Photo by Erin Sanchez Jazz supporter Gretchen Valade — who rescued the Detroit International Jazz Festival a few years ago when it lost its major sponsor — unveils the painting used for this year’s commemorative poster. The art is by Detroiter Camilo Pardo.

DETROIT — East Coast meets Midwest for this year’s Detroit International Jazz Festival.

The 29th annual festival — the largest free jazz festival in North America — will salute the jazz and soul music of Philadelphia and Detroit under the theme, “A Love Supreme.” Scheduled for the Labor Day weekend, Aug. 29-Sept. 1 at Hart Plaza, the lineup features Dianne Reeves, Derek Trucks Band, Kenny Burrell, Robin Eubanks, Trombone Shorty and many more. The artist-in-residence is Philadelphia native Christian McBride, who festival Executive and Artistic Director Terri Pontremoli called “one of the best bass players in the world.”

Organizers unveiled the lineup and festival poster — by Detroit artist Camilo Pardo — during a press conference April 30 at the Guardian Building in downtown Detroit. It was a fitting location, since Wayne County offices will be relocating there and Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano is the festival’s honorary chair this year.

Besides bringing great music, the festival brings needed money to the region. As Ficano noted, the average party of two spends $266 per day on hotel, food, gas, souvenirs and the like. More than 23 percent of those who attend the festival come from outside Michigan. He added that the festival — expected to draw 753,000 this year — would generate about $90 million in revenue.

Detroit City Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr. generated laughs when he admitted that the festival press conference “is a nice distraction for me,” a reference to the Detroit mayoral text message scandal. Cockrel — a new member of the festival board — said he grew up listening to jazz and attending the festival with his father.

“In my capacity as a jazz aficionado (and city official) … we are going to do everything in our power to make sure the festival goes off smoothly and without a hitch,” he said.

One of this year’s highlights is a Philly/Detroit jazz tribute to the late soul star Marvin Gaye that will be curated and arranged by McBride. There will also be a battle of the bands between the Count Basie and Gerald Wilson orchestras, a host of guitar greats from Stanley Jordan to Calvin Cooke, a series of Hammond B-3 legends, a tribute to Alice Coltrane led by her son, and trombones galore.

“This is just the beginning,” vowed Pontremoli, noting that the festival also has yearlong educational components. More artists will likely be added to the festival in the next couple months.

“I love the lineup,” said Gretchen Valade of Grosse Pointe Farms, the Mack Avenue Records founder who rescued the festival from the brink of extinction a couple of years ago when its major sponsor bowed out.

Festival founder Bob McCabe of Grosse Pointe Woods was also thrilled with the 2008 talent roster and looking forward to the festival’s 30th anniversary next year.

“I think (the festival) has grown from a quality point of view and a quantity point of view,” McCabe said. “We’ve spread it out (over more of downtown) so people can see all kinds of music on different stages. … It has not only survived for 29 years — it has thrived.”

Observing that many of today’s youth are exposed only to rap and pop music, Cockrel urged people to take advantage of the festival as a way to introduce future generations to what many consider America’s own version of classical music.

“Go out and spread the gospel of jazz,” Cockrel said. “Make a family event out of this. … Because if not, we’re in danger of losing this precious art form.”

For more information about the festival, visit www.detroitjazzfest.com.