaves you feeling inspired and uplifted.”
Drew Saunders is a freelance business and environmental journalist who grew up just outside of Ann Arbor. He covers local business developments, embraces his foodie side with reviews restaurants, obsesses over Michigan's environmental state, loves movies, and feels spoiled by the music he gets to review for Ann Arbor!
