U-Matic

Montreux Detroit Jazz Fest Opening, July 25, 1990

U-Matic S tape containing footage of the opening ceremony for the 1990 Montreux-Detroit International Jazz Festival shot on July 25, 1990. The tape features the U.S. Navy's jazz band, the Commodores; Robert McCabe of Detroit Renaissance; Mayor Coleman A. Young's assistant Fred Martin; the mayor of Montreux, Switzerland, Frédy Alt; and Bill Boyer of the Miller Brewing Company.

The tape begins with the U.S. Navy Commodores performing on a small outdoor stage adjacent to Ford Auditorium, decorated with sponsorship banners for Northwest Airlines and International Association of Jazz Educators banners.

After a cut, Fred Martin and Robert McCabe take the stage. McCabe then addresses the crowd. In his introduction, he lists the event's headlining performers--Dizzy Gillespie, Branford Marsalis, Michel Petrucciani, and Carmen McRae. He also talks about some of the events planned for the festival, including a Charlie Parker tribute concert, Latin night, a piano summit, RAPA House on the LANSDOWNE, and a stage in Harmony Park. He also talks about local and national broadcasts of the event on WDET, WEMU, and National Public Radio. After stressing the scope of local talent performing at the festival, McCabe introduces Fred Martin.

Martin extends greetings from the mayor, and speaks briefly about the festival.

McCabe then returns to the podium to talk about the connection with the festival in Montreux, Switzerland. He recognizes a Swiss delegation on stage, and introduces the mayor of Montreux, Frédy Alt.

Next, Mayor Alt expresses his appreciation to the people behind the Detroit festival, and mentions plans for the upcoming Montreux festival. He then unveils the 1991 Montreux festival's poster.

McCabe returns to the podium to note Miller Brewing Company's sponsorship, and to introduce Bill Boyer of the Miller. Boyer then addresses the crowd, and women hand out glasses of beer to the officials on stage for a toast.

McCabe closes the ceremony by re-introducing the Commodores, just before the recording ends.

The video is on a 3M UCA-30S U-Matic S tape with a handwritten 3M label on its top. The tape is housed within a black plastic latching case with a City of Detroit Department of Public Information Video Production label on its cover.