The Lake Breeze Music Festival is Southwest Michigan’s salute to contemporary and smooth jazz and is likely the fastest-growing festival in the region.
The musical genre’ has a long history at Shadowland Pavilion at Silver Beach County Park, beginning in the 90’s with St. Joseph music store owner Tony DeLapa, who promoted several shows featuring big names from the genre. The next chapter began in 2003 with the ‘Smooth Jazz at Sunset’ concert series from 98.3 The Coast, which lasted until the pandemic forced a shutdown of most live entertainment in 2020. Artists like Mindi Abair, Brian Culbertson and Euge Groove were featured.
In 2021, local promoters Bryan Joseph and Jerry Price ‘picked up the torch’ and turned their love for multiple genres of music into the Lake Breeze Music Festival, and it has been growing ever since.
There’s no better setting for the show than the sandy shores of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the St. Joseph River. The music plays to the backdrop of the breath-taking sunset and the cooling breeze. It gets no better than that on a Michigan Summer Night!
So…The best of the best awaits you, in the form of diverse talent, delicious food, and the best of Michigan’s wine and spirits available on site. Gates open 6 pm.
Admission online or at the gate, $30 & $40 at:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2024-lake-breeze-music-festival-registration-849426636937
2024 ARTISTS:
- Gerey Johnson
- Marqueal Jordan
- Carmen Stokes
About the Artists:
Gerey Johnson
Most recently as the touring guitarist with Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, and Euge Groove. Gerey has been on the contemporary jazz scene for years as a musician, songwriter, producer, and record company executive. You’ve seen him with Boney James, Rick Braun, the Sax Pack, Down to the Bone, George Duke, Warren Hill, Paul Taylor, Eric Darius, and many of the other top names in smooth jazz. With credits on over 85 nationally distributed records, you can hear his work on recordings from jazz artists like Richard Elliot, Rick Braun, Brian Culbertson, the “Sax Pack”, and “Down To The Bone” to R&B artists such as Janet Jackson, Mary J. Bilge and Lisa Stansfield, to gospel acts such as Yolanda Adams.
Carmen Stokes
Although her smooth piano fingers and dynamic stage persona draw fans, Carmen Stokes has maintained her 20-year career with a dedication to performance and coaching children and adults of all ages. An Indiana girl arriving on the Chicago scene in the 90’s with her debut, Sexy Feelin’ album, Stokes established herself as an in-demand player in the Chicago area, building on the soulful jazz style of idols like Ramsey Lewis and Joe Sample. Her album Words of Wisdom was heavily influenced by her love for the contemporary stylings of Joe Sample. Over the years, she has earned numerous accolades including the Indiana NAACP Women in Jazz Award and international acclaim for her album Sexy Feelin’.
Marqueal Jordan
A Los Angeles native who spent his teen years in Kansas City, KS, Marqueal has been based in the music-rich city of Chicago since 1995. Moving to the Windy City after earning a Business Administration degree at the University of Kansas, Marqueal began paying dues by playing gigs in every musical style imaginable. In those early years, he earned his reputation as a seasoned and magnetic performer. Marqueal was the frontman for the critically acclaimed local original band, Fat Time, and a member of the spin-off band, Starcandy. By the early 2000s, he was highly in demand to perform with the top musicians and bands in the city.
In 2008, Marqueal met Smooth Jazz star Brian Culbertson. Impressed by his playing and singing, Brian offered Marqueal a spot in his touring band. Over the next 10 years, Marqueal traveled the world with Brian, appeared in two DVDs, and was featured on four albums. The exposure gave him the confidence and desire to become a solo artist.
