Lansing, an idyllic city in Michigan, was alive with the mellifluous sounds of gospel tunes echoing in its Old Town area this past Sunday. A new feature had been added to the annual Michigan Jazz Festival, and it was making waves with the crowd. For the first time ever, the festival featured an All Faith Day.
This special day witnessed an inviting presence of people who swayed to the tunes of award-winning gospel artists. Adding to the overall ambience were numerous Faith-based vendors that sprinkled an element of interest among those who liked to mix shopping with their music enjoyment.
Pastor Anthony Taylor, an ardent believer in the power of gospel music, was one of the key individuals who echoed the essence of this day. He strongly believes that gospel music has an inherent quality of blending other genres into its fold.
Taylor mentioned that, “Historical evidence indicates that a majority of music has its roots in the church. Gospel music is wonderful in the way it fuses several different music genres together. So in a gospel tune, you would not be surprised to pick up hints of classical, traces of Jazz, undertones of blues. All these started their journey in the church.”
The pastor also revealed that this glorious fusion of faith and music, the All Faith Day, was not a one-time novelty. Plans were already on to make it an integral part of subsequent jazz fests. Jazz festival attendees can look forward to basking in the soulful vibes of this day as a finale to the musical event, in the years to come.
For everyone who missed out on this musically devout day, there’s always the promise of the future. The musical diversity and unity of faith brought by All Faith Day will again resonate in the upcoming Jazz Fests. Until then, keep the spirit up with the best of gospel, jazz, and rhythmic blues.
