A local group is doing something new for the fifth year of its annual jazz festival. The Polyrhythms August Festival is now known as the Bill Bell Jazz and Heritage Festival. This Friday through Sunday, nine acts will perform at Martin Luther King Park in Rock Island, and the River Music Experience in Davenport.
A group called Polyrhythms produces the festival. Members re-named it to honor Bill Bell, a renowned Quad Cities jazz musician. Director Nate Lawrence says Bell's death last year prompted the change.
"He was a person in the community who did a lot of stuff with regard to music education. He was kind of like a mentor to us when we were trying to figure out how to do something that really benefitted the whole community. We're pleased to honor Bill and hold him up in high regard with our festival."
One goal of the festival is to bring people together. It also celebrates the contributions people of color have made to the Quad Cities.
"You can stand across the street looking at people all day trying to figure out what's on their minds, but if you really want to know what's on their mind, you talk to them. This is an opportunity for people to see what we're all about, and the fact that we have contributed to the building of these Quad Cities."
The Bill Bell Jazz and Heritage Festival will also feature a drum circle, a forum about autism, and a performance by "Miss Iowa," Mikhayla Houghes-Shaw.
The free shows kick off Friday at 5:15 PM with a performance by the Metropolitan Youth Program at the Martin Luther King Center.