Copper Country Preservation and Real People Media is pleased to announce that we have received funding for the 2021-2022 Season (Our fifth!) of The Red Jacket Jamboree from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.  

The Red Jacket Jamboree offers antique experience for local residents, tourists and radio audiences. To date we have recorded 46 hourlong episodes featuring dozens of performers: storytellers, musicians, singer-songwriters, local historians, and authors. This exceptional educational and entertaining family show promotes the Upper Peninsula to audiences throughout Michigan. The show stimulates tourism and tourist revenue within our area and throughout the Upper Peninsula.  

The Red Jacket Jamboree would not be possible without funding from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. We are deeply grateful for the grant and to the people of Michigan who support cultural events in our state. The arts add to the quality of life for our residents and to the visitor experience. We welcome the opportunity to share the stories of Michigan's Copper Country with the people of Michigan and beyond!

​Jazz and Blues vocalist Julie McIntosh and Star Lore Historian Mary Stewart Adams will take the stage for the performance/recording of episodes #23 and #24 of The Red Jacket Jamboree, an old-time radio variety show. The show, which shares stories, songs and music from the Keweenaw Peninsula, is recorded in front of a live audience at the Calumet Theatre for later radio broadcast.  Two hourlong episodes will be recorded: “Copper Town to Motown,” which explores how the histories of these two great cities are interwoven through storytelling and some Motown tunes!  The show also celebrates the contributions of the Keweenaw's pioneering women in “Even Women Get the Blues.”  We're singing the Blues but this show is sure to lift your spirits. 

Vocalist and singer/songwriter Julie McIntosh began her professional career in New York City in the 1980's as lead vocalist with “The Shakes” and “Wreckless Abandon.” She cut her teeth in rock-n-roll, adding a brief stint with Hip-Hop sampling producer John Robie, then moved through the musical genres of Jazz, Rock and Pop until landing in the world of Rhythm and Blues.  She has performed with drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, guitarist Billy Hector, and key keyboardist, Tony Z and opened for many notable performers including Buddy Guy, Son Seals, Li'l Ed and The Blues Imperials.

Mary Stewart Adams travels extensively teaching a humanities based approach to understanding the night sky.  As a Star Lore Historian and global advocate for naturally dark skies, Adams led the initiative to establish Michigan's only International Dark Sky Park, the 9th in the world at the time. One of the many ways she work to “restore the mythic grandeur of knowing the stars” is through her weekly radio segment “The Storytellers Night Sky, which airs every Monday morning on Interlochen Public radio.

The Red Jacket Jamboree is a production of Real People Media, Inc. and is sponsored by Copper Country Preservation.  Hosted by Lena Dorey, the show features Martin Achatz, Poet Laureate of the U.P.,the Red Jacket Actors and instrumental arrangements by the Copper Cats, under the direction of Jerry Younce on guitar, Bill Carrothers on piano, Harry South on bass and Jonathan Taylor on percussion. The family show is both educational and entertaining.  Free admission for Students 17 and under when accompanied by an adult.  The next show is Thursday, June 13th at 7pm.  The audience is asked to be in their seats 5 minutes before the show. 

The program is supported in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs.  Episodes of The Red Jacket Jamboree are aired on Interlochen Public Radio and distributed by PRX Radio Exchange. For more information about this and other upcoming shows, visit www.redjacketjamboree.org. Reserved seating tickets can be purchased through the Calumet Theatre box office: (906) 337-2610 or online.

Singer/songwriter John Davey, storyteller Jenifer Strauss, and author Bill Sproule will be featured at the March performance of  The Red Jacket Jamboree, an old-time radio variety show, which shares stories, songs and music from the Keweenaw Peninsula. The show is recorded in front of a live audience at the Calumet Theatre for radio broadcast.  Two hourlong episodes will be recorded: “Skis, Skates and Sleds,” which celebrates three popular winter sports, and “Springtime in the Keweenaw.”   

Originally from Indiana's Wabash River Valley, John Davey has re-established himself on the shores of Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.  The transition has resulted in a new body of work which captures the regions landscape including its vast forests and roaring waves of Lake Superior.  Self -reflective tunes like “L'Anse” and “Brave” underscore Davey's journey toward self-realization. His creative lyrical arrangements are often self-deprecating yet remain unapologetic.  It's this authenticity combined with his skills as a vocalist and musician which earns Davey a cadre of  admirers.  His music, a blend of old-time country, rock and contemporary pop, appeals to audiences of all ages.  This will be Davey's second appearance on The Red Jacket Jamboree.

As a professional storyteller, Jenifer Strauss uses stories to enrich lives. Her engaging and enthusiastic style has endured her with audiences across the state. Jen's well-loved Great Lakes repertoire includes:  lumber era legends, mining stories, shipwreck and lighthouse tales, mysteries, and ghost stories. Her stories are both heart-warming and educational. Jen will share a few personal stories collected during her work and travel in the U.P. 

Bill Sproule is a Professor Emeritus, Michigan Tech University where he taught in transportation engineering, public transit, airport planning, and hockey history.  He is the author of "Copper Country Streetcars" and soon to-be-released "Houghton - The Birthplace of Professional Hockey."  

The Red Jacket Jamboree is a production of  Real People Media Inc and is sponsored by Copper Country Preservation.  Hosted by Lena Dorey, the show also features Martin Achatz, Poet Laureate of the U.P.,the Red Jacket Actors and instrumental arrangements by the Copper Cats, under the direction of Jerry Younce on guitar, Bill Carrothers on piano, Harry South on bass and Zach Ott on percussion. The family show is both educational and entertaining.  Free admission for Students 17 and under when accompanied by an adult.  The next show is Saturday, March 9th at 7pm.  The audience is asked to be in their seats 5 minutes before the show. 

The program is supported in part by a grant from the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Humanities Council. Episodes of The Red Jacket Jamboree are now aired on Interlochen Public Radio. For more information visit: www.redjacketjamboree.org.


PHotos attached- Singer-songwriter John Davey returns to The Red Jacket Jamboree on March 9th with storyteller Jennifer Strauss

photo attached. 
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Rebecca Glotfelty, Executive Director of Real People Media, was on the Pure Michigan Radio show on WJR (Detroit) this week talking about The Red Jacket Jamboree! The interview which promoted our upcoming show (March 9th) was aired on several stations across southern Lower Michigan. You can listen to the interview here on soundcloud starting at 8min. ​

​https://soundcloud.com/puremichigan/pure-michigan-radio-show-february-3-2019#t=8:00

Help Real People Media finish editing The Red Jacket Jamboree- America's new old-time radio variety show!   We have recorded 20 one-hour episodes of this fun and informative family show and have aired 10 of these episodes on Public Radio networks throughout Michigan.  We need to raise $30,000 to finish the mastering of Season one. (The first 14 episodes)  Completing season one will enable Real People Media to offer The Red Jacket Jamboree to national markets.    Please help us keep this program on the air!