New and improved: Wine, Dine and Jazz festival comes back to Belleville
BELLEVILLE -- Robert “Bo" Hill will always be sorry he ignored his parents' advice to learn a musical instrument.
“If I had listened to my mother back in those years, I'd have been playing keyboard," the 67-year-old Belleville man says. “I just never did, and now I regret it."
But, to the delight of area music lovers, he'll atone for that mistake again this weekend at the Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival in downtown Belleville. After all, it was his happy task to line up the 10 jazz acts he hopes will please a wide range of fans.
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“Oh, I'm excited about it," he said of the second annual affair that will mix top area entertainment, 100 wines from 18 Illinois vintners and food from eight Belleville/Swansea eateries. “I still try to stay in touch with jazz music, because I've been a fan for 50 years and I'm still crazy about it."
From the response festival director Carol Bartle received from last year's one-day gala, his love obviously showed. Although it came on the heels of another giant event -- Art on the Square -- an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people crowded into the public square, leading organizers to expand this year's festival into a two-day part, starting on Friday night. Admission is free.
“It's going to be bigger and better than last year, of course, because we have been getting tons of calls about it," Bartle said. “It looks like the weather's going to be OK for Friday and Saturday, so we're ready to have some wine, dine and jazz."
New and improved
Festivalgoers will find one major change: Instead of a second stage of major entertainment ("That darn near killed me last year," Hill chuckled), a “soft jazz" tent on the Regions Bank quadrant will offer 30-minute sets between acts on the main stage. Multi-instrumentalist Mark Biehl, whose “Landscapes" album has drawn international attention, will play on Friday night before Dave Glauber and Gregg Eilers mix it up with rock, blues, folk and hillbilly as DANG on Saturday.
Cooks can jazz up their culinary skills by taking one of the cooking classes that Eckert's Country Store will offer at 6:15 p.m. Friday and 3 and 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Chris Eckert will demonstrate a variety of recipes, each paired with an Illinois wine.
For those who would rather sit back with a good beer, Illinois Distributing will serve up a variety of micro brews. ("That's always good for the Germans to know that we have beer, too," Bartle joked.) And, if you don't want to battle the parking, take the MetroLink to the Scheel Street Station, then ride the free Roho Jazz Shuttle, complete with entertainment that will make you feel you've arrived in New Orleans.
BELLEVILLE -- Robert “Bo" Hill will always be sorry he ignored his parents' advice to learn a musical instrument.
“If I had listened to my mother back in those years, I'd have been playing keyboard," the 67-year-old Belleville man says. “I just never did, and now I regret it."
But, to the delight of area music lovers, he'll atone for that mistake again this weekend at the Wine, Dine and Jazz Festival in downtown Belleville. After all, it was his happy task to line up the 10 jazz acts he hopes will please a wide range of fans.
Click here to find out more!
“Oh, I'm excited about it," he said of the second annual affair that will mix top area entertainment, 100 wines from 18 Illinois vintners and food from eight Belleville/Swansea eateries. “I still try to stay in touch with jazz music, because I've been a fan for 50 years and I'm still crazy about it."
From the response festival director Carol Bartle received from last year's one-day gala, his love obviously showed. Although it came on the heels of another giant event -- Art on the Square -- an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 people crowded into the public square, leading organizers to expand this year's festival into a two-day part, starting on Friday night. Admission is free.
“It's going to be bigger and better than last year, of course, because we have been getting tons of calls about it," Bartle said. “It looks like the weather's going to be OK for Friday and Saturday, so we're ready to have some wine, dine and jazz."
New and improved
Festivalgoers will find one major change: Instead of a second stage of major entertainment ("That darn near killed me last year," Hill chuckled), a “soft jazz" tent on the Regions Bank quadrant will offer 30-minute sets between acts on the main stage. Multi-instrumentalist Mark Biehl, whose “Landscapes" album has drawn international attention, will play on Friday night before Dave Glauber and Gregg Eilers mix it up with rock, blues, folk and hillbilly as DANG on Saturday.
Cooks can jazz up their culinary skills by taking one of the cooking classes that Eckert's Country Store will offer at 6:15 p.m. Friday and 3 and 6:15 p.m. Saturday. Chris Eckert will demonstrate a variety of recipes, each paired with an Illinois wine.
For those who would rather sit back with a good beer, Illinois Distributing will serve up a variety of micro brews. ("That's always good for the Germans to know that we have beer, too," Bartle joked.) And, if you don't want to battle the parking, take the MetroLink to the Scheel Street Station, then ride the free Roho Jazz Shuttle, complete with entertainment that will make you feel you've arrived in New Orleans.
