LOGANSPORT, Ind. — Downtown Logansport is set to welcome the second annual Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival this Friday and Saturday, May 15 and 16. Twelve bands from throughout Indiana will play over the two-day period. The lineup includes swing, bebop, big band, R&B, funk, blues ragtime, Chicago blues, vocal jazz and New Orleans jazz.

Grammy award winner and Logansport native, Med Flory.

The festival honors the legacy of the Grammy-award winning entertainer and Logansport native Med Flory and is a celebration of his artistic contributions and of America’s original art form, jazz music.

Attendees are encouraged to celebrate the jazz age by dressing in 1920s style clothing. Modern clothes are fine, also. Food, wine and beer will be available.

FESTIVAL LINEUP
The two-day festival kicks off Friday, May 15 with a New-Orleans-style parade led by grand marshal and longtime Logansport High School music teacher Joe Huffman. The parade starts at LMU Park at 5:30 p.m. and is scheduled to arrive at the festival grounds about 5:45 p.m. Med Flory was initially scheduled to participate in this year’s festival, but due to some health problems, will not be attending. We hope he’ll be back with us next year. While our thoughts and prayers are with Med, we still have a full weekend of music to look forward to — and we believe Med wouldn’t want it any other way!

Friday night’s entertainment lineup begins at 6 p.m. Lisa Terry will be the emcee on Friday night.

Performers scheduled to appear Friday night are:

• The Ones
• Tuxedo Junction Wind Band
• Tim Miller & Friends
• Toy Factory

The second session is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Dave Kitchell will be the emcee at the Saturday night session.

Performers scheduled to appear Saturday include the following artists:

• Ezra
• Wabash Valley Sound Machine
• Rhudebarb & the Beggars
• Cherresa Lawson & Friends
• Hip Cats
• The Juggernauts
• Stan Hillis, Steve Allee, and Friends
• Randy Handley Band

TICKET INFORMATION

• Advance tickets for the Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival are $13 per session and $22 for the weekend.
• Day-of-show tickets are $16 per session and $28 for the weekend.
• Student tickets are $5 per session any time.
• A late night ticket will be available both nights at the gate for $5.

Tickets are available at Minglin Jewelers, Security Federal Savings Bank, Susan’s Corner Cupboard and Arnold’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts in Logansport. Tickets can be purchased online at www.floryfest.org or by calling the Cass County Arts Alliance at (574) 735-ARTS.

The Med Flory Jazz & Blues Festival is presented by the Cass County Arts Alliance, thanks to financial contributions by our corporate sponsors: Security Federal Savings Bank, The Andersons, the Cass County Community Foundation, and the Cass County Visitor’s Bureau. Associate Sponsors are The Care Group and Mid-America Radio, and our Tent Sponsors are American Party Time, Burkhart Advertising, Logansport MaraMart, and Woodbridge Health Campus.

For more information about the festival, visit www.floryfest.org or contact the Cass County Arts Alliance at 574-735-ARTS (2787) or e-mail at info@floryfest.org.

The Cass County Arts Alliance is a member of the Tippecanoe Arts Federation.

LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The Cass County Arts Alliance is seeking thirty to forty volunteers to work during the May 15 and 16, 2009 Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival.

Volunteers work two hour shifts and will receive one free session ticket to the festival. A volunteer orientation meeting is scheduled March 31 at the Logansport Economic Development Foundation community room, located at 310 Pearl Street. Register for the meeting by calling the alliance office at 574-735-ARTS or by email at info@casscountyarts.org.

The Cass County Arts Alliance encourages people to dress in 1920's clothing when attending the 2009 Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival. (Photo via Flickr user Gatochy)

The CCAA is also inviting everyone, volunteers and attendees alike, to dress in 1920s attire to help make the Jazz Age come alive in the streets of downtown Logansport.

“Modern clothing is perfectly fine, also.”, festival organizer Lita Rouser stated in a prepared statement. “Having event patrons dress in a certain style is sometimes done at other festivals, such as a renaissance fair. The 1920s is called the jazz age, so we thought it would be fun to make the 20’s a visual part of this year’s event.”

CCAA recommends visiting www.dinnerandamurder.com/themes/1920s.htm for costume ideas. The Internet has several other 1920s clothing reference Web sites, as well.

The Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival is scheduled May 15 and 16 at the corner of 4th and E. Market Street in downtown Logansport. The festival’s corporate sponsors are The Anderson, the Cass County Community Foundation, the Cass County Visitor’s Bureau, and Security Federal Savings Bank. For more information, visit www.floryfest.org or call the alliance office at 574-735-ARTS.

Photo originally scanned by and courtesy of Gatochy.

LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The Cass County Arts Alliance announces that the 2009 Med Flory Jazz and Blues Festival is scheduled for May 15 through 16. Grammy Award winner and Logansport native Med Flory will headline both evenings from 7:45 pm – 9:30 pm. Festival hours are May 15 from 6 pm to 11:30 pm and May 16 from 2 pm to 11:30 pm.

Grammy award winner and Logansport native, Med Flory.

Logansport native Dave Lowe opens Friday evening at 6 pm followed by an inter-Cass County High School jazz band. Flory has composed a piece for the high school band which will be performed that evening. A Cass County alumni jazz band then opens for Flory, who is supported by a back up band lead by Tim Miller and includes Ned Boyd. Indianapolis favorite, eight piece band Toy Story, plays from 9:30 pm to 11:30 pm.

Saturday afternoon features a battle of the bands from 2 pm to 4 pm which is open to performers of any musical genre. After 8 and the Miller Lite Players start at 4 pm followed by The Ones, Rhudebarb and the Beggars, and Ezra.

The Juggernaut Jug Band opens for Flory on Saturday and starts playing at 6:45 pm. Members of the Juggernauts are from all over the country and play a blend of jazz, blues ragtime, swing and original music with typical band instruments plus washboards, washtubs, kazoos, jugs and various other hardware.

Saturday’s back up band for Flory features Logansport native Stan Hillis and Indianapolis pianist Steve Allee. Another Logansport native, Randy Handley, will perform at 9:30 pm with his Nashville-based band. Handley is a professional songwriter and musician whose work has been recorded by artists such as Garth Brooks, Hal Ketchum, John Mellencamp, Charlie Pride, Karen Carpenter, and John Denver. His music was included on the soundtrack for the movie Rain Man.

There are three ticket sessions. Friday evening is session one, Saturday is session two, and both evenings from 9 pm to 11:30 pm only are session three. Session one and two tickets are $13 in advance and $16 at the gate. Session three and student tickets are $5 anytime.

Major sponsors for the 2009 festival are The Anderson’s, the Cass County Visitor’s Bureau, and Security Federal Savings Bank. Sponsorships with accompanying endorsements are available and may be arranged by calling 574-727-5482.

The festival’s Web site www.floryfest.org is being updated and will be finished on March 10. On-line tickets sales are will-call. For more information contact the Cass County Arts Alliance office at 574-735-ARTS or 574-727-5482.