By Heather Matthews
Staff Writer

Joe Deleault of Manchester has been playing jazz since he was a freshman in high school. He began his education as a pianist studying classical music, but Deleault fell in love with jazz on fishing trips with his father, who would play recordings of Bruce Hornsby while waiting for the fish to bite. (Mirror/Heather Matthews)

Seven years ago, former Mayor Robert Baines decided he wanted to help Manchester residents kick off the summer in style. Closing off Hanover Street between Elm and Chestnut streets, Baines organized the first Manchester Jazz and Blues Festival.

The celebration of the cool sounds of jazz and the passionate wails of blues drew in people from all over New England and brought together the Queen City for an evening of laid-back fun and music.

Since those early years, the Palace Theatre has taken over the festivities, but the jazz fest remains much the same. Although there have been a few additions to the lineup, including the Queen City Rotary’s second annual bed race, the festival still presents new and familiar local, regional and national acts to the crowds strewn on the pavement of Hanover Street, seated in lawn chairs and stretched out on beach blankets for two nights of spectacular music.

“It’s a great event,” said Peter Ramsey, director of the Palace Theatre. “You get to sit out in the nice weather, relax in lawn chairs and listen to some great music.”

This year, audiences can look forward to performances by New Hampshire’s own Mr. Nick’s Blues Mafia, the Manchester high schools’ jazz bands, New Hampshire Jazz Singers and Room Full of Blues.

“(The festival) gives a lot of groups the opportunity to perform for people,” said Joe Deleault, a performer at this year’s festival.

On Saturday, June 17, Deleault, of Manchester, will perform with the Kimberley Dahme Quartet. The quartet will feature Deleault on piano, Dahme on vocals, Brendan Dowd on bass and Craig Fahey on drums. The group will showcase some recognizable jazz standards, as well Dahme’s originals.

The festival gives groups that wouldn’t ordinarily be seen by the public the chance to showcase their talents in a new venue. One of these groups is the New Hampshire Jazz Singers, a choir of high school students from across the state, directed by Richard Maynard of Manchester.

Rachel Snyder, 17, of Bedford will perform with the New Hampshire Jazz Singers for the second year in a row. Snyder said performing in jazz fest is a fun way to introduce people to the creative, passionate genre and new acts.

“It’s really crowded, and it’s such a small stage, but it’s so much fun with the audience sitting on the ground just relaxing,” she said. “Everyone is there for the music. Everyone is there for jazz. It’s a great opportunity to let people hear all the different styles and types of jazz.”

While helping the artists get exposure is important to the Palace, Ramsey said the event is more about bringing together the community in a safe, family-friendly environment to enjoy the summer evenings downtown.

“You get to see some people you haven’t seen in years,” Ramsey said.

This year, the Palace Theatre expects to see nearly 5,000 people attend the Hanover Street event. And while they are always hoping to increase that number, Deleault said he was pleased with how well the community has responded to the event so far.

“It shows that the community supports the arts,” Deleault said, “and that’s what makes it all happen.”

The seventh annual Manchester Jazz and Blues Festival will be held Friday, June 16, from 5 to 10 p.m., and Saturday, June 17, from 2 to 10 p.m. Tickets are $10 for each day.

For more information on Joe Deleault, who appears courtesy of Yamaha Pianos, visit www.joedeleault.com.

For more information on the Jazz and Blues Festival, contact the Palace Theatre at 668- 5588 or visit www.palacetheatre.org.

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