“Big” Al Sears Music Fest

The Al Sears Music Festival returns this fall, September 19-21, with a dynamic weekend of jazz, R&B, and American songbook performances. This annual celebration honors Macomb native and musical trailblazer Al Sears (1910–1990)—a saxophonist, songwriter, and entrepreneur who played with jazz legends and helped shape the sound of early rock-and-roll.

The Al Sears Music Fest committee is pleased to present this year’s exciting lineup:

• On Friday, Sept. 19, the festival kicks off at the American Legion Post 6 with WIU’s Jazz Symphony Orchestra, a longstanding favorite that’s played every year since the festival’s inception.
• On Saturday, Sept. 20, acclaimed vocalist Bryan Anthony will present an evening of classic songs, made famous by singers like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Sammy Davis Jr. and written by Gershwin, Vernon Duke, and others, in an intimate performance at the Western Illinois Museum’s newly renovated Our Front Porchspace.
• On Sunday, Sept. 21, the festival concludes with an afternoon of music and conversation at the Western Illinois Museum featuring Yoseph Henry—an acclaimed jazz, R&B, and gospel singer and WIU alum, who will also speak with local musicians on Al Sears’s musical legacy.

Throughout the weekend, there will be opportunities to learn about Al Sears’s remarkable career—from performing with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton to producing records and shaping the music industry as an executive with ABC Paramount. The Western Illinois Museum will feature photographs, recordings, and artifacts related to his work.

Bring your family, invite your friends, and celebrate Al Sears and Macomb’s unique place in American music history. And enjoy delicious meals from Sandra’s Authentic Mexican Food Truck, available both Saturday and Sunday.

Festival Schedule

Friday, September 19th 
WIU Jazz Symphony Orchestra
American Legion Post 6

221 E. Washington St, Macomb, IL 61455
7:00 to 9:00 pm

Saturday, September 20th
Bryan Anthony: The American Songbook
Western Illinois Museum

201 S. Lafayette St, Macomb, IL 61455
5:00 pm Doors open/Social Hour (Sandra’s at 11:00 am TBC)
7:00 to 9:00 pm Music

Sunday, September 21st
Yoseph Henry in Concert
Western Illinois Museum

201 S. Lafayette St, Macomb, IL 61455
(Sandra’s at 11:00 am TBC)
2:00 pm Conversation: Yoseph Henry, Whitney Ashe, Bill Maakestad, and John Cooper
3:00 to 5:00 pm Music

Contact: Whitney Ashe WE-Ashe@wiu.edu or Bill Maakestad wj-maakestad@wiu.edu