DUBUQUE...AND ALL THAT JAZZ

DUBUQUE...AND ALL THAT JAZZ. Appealing to the interest expressed locally in music, DUBUQUE MAIN STREET, LTD. annually hosted a free summer concert series in 1992. "Dubuque...and All That Jazz" occurred at a time when the downtown area was still reeling from the economy of the 1980s. Meant to inspire positive views of the area, the first event on July 24, 1992 featured Orquesta Alto Maiz, also known as the "Salsa Band." Hosted in an area beneath the TOWN CLOCK, the band, which became an annual feature, drew an audience estimated at 800. News of the popularity of the event led Governor Terry Branstad to honor the event in 1993 as one of Iowa's nest special events. Encouraged by the response, organizers added a second concert in 1993, a third in 1994 and a fourth in 1997. Genres featured over the years included blues, rock, R&B, and zydeco. Music appreciation stirred by "Dubuque...and All That Jazz" led to the creation of America's River Festival, an annual outdoor concert held from 2004 to 2019 in the PORT OF DUBUQUE. (1)

A hail storm with baseball-sized hail led to the cancellation of the event in 1994. Rain at several times led the event to be relocated to a nearby parking ramp. It was the PANDEMIC which led to the complete cancellation of the event in 2020. (2) In 2021 the event was revived and renamed "Music on Main Street" to reflect the fact that different types of music were performed.

Declining atendance began with the elimination of the September event. "Music on Main Street" became three summer concerts in June, July and August. In 2025 the event was scheduled for a single date, June 6, 2025 back under the Town Clock on Main Street. The intentiion was to refocus interest in the concert. "The Business," a Chicago-based horn band which was popular during "Dubuque...and All That Jazz," were scheduled as the headliners with their swing, big-band, soul, funk and R&B music. Efforts were made to find a regional band to perform along with a performance by students of ELEANOR ROOSEVELT MIDDLE SCHOOL. (3)

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Source:

1. Hogstrom, Erik, "Dubuque...and All That Jazz," Telegraph Herald, March 23, 2025, p. 1C

2. "Music Series Formerly Known as Dubuque...And All That Jazz! Postponed," Telegraph Herald, May 30, 2020, p. 6A

3. Hogstrom