West Michigan Symphony will back Alexander Zonjic
“Zonjic Meets Motown” features Detroit’s soul vocal group Serieux performing Temptations classics
Muskegon, Michigan, August 10, 2022— Pop, Funk, R & B, Motown, and All that Jazz will be on the bill when jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic teams up with the West Michigan Symphony, conductor Terry Herald, and Serieux… Michigan’s leading R&B vocal group. With arrangements by Terry Herald, the concert will include such tunes as “Night Crawler” by Bob James, “Little Sunflower” by Freddie Hubbard, Peter White’s “Isabela,” “River Raisin Nights” by James Lloyd, and Zonjic’s own “Motor City Sway.” Kicking off the three-day festival, the concert starts at 7:00 pm Friday, August 26 at Heritage Landing in downtown Muskegon. Tickets are only $25, general admission. Call (419) 280-1073 or go to shorelinejazzfestival.com. Don’t forget your lawn chair!
Although Zonjic has performed in concert with WMS at the Frauenthal Center—and as a regular solo act at WMS’s downtown listening room The Block—this will mark the first time he has brought the Orchestra to his celebrated Shoreline Jazz Festival. But it’s been a longstanding ambition.
“We’ve been talking about this and planning it for a long time,” said Alexander Zonjic. “I love bringing all these great musicians to the community, and the chance to also bring my favorite symphony orchestra to our festival stage is a dream come true.”
“Alexander is not only a terrific musician, he is a force of nature,” said WMS CEO Andy Buelow. “You can’t spend time with him without absorbing his energy, enthusiasm, and vision. We are thrilled to collaborate with him on bringing back the Shoreline Jazz Festival.”
Detroit’s legendary jazz flutist in fact grew up in Windsor, but he was continually crossing the bridge from an early age and absorbing the culture and spirit of the Motor City, with its special potpourri of hard rock, Motown, jazz, and classical arts. Playing lead guitar in an R & B group throughout high school, he first picked up the flute at age 21 and was soon thereafter honing his classical chops in lessons with Detroit Symphony principal flute Ervin Monroe. All of these elements—coupled with outstanding musicianship—went into making up that unique Zonjic blend of jazz, rock, and classical elements that comes out in unexpected but pleasing ways in everything he does.
Hailed as the “Best R&B vocal group in Michigan” by the Black Music Award Association, Serieux was founded in 1998 to resurrect the Motown style of The Temptations, The Contours, and The Four Tops. Since then, Serieux has become one of the most prolific American soul music vocal groups anywhere. With high-energy singers and musicians, they’ve recaptured the excitement of the legendary Motown sound.
An anchor arts organization headquartered in Muskegon whose cultural footprint extends throughout the region, West Michigan Symphony is comprised of professional musicians of the highest caliber playing challenging repertoire and collaborating with the world’s most acclaimed guest artists. The orchestra’s core season comprises eight concerts at the Frauenthal Center in downtown Muskegon.
