Polyrhythms is proud to announce that the 10th Annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival 2024 will be held on August 17th, and 18th…Friday Saturday and Sunday!

This FREE  festival will feature 9 different bands showcasing the diverse music of the midwest as well as many other artists, authors, and youth performers!

Friday and Saturday will be held at The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center in Rock Island, Illinois featuring live music on Friday August 16th by The Polyrhythms Trio performing The Music of Bill Bell…Jerm Theory will be laying down some original funky rock from the midwest…John Miller and The Romaniacs will close us out by performing the exciting french-swing sounds of traditional “gypsy jazz”!

Also on Friday our Black Author’s Forum and Book Fair will take place inside the King Center at 6pm as Polyrhythms is excited to host once again this wonderful panel of local and regional authors discussing their books during the Bill Bell Jazz and Heritage Festival!

On Saturday August 17th starting at 10am enjoy “Soul of the City” MLK’s FAMILY FUN DAY which will feature a morning parade, food and merchant vendors, informational booths, bounce houses and playground for the children as well as many other activities for families, including 12 youth performances on our Francis Clay/Moe Payton Memorial Stage with talent from young dancers, musicians, poets, and much more from 1-4pm!

The Main Stage music begins at 5pm and features Quad City Griots fusing the elements of hip hop and jazz improvisation…the incredible songstress Semenya McCord on vocals and Frank Wilkins from Boston on piano will bring to life the exciting standards and originals from the Great American Songbook…and headlining Saturday night are BYOBrass from Cedar Falls Iowa and they will be performing music in the stye of New Orleans with their second-line 10-piece brass band!

On Sunday August 18th the festival moves to the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities located in Davenport, Iowa and will feature the Kuchina Jazz Trio playing latin-infused compositions and arrangements lead by percussionist James Culver with special guest Saul Lubaroff on saxophones…Semenya McCord and Frank Wilkins will perform the 2nd set of their jazz vocal quartet show showcasing those lovely tones…and our final headliner for this years festival will be The Swampland Jewels from Iowa City taking you on a trip down south embracing the diverse influences of Iowa down to the Gulf Coast with the sounds of TexMex and Cajun-Creole tunes!

All of this and much more is FREE and open to the public at this years Polyrhythms 10th Annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival 2024!

Polyrhythms 10th Annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival 2024
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Saturday August 17

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center
630 9th St
Rock Island, IL 61201

10am-3pm – Outside MLK
MLK “Soul of the City” Family Fun Day & Parade!

1-2:30pm – Inside MLK (Ida Robinson Banquet Room, 630)
Community Health Forum: Lupus

3:30-5:30pm – Inside MLK (Ida Robinson Banquet Room, 630)
Pulling Focus Film Festival

1-4pm – Outside MLK (12 youth performances)
Francis Clay/Moe Payton Memorial Stage

4-5pm
Polyrhythms MCs / Intros

Act 1
5-6pm – Main Stage Outside MLK
Quad City Griots (Hip-Hop Jazz Improv – QC)

Act 2
6:30-7:30pm – Main Stage Outside MLK
Semenya McCord & Frank Wilkins Show 1 (Jazz Vocal Quintet – Galesburg, IL / Boston, MA)

Act 3
8:30-10pm – Main Stage Outside MLK
BYOBrass (New Orleans Second Line 10-piece Brass Band – Cedar Falls, IA)

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Polyrhythms 10th Annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival 2024
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Sunday August 18

UUCQC
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Quad Cities
3707 Eastern Avenue
Davenport, IA 52807

Act 1
2-3pm – Main Stage Inside UUCQC
Kuchina Jazz Trio (KJ3) (Percussion trio – Galesburg, IL / Germany)

Act 2
3:30-4:30pm – Main Stage Inside UUCQC
Semenya McCord & Frank Wilkins Show 2 (Jazz Vocal Quintet – Galesburg, IL / Boston, MA)

Act 3
5-7pm – Main Stage Inside UUCQC
The Swampland Jewels (Cajun-Creole-TexMex – Iowa City, IA)

Thanks to all our patrons donors grant funding partners and all of our supporters family and friends for continuing to help Polyrhythms “demystifying jazz”…