Jazz Fest transforms downtown Glen Ellyn

Bob Hursthouse might not be a household name in Glen Ellyn.

In fact, during Saturday's Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn, he expects to mingle with the crowd relatively undisturbed.

But what many visitors will not know is that they'll be listening to music and relaxing within one of his company's creations.

In what he playfully calls something of a "military invasion," Hursthouse and employees at his Bolingbrook-based landscaping company will take over downtown Glen Ellyn for about five hours Saturday morning and transform a stretch of the village's main downtown thoroughfare into a green oasis.

More than 3,000 plants, including many large shade trees, will be brought in to try to create an atmosphere for the fourth annual Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn.

"We look at it as a partnership with the arts," Hursthouse said. "My personal musical skills begin and end with the volume control. But we are part of the arts in the design and garden building. It's a unique hand-in-glove opportunity to support this group."

Amid Hursthouse's trees and greens, five bands of varying styles will perform from 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday on a stage at the corner of Pennsylvania Road and Main Street.

Among the bands will be a guitar duo, a Latin jazz sextet and alto sax player Richie Cole, who has performed globally with Doc Severinsen and Buddy Rich, among others.

The idea to transform the concert setting came from Hursthouse about three years ago when he was approached to contribute to the festival. Instead of writing a check, Hursthouse said he thought he could contribute his employees' talents.

"We have got the resources to make it happen and try to be creative to make it happen," he said.

Village Manager Steve Jones, who serves on the Jazz Fest committee, said he is always amazed at the transformation he sees each year and is surprised by how quickly the block becomes almost unrecognizable.

"It's a huge undertaking," Jones said. "He takes something that is pretty darn good looking and literally transforms it into a park."

Jones said the festival has grown in its short existence, regularly drawing visitors from out of the area.

"Whether it's jazz or any other music, to most people, wherever it is, outside music is a great thing," he said. "It's just something that creates a sense of community."

Jones estimates that between 5,000 and 6,000 people have attended the free event in the past. Of those people, many make the trip on the train specifically to attend the event.

"The ultimate goal is to showcase (Glen Ellyn's) downtown," he said. "It brings in a heck of a lot of people from the outside community. We want people to come in and say 'Hey, that looked like an interesting restaurant,' or 'I liked the looks of Glen Ellyn.' That external attraction (is what) we want to develop."

The operation actually begins in March when Hursthouse and employees start tossing around ideas. Only in the last few weeks have they whittled those ideas down and created a more specific focus.

"We don't do any other festival and we do very little municipal work," he said. "We are trying to take the streetscape and make it more residential. The planning is always a challenge."

Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn 2010When: 3 to 10 p.m. Saturday, July 10Where: Main Street in Glen Ellyn, from Pennsylvania Road and Crescent BoulevardCost: FreeInfo: jazzfestglenellyn.orgSchedule3 p.m. Jo Ann Daugherty Trio4:30 p.m. Andreas Kapsalis Goran Ivanovic Guitar Duo6 p.m. Ava Logan Quartet featuring Bruce Oscar7:30 p.m. Darwin Noguera's Evolution Sextet9 p.m. Richie Cole Alto Madness featuring Henry JohnsonTrue20001362Ralph Cascella of Chicago listens to performers during Jazz Fest Glen Ellyn. The fest starts at 3 p.m. Saturday on Main Street.Paul Michna | Staff Photographer, 2008True