Tribute from Peg Tallet

SUBMITTED BY: Peg Tallet, former colleague

I had a deep appreciation for Ed, his knowledge and spirit around jazz for many years.

When I served as president of Music Hall, we produced the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival and found ourselves in need of an artistic director, less than eight months before the scheduled four day, multi-stage event. It was, at that time, America’s largest free music event. We had a history, a reputation and a legacy to protect. I distinctly remember walking into a restaurant near Music Hall where Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer was having lunch. When I stopped to say hello, the Mayor “suggested” I ask Ed Love to serve as artistic director. Mayor Archer was a long-time fan and supporter of the FDIJF and was well-aware of its importance to the city and the region. I asked “That’s a great idea, but do you think he’d do it?” The Mayor assured me he would and that he would do a fantastic job.

One phone call and one meeting later, Ed was on the team, working to secure one of the greatest festival line-ups ever. I cherish the time we worked together on behalf of the nearly 1,000,000 who came to Hart Plaza to enjoy a shared experience in extraordinary music each Labor Day weekend.

As Ed taught me, “Recorded jazz is cool, but live jazz is hot!”