Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features indie rock by Idle Ray, hyperpop by Dapper Ain't Delirious and Splingus, hip-hop by Gusmão, and punk by Reckless Manner.

Jeff Dunn didn't mean to become a go-to photographer for the Southeast Michigan jazz scene. He was just a guy who started taking his camera to jam sessions around 2014 after being a fan of the "sound of surprise" since the early 1970s.

"The first time I went to [Detroit's] Baker's Keyboard Lounge in 1973, I was hooked," Dunn told Pulp in a 2018 interview. "I've been addicted to live jazz performances ever since."

Now he's the house photographer for the Detroit Jazz Festival Foundation, a regular presence at concerts from the Motor City to Tree Town, and the focus of a new exhibit at Argus Museum in Ann Arbor.

Jeff Dunn - Jazz Photography runs June 2-27, offering 38 shots by the St. Clair Shores resident and retired Wayne State computer programmer/web developer.

The exhibit is tucked into a narrow hallway with a slight zig-zag, but there's enough room to step back from each photo and imagine the 71-year-old Dunn's placement for each shot. The description plates for each image feature enthusiastic prose from the photographer about his subjects, revealing Dunn's fan-first appreciation of jazz.

It’s starting to sound like summer in Washtenaw County, thanks to the start of several local music festivals and events taking place this month. Whether inside or outside, on the street or in a barn, during the day or at night, we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of summer music festivals and events to satisfy your ears.

Third Place Music Fest 
June 4-June 7, Ann Arbor 
This four-day festival of experimental music, from classical and jazz to electronic and world, includes multiple concerts in spaces around Ann Arbor. Third Place Music Fest brings together artists, community members, and businesses to celebrate the power of the third place—public spots that can foster a sense of community. The festival kicks off June 4 with performances from Magnolia Rohrer and Dr. Prof. Leonard King’s Proportioned Orchestra at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum. It wraps up June 7 with sets from Leith and Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet at Canterbury House. For details, visit the festival’s website.

Sounds & Sights 
June 5-July 31, Chelsea 
This festival features free live performances every Thursday night on 10 different stages in downtown Chelsea. Artists include Hullabaloo, The Town Band, Bowdish Brothers, Seventh, Corndaddy, The Band Mint, the Kate Hinote Trio, Annie and Rod Capps, Wilson and Brenner, Luna Pier, and more. There’s also a weekend edition July 25-26 with live music from Magic Bus, The Square Pegz, Bret Maynard, Blaine Luis, Scotty Karate, Ben Daniels Band, and The Crasherz. For details, visit the festival’s website.

A2 Summer Streets 
June 5-August 31, Ann Arbor 
Downtown Ann Arbor’s streets transform into a bustling hub of music and art every weekend this summer, thanks to Main Street Ann Arbor. Beginning June 5 and continuing every weekend through August 31, Main Street, Liberty Street, and Washington Street will close to vehicle traffic. Live music starts June 5 with the Depot Town Big Band on Main Street by Conor O’Neill’s. Additional performers include The Huron Valley Harmonizers, Four Roses Band, The Vicissitones, II-V-I Orchestra, The Glen Leven Band, and more. For details, visit A2 Summer Streets’ website.

Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features rebooted grunge by Tension Splash, electro-metal by The Strange Theory of Light and Matter, indie-folk rock by Lionbelly, techno by The AMX, and moody alt-rock by Iconic Chronic.

Dave & Kristi feel a special connection to the chickadee.

The Dexter duo embraces the songbird as a symbol of joy and hope on their new folk album, The Chickadees.

“The chickadee reference is about the spiritual part of you that lives on,” said Kristi Davis about her latest release with husband and musical partner Dave Boutette.

“That’s the hopeful part, and they represent good luck, happiness, knowledge, truth, and adaptability. That’s exactly the stuff that we need right now.”

Davis and Boutette channel the chickadee’s positive spirit as they reflect on love, loss, and aging across the album’s 13 tracks.

“As far as things that are on the record, we’ve experienced a lot of loss in the last two or three years,” Boutette said. “And also this summer we’re both turning 60. It’s everything from family members and friends passing.”

This story originally ran November 2, 2023. We're republishing it because the Judy Banker Band is performing on Friday, May 30, 6:30 pm at the Ann Arbor District Library, 343 South Fifth Avenue.

Judy Banker keeps things real on Bona Fide.

The Ann Arbor singer-songwriter explores genuine feelings of heartbreak, grief, and love on her new Americana album.

“One of my litmus tests for myself with a song is: Does it ring true to me? When I think of the vignette, the experience, or the feeling of that kind of relationship dynamic, does it say what I want to say?” said Banker, who’s a University of Michigan alumna and a therapist.

“That’s what I do with my songs—if it doesn’t say it strong enough or it doesn’t capture it quite right—there’s a certain tension that I want to be able to express. I feel like every single one of those songs is like my diary.”

On Bona Fide, Banker takes listeners on a personal journey that explores the cycle of relationships and the emotions that accompany them. The album’s rich harmonies and rootsy instrumentation bring those experiences to life across 11 heartfelt tracks.

“I’m a therapist by day, and on a big-picture level, my adult life has been dedicated to trying to help people to name, understand, and get the complexity of emotions … and that it’s important to work with them and embrace that,” Banker said.

“It’s a very selfish motive in the sense that these are my expressions and my songs, and I like them, but I just hope people say, ‘Oh, I’ve had that feeling.’”

Tom Curless and Chip Saam anticipate life’s twists and turns and adjust their plans and perspectives accordingly on Consequences & Detours, the new album by their band, Crossword Smiles.

“At this point in our lives, we start to have a different perspective on life,” said Curless, who lives south of Flint in the town of Grand Blanc.

“You start to see things a little higher at a 30,000-foot view. I’ve lost people, I’ve lost my parents, and all of a sudden, you say, ‘Wow, life seems a little bit different now.’”

That wise perspective permeates Crossword Smiles’ songwriting on its sophomore release, which features 11 tracks about anticipation, disappointment, and discovery.

“I don’t think you can get away from it,” said Saam, who previously lived in Dexter and now resides in the West Michigan town of Dimondale. “If you’re making music and writing songs, some of your life is going to seep into it. There are some specific references to things like in ‘Typical Waving Goodbye.’ I lost a buddy … and I didn’t know when I was saying goodbye to him that I was saying goodbye for good.”

Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features synth-pop by Same Eyes, European folk duets by Warren & Flick, a videogame soundtrack by Cereza64, imaginary movie soundtracks by An Angel Submerged, and Latin-steeped hip-hop beats by Gusmão.

Friday Five highlights music by Washtenaw County-associated artists and labels.

This edition features jazz by Dave Sharp Worlds Quartet and Elden Kelly, metalcore by Loss of Life, hyperpop by Scoops Lively, emo-punk by Normal Park, and live jams by Pajamas.

Jess Merritt no longer silences her inner voice.

The Ann Arbor singer-songwriter follows her instincts and unleashes her authentic self on Wild in Me.

“It’s been a big journey,” said Merritt, aka Jess Oberholtzer, about her new folk-rock-soul EP.

“Over the past five years or so … I went through a divorce, the pandemic, and coming out. It’s been a real transformative time. I look back, and I’m so grateful that I took those steps because I feel so much closer to my true self now. Even though things are a little bit scary as far as what the future holds, I just feel solid in myself.”

Merritt embraces that bold mindset through an honest and inspirational collection of songs about self-discovery, growth, and freedom. The four tracks on Wild in Me come to life through soulful vocals, cathartic lyrics, and soaring instrumentation.