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World-reknown trumpeter Marcus Belgrave brought his 6 piece ensemble, featuring Joan Belgrave and Charlie Gabriel, to The Wood Fire Trattoria in Dowagiac on November 8th for a concert to honor Franz and to build excitement for plans to develop a jazz festival in Franz's name starting in 2009.

This concert almost didn't happen. The original intent was to have the concert at the 840-seat Dowagiac Middle School Performing Arts Center, but inadequate ticket sales nearly forced its cancellation. Marcus and Joan brought their band down from Detroit to Dowagiac with the insistence that doing this for Franz was too important to risk cancelling. So, we moved the party to the Wood Fire and those who were on hand can testify that it was a fabulous performance! To quote Joan and Marcus, who said this to South Bend Tribune reporter Howard Dukes in his article prior to the performance, "We (felt) that Franz’s contribution to music and life made this event more important than ticket sales or profit,” Joan Belgrave says in an e-mail sent to The Tribune. “We felt that it was the least we could do to honor such a wonderful human being and such a gifted, kind-spirited, giving musician who taught so many through just being himself. We couldn't let something in his honor fall by the wayside due to the current financial state.”

A HUGE "Thank You" goes out to Marcus, Joan, Charlie and the entire ensemble for being here and giving an outstanding show, to Larry Seurynck and the staff of The Wood Fire for their flexibility and support in making this happen and to the people who braved the first taste of winter weather to come out and honor Franz's memory with some fabulous music!

We're already starting to work on what we'll do next year, so if you're not already on the mailing list, add your name now and be one of the first to be notified of plans for this and other events!

Enjoy the pictures below from the concert.......