The Rootabaga Jazz Festival wrapped up last night with headliner Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band.
Before the Saturday evening performance, Rootabaga organizer Nikki Malley told WGIL she was “a little star struck” to have Blade on stage.
“The fact that we’re actually going to have him on stage here in Galesburg, in the jazz world, that’s quite a coup,” Malley says.
Blade’s career includes 15 years as drummer for Wayne Shorter as well as work with Bob Dylan, EmmyLou Harris, Kenny Werner and others.
Malley led the Knox Jazz Ensemble before the headliner played to a packed Orpheum Theatre. This year’s Rootabaga Jazz Fest started on Tuesday with touring concerts at schools in Galesburg and Knoxville.
On Friday, featured guest group Matuto showed off their Brazilian bluegrass at Fat Fish Pub and, yesterday morning, led a presentation for kids and families at the Galesburg Public Library.
Malley says the festival brings together the Knox and Galesburg communities.
“It’s a rare moment where we actually kind of bridge some traditional gaps between different groups in the community,” she says. “And music brings people together, I know that sounds kind of corny, but it really does and stuff like this, you see that happen and it’s pretty powerful.”
She adds that this year’s festival may have brought in a record number alumni from out of town. Malley estimates about 35 to 40 alumni attended, roughly double past years.
