The Unique Logo of the River Raisin Jazz Festival

I have been asked many times where we came up with the logo design for the River Raisin Jazz Festival. It is a short story, so here goes. My son and I attended a Travel Conference in Scottsdale, AZ in 2002. While we were there, we had the opportunity to enjoy some "tourist time" and came across a delightful little shop in Sedona. The shop featured Native American art and one piece in particular caught my attention. An amazing little fellow known as "Kokopelli" was extremely interesting. Further inquiry uncovered that "Kokopelli" the Hopi flute player, is the symbol of music & dance among other things including fertility and replenishment. His playing is also said to be heard during the change of seasons in the warm breezes that accompany the change from winter to summer. Perfect! The figure dates back over 3,000 years when the first known petroglyphs were carved. It is said that this flute playing Casanova is a sacred figure to many Southwest Native Americans. When I purchased the carving, the clerk asked my son and I, "So what brings you to AZ"? That sealed the deal. My friend Alexander Zonjic (AZ) is a world renowned flute player! The rest is history. Upon returning to Monroe, I immediately asked my graphic designer to come up with a unique variation of Kokopelli for our festival. He now graces the promotion and marketing of all of our River Raisin Jazz Festival work. In 2002, "AZ" as he was appropriately named, appeared alongside the name, River Raisin Jazz Festival. Now, 10 years later, he appears solo. Much like the golden arches of McDonald's now appear solo as folks recognize and easily associate them with the hamburger giant..."AZ" is now the official symbol of our highly successful festival that attracts over 50,000 Jazz fans each year and that has featured headliners that include David Sanborn, Chris Botti, Spyro Gyra, Chuck Mangione, Rick Braun, Larry Carlton, Nelson Rangell and many more. So, the legend lives on, with the warm breezes of summer, music & dance and the replenishment and joy of our beloved music festival.