Destinations
MORE THAN JAZZ Alex City’s 21st Jazz Fest June 10 & 11 has musical acts to suit everyone’s taste
Musician Randall Bramblett will play this year at The Amp
Getting There Alexander City is located on U.S. 280 near Lake Martin. Follow the signs for the festival Friday night. The Lake Martin Amphitheater (The Amp) is located on Lake Martin on Alabama 63.
Alexander City
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| JUNE 2011 | www.alabamaliving.coop
By Jennifer Kornegy You don’t have to be a jazz aficionado to enjoy every note (musical and otherwise) that the Alexander City Jazz Fest hits on the sensory chord. This annual event offers some groovin’ tunes, lovely lakeside scenery and sea of friendly, smiling faces as a way to celebrate this small town and the mammoth man-made lake (once the largest in the world) upon whose banks it rests. Check out the festival’s 21st year on June 10 and 11. Despite the title “jazz fest,” the event actually highlights a little bit of everything the music world has to offer, often featuring bands that fall into genres like Southern rock, blues and more. Yet it lives up to its name too, and those who dig jazz should find what they are looking for. Just about anybody will find something to their liking, and this year’s festival chairman, Henry Foy, explained why. “The event is special because of the tradition,” he says. “We have so many people that keep coming back. For one thing, the caliber of musicians we bring in is spectacular. The entire weekend is very multi-cultural and for all ages. You’ll see folks here from ages 5 to 85. Plus, it is free.” The appeal of the venues rivals that of the featured musicians. Friday night’s frivolity and concerts are held in historic downtown
Alexander City, and Saturday night, the festival moves to the Lake Martin Amphitheater. “People love being downtown and just being outside,” Foy says. “It is the beginning of summer, and people are ready to party. The Amp (Lake Martin Amphitheater) is a great venue. It’s wonderful to sit under the stars and take it all in.” At both venues, guests are encouraged to can bring lawn chairs, blankets and coolers. Friday night includes reserved tables and chairs for Jazz Fest sponsors, but everyone is invited to bring their own tables, too, with prizes awarded for the best decorated tables. It all began in 1990 as a simple, local event to recognize the 100th anniversary of the Froshin’s Department Store in downtown Alexander City. “They were located over on Broad, a big wide street, so they set up a stage right in front,” Foy says. “It was a one-night event, and there weren’t a ton of people that first year.” But it was just popular enough to go for a second year, and two decades later, it has grown to a weekend-long festival that attracts approximately 10,000 people a year. People come from all over for a taste of lake life and good music. It’s family-friendly fun in a picture-perfect setting for free – just this alone can get people pretty excited. As Foy says, “People around here just love good music.d