8th Annual Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival, August 19 through 21

Friday, August 19, and Saturday, August 20

Martin Luther King Jr. Park, 601 Ninth Street, Rock Island IL

Sunday, August 21

Rivermont Collegiate, 1821 Sunset Drive, Bettendorf IA

With renowned Chicago great Ernest Dawkins among them, nearly two dozen gifted area musicians will be on hand – and in two Quad Cities locations – when Polyrhythms proudly presents the 2022 Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival, an August 19 through 21 celebration of cultural heritage in the Quad Cities named after the late musician, educator, and East Moline native lovingly known as “The Jazz Professor.”

This year's festival begins on Friday in Rock Island's Martin Luther King Jr. Park and neighboring MLK Center, with events at the Youth Performance Showcase & Children's Activities area designed to celebrate the arts of dancing, singing, spoken-word, and musical instruments. The events open with a Bill Bell audio mix at 5 p.m., followed by a 5:30 p.m. performance by the praise group composed of singers from the Great Antioch Missionary Baptist Church and the Young Gentleman of Praise. Children's reading time will take place from 6 to 6:15 p.m., with the subsequent Metropolitan Youth Program presentation lasting until 6:45 p.m. Also beginning at 6 p.m., Elevated Productions will host a Cartoon Character Walk-Around until 7 p.m., while the Black Author's Forum hosted by local storyteller, author, actor, and radio host Shellie Moore-Guy will take place inside the MLK Center until 7:30 p.m. The day's events will conclude with two performances on the outdoor main stage, with singer/songwriter Charlotte Blu entertaining the crowd from 7 to 8 p.m., and Wes Julien with Club Crib Entertainment taking over from 8:45 to 10 p.m.

Saturday's celebration continues in Martin Luther King Jr. Park with Jimmy Cee's Drum Circle at noon, followed by three events all beginning at 1 p.m.: a health forum on kidney disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes in the Ida Robinson Banquet Room of the MLK Center; a Cartoon Walk-Around held outdoors (with another following at 3 p.m.); and a half-hour performance by the talents of Clinton, Iowa's Ebony Illusion Dance. Following a half-hour of children's reading time at 1:30 p.m. (with another scheduled at 3:45 p.m.), the Royal Drama Dance Team performs at 2 p.m., followed by the piano/guitar duo of Paige and Emmanuel at 2:20 p.m. and Elevated Productions' Dance Group at 2:45 p.m. Viuolinist Tia Shumpert and oboe/saxophone player Camaron Shumpert demonstrate their skills at 3:15 p.m., the Dynamic Status Gems Dance Group performs at 4:15 p.m., and open dance lessons for all ages led by Breath of Encouragement take place at 5 p.m. Meanwhile, a trio of showcased acts take to the outdoor main stage for the evening's entertainment: the duo of alto sax player Saul Lubaroff and guitarist Andy Parrott at 5:30 p.m., the Channel Cats at 7 p.m., and Piso's Cure at 8:45 p.m.

On Sunday, the Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival moves across the river to Bettendorf's Rivermont Collegiate, where three spectacular jazz acts will successively take the stage of the Becherer Hall Auditorium. At 3:45 p.m., guests will be treated to the local talents of trumpet player Manny Lopez and pianist Daniel Leahy. At 5 p.m., the festival hosts James Culver & the Kuchina Jazz 3 featuring Corey Kendrick on piano and Andy Crawford on bass. And wrapping up the weekend's will be a 6:45 p.m. performance by jazz master Ernest Dawkins & the Young Masters, his ensemble boasting Leo Milano on tenor sax, Carlos Simms on trumpet, Brandon Harper on piano, Oscar Evely on drums, and Steven Bowman on bass.

“Our grandparents and parents contributed greatly, both physically and creatively, to the building and the success of the Quad Cities,” says Polyrhythms' director Nate Lawrence, “and the BBJ&H Festival continues to sow the seeds of our unique culture for generations to come. Our dedication continues to create and grow an exciting and sustainable event that audiences, locally and regionally, can relate to. We are building and growing a festival reflective of and befitting the cultural diversity that builds and sustains the Quad-City area.”

All of the events in the 2022 Bill Bell Jazz & Heritage Festival are free, and more information on the August 19 through 21 event is available by visiting Facebook.com/polyjazzheritagefest.