Jazz at Centrum

2008 Jazz Port Townsend Reviewed in Seattle Times

Hugo Kugiya of the Seattle Times attended 2008 Jazz Port Townsend, and has posted his review. It's a great piece, detailing the linkages between the workshop and performance components of the week.

"The defining moment of Jazz Port Townsend was perhaps the one that was not planned.

On the last day of the jazz festival, a few hours before clouds and a sudden chill set in, a young woman in a floral print dress and white sandals, her toenails painted bright green, stepped onto the big stage with her acoustic bass.

Behind her was the festival big band, before her an audience of more than 1,200 who had never before heard of Kate Davis.

Plucked from one of the week's many student workshops, Davis, 17, a senior-to-be at West Linn High School in Oregon, sang "Sometimes I'm Happy." The arrangement was spare but perfectly balanced and suited to her talents. The song ended and the audience roared.

The professionals on the sideline mostly agreed: She could be a star someday. Davis was added extemporaneously by artistic director John Clayton after he heard her play the song in a class."

...read the complete review at SeattleTimes.com.

A Taste of Jazz

Jazz everywhere!  Walking around Fort Worden this afternoon, it seemed like there was music coming out of every building.  More than 30 combos playing at the same time.  In the schoolhouse building I felt like Alice through the looking glass - I never knew what I would find when I opened a door.  Anything from melodic and mellow to totally hot!

Check out my photos of some of the players.

Kristina Whipple

John Clayton's Jazz Port Townsend Performance Guide: Saturday Evening, July 26

We asked Artistic Director John Clayton for his thoughts on the artists you'll be seeing at 2008 Jazz Port Townsend. We'll divide those comments into one post for each mainstage show. Today, we feature the artists on the Saturday evening show: Paquito d'Rivera, Alex Brown, Sachal Vasandani, and Matt Wilson. You can purchase tickets for the Saturday evening show online.

Paquito d’Rivera, Alex Brown
"Paquito is a jazz master.  His close association with Dizzy Gillespie opened many doors for him and ears to him.  Pauqito has played in so many settings, wowing audiences with his alto sax and clarinet.  He gives us sounds reminiscent of his Cuban homeland and beyond.  He’s such an amazingly diverse player!  The duo setting with pianist, Alex Brown, will bring a memorable intimacy to our experience."

Sachal Vasandani
"There are too few top drawer male jazz vocalists on the scene.  Sachal Vasandani is a breath of fresh air.  I’ve enjoyed watching him grow, witnessing his fan base expand as more and more of the world experiences his voice, his presentation, his maturity.  Sachal is a wonderful composer and lyricist.  I am on the edge of my seat with excitement and anticipation—I can’t wait to hear his latest work."

Matt Wilson
"Matt Wilson is one of the most creative drummers you’ll ever hear.  He’s the kind of guy that can find a way of turning a stick of celery into something that creates music.  His drumming ranges from being traditionally exciting to mind bendingly musical, witty, sensitive and always fun.  This is one of my favorite groups.  Their compositions and arrangements represent the level of musicianship I always look for while being accessible to all listeners.  Plus, Matt is just plain silly.  I find that such an endearing quality."

John Clayton's Jazz Port Townsend Performance Guide: Saturday Afternoon, July 26

We asked Artistic Director John Clayton for his thoughts on the artists you'll be seeing at 2008 Jazz Port Townsend. We'll divide those comments into one post for each mainstage show. Today, we feature the artists on the Saturday afternoon bill: Eric Alexander and Kim Nazarian, and an All-Star tribute to Bob Florence. You can purchase tickets for the Saturday afternoon show online.

Eric Alexander
"Eric Alexander’s command of  the tenor saxophone strikes awe in the listener.  He’s one of the most flexible players in the business.  One can hear his Dexter Gordon, Mobley, Trane influences, yet Eric’s sound is clearly Eric.  He’s a regular in clubs in NY like SMOKE, much like the days when listeners could hear George Coleman every week.   One of his favorite sounds is that of his horn combined with trumpet.  He’ll have that with the fiery Gilbert Castellanos, PLUS one of the smoking-est baritone sax players on the planet, Gary Smulyan.  This group can burn a hole through anything."

Kim Nazarian
"How lucky we are to hear the solo voice of Kim Nazarian.  Her work with The New York Voices is widely known, but seldom do we get to hear her do her own thing.  I not only love her singing, I also love her ability to communicate to audiences, whether the audiences are listeners or musicians.  Kim will touch your soul."

All-Star Big Band to Tribute Bob Florence
"Bob Florence was a legendary composer and arranger, and a generous spirit at Jazz Port Townsend. Bob was a wonderful and warm person, and his piano playing was always fresh and innovative, prompting younger musicians to seek him out. Bob was slated to lead this summer’s All-Star Big Band in a concert of his music, before he passed away in May. Instead, Kim Richmond, faculty member and lead alto player in Bob’s band, will direct the All Stars in a tribute to Bob."

Stay tuned for the Saturday evening performance guide...

John Clayton's Jazz Port Townsend Performance Guide: Friday, July 25

We asked Artistic Director John Clayton for his thoughts on the artists you'll be seeing at 2008 Jazz Port Townsend. We'll divide those comments into one post for each mainstage show. Today, we feature the artists on the Friday night bill: Taylor Eigsti and Wycliffe Gordon. You can purchase tickets for the Friday show online.

Taylor Eigsti
"Taylor has been making my jaw drop since the days he performed as a wunderkind with saxophonist, Red Holloway.  Taylor was a young teen then and now, after having studied at USC and absorbing lessons from many of his favorite musicians, Taylor’s voice has surfaced.  He has an abundance of creativity and technique to support his musicianship.  His music is fun, deep, engaging.  I still wonder where a young man like this gets his seasoned ideas.  I can’t wait to hear what he’ll bring to us."

Wycliffe Gordon
"Wycliffe’s trombone playing touches the soul.  As audience members, we always appreciate being able to connect with a performer’s expression.  Wycliffe makes it easy.  He swings, he plays beautiful ballads, he allows us to be a part of his roots, he keeps us smiling.  His music is so rhythmic that it’s hard to prevent the body from moving!  So, we’ve allowed for a “Wycliffe Outlet.”  There will be a dance floor ready for anyone who wants “do their thang” to his music.  Joining Wycliffe in the front line will be his friend and colleague, another remarkable trombonist, Andre Hayward."

Stay tuned for Saturday afternoon and evening performance guides...

Taylor Eigsti: A Jazz Prodigy in the Next Stage

The young piano phenom Taylor Eigsti kicks off the mainstage performance component of 2008 Jazz Port Townsend on Friday, July 25. While young in years (early 20s), he boasts a playing resume that takes one's breath away. After all, not many of us can say that we opened for David Benoit at the age of 8, or played with Dave Brubeck at 12, or released our first CD at 14.

Judith Schlesinger has a fascinating interview with Eigsti over at All About Jazz that explores his musical development. Read the whole thing.

My favorite part of the interview is Taylor's own take on the double-edged nature of being labled as a 'prodigy.'

"At first, being labelled a prodigy—or someone who's young and can play really well—is something that can get people to pay attention to your music, obviously. Sometimes people take a little extra notice because they're like, “Hey, what in the world is this?” I've also been in lots of incredible performance situations younger than people getting a later start might have been.

But being 20 [in 2004], I'm at the other side of that sword. What I'm experiencing now is that “youth” and prodigy” are really dangerous words when you get older. You get to an age where you feel like saying, ”Like my music or hate it, but listen to the notes I'm playing.” When people call you “good for your age” it's just a filter: when those people hear my music, it's like they're looking at a bearded lady--- Taylor the bearded lady! (laughs) They're in it for the novelty, and not for the actual music itself. So being labelled a prodigy poses an immense difficulty in getting people to take your music seriously.

That's where I am right now. I'm trying to create my own new statement in jazz—not doing that ”impressing people” kind of thing..."

Taylor opens the show Friday night (with a killer band), followed by Wycliffe Gordon and a New Orleans dance. Purchase tickets and choose seats online.

Full Band Lineups Added

We've just added the full band lineups for the mainstage concerts at Jazz Port Townsend.

Go deep on our Jazz Port Townsend performance page.

Thursday Jazz Clubs Sold Out

Our Thursday, July 24 Jazz in the Clubs shows are all at capacity and officially sold out.

You still have plenty of opportunity to listen to jazz during Jazz Port Townsend, however.

In a nutshell, here is what's left:

Mainstage concerts:
Friday, July 25, 7:30pm
Saturday, July 26, 1:30pm
Saturday, July 26, 7:30pm

Jazz in the Clubs:
Friday, July 25, 10pm-1am
Saturday, July 26, 10pm-1am

Get complete information on our Jazz Port Townsend performance page.

Announcing the Contemporary Stringband Workshop

We've just opened registration on an exciting new workshop here at Centrum.

Somewhere beyond or behind all musical borders lies a creative terrain where bluegrass, jazz, classical, pop, and various world musics mingle, played by musicians who care more for inspiration than they do for genre.

Our Contemporary Stringband Workshop is designed to take you there, and there is no better guide than Darol Anger, along with his fellow faculty members Scott Nygaard, Tristan Clarridge, and Matt Flinner.

Visit our CSW page for complete information on this premium experience taking place November 13-16, 2008 here at Fort Worden State Park.

Jazz Clinic Sessions Open to the Public

Want to get inside the 'jazz mind?"

We've decided to open up some of our workshop clinic sessions on Friday, July 25, to the general public. A limited number of tickets are available for jazz fans to spend the day attending a series of intimate jazz clinics at Fort Worden.

There will be a total of twelve clinics (centered on discussion and demonstration, not on performance), presented by jazz greats like clarinet master Paquito D’Rivera,  trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, pianist George Cables, trumpeter Terell Stafford, and many others. 

The focus of these sessions is on education rather than performance.  These jazz artists will be discussing and demonstrating their instrument, their technique, their tradition.

$20 gets you the whole day...a great steal, if you ask us. Visit our "Jazz Blowout" page for more information, including a schedule.