PORT TOWNSEND — In its 43rd year, internationally attended Jazz Port Townsend will feature three mainstage concerts tonight and Saturday.
And that doesn’t include the myriad of performances scheduled in close-knit quarters across town.
Centrum Foundation, which started the festival in 1975, has organized public shows in downtown Port Townsend and Fort Worden State Park’s McCurdy Pavilion, 200 Battery Way.
Jazz in the Clubs brings renowned jazz musicians to Port Townsend venues, including American Legion Hall, Cellar Door, Key City Public Theatre, Pope Marine Building, Old Whiskey Mill and Beverly’s Hall.
These are the sort of joints where jazz originated.
And that’s the idea — to experience authentic jazz in an intimate setting.
To make full use of your all-night access wristband, Centrum suggests hopping between venues during the 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. time slot, according to its website at http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Jazz-Performances.
Among others, Centrum’s mainstage concerts will spotlight flutist Hubert Laws, who earned the genre’s highest award, the National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Master Award, in 2011; vocalist Niki Haris, who recorded and toured with Madonna for 18 years; and Wycliffe Gordon, who has been named “Trombonist of the Year” nine times by the Jazz Journalists Association.
Ticket Prices
Tickets are sold online, by phone or in person. Tickets can be purchased at centrum.org/tickets/individual-tickets/ until midnight one day prior to the event.
To buy tickets by phone, call 800-746-1982 between 6 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the Centrum office, 223 Battery Way, today from noon to 4 p.m.
A $25 wristband buys admission into all venues for Jazz in the Clubs today or Saturday. Each venue will have a first-come-first-served policy with seating and standing options.
Tonight’s mainstage concert costs $27, $35 or $46, depending on seating location. Saturday afternoon’s performance varies by $30, $40 or $54. Saturday night’s mainstage concert costs $27, $35 or $46.
Festival packages provide admission into mainstage concerts and Jazz in the Clubs or mainstage concerts alone.
The All-Fest Package includes all three McCurdy Pavilion concerts and Jazz in the Clubs tonight and Saturday. Section A seating costs $180, section B costs $140 and section C costs $120.
The Mainstage Package includes the three McCurdy Pavilion concerts. Section A seating costs $135, section B costs $100 and section C costs $80.
The schedule of public performances this weekend:
Tonight’s mainstage concert, 7:30 p.m.
The mainstage concert at McCurdy Pavilion will include:
• First set: “Keep on Keepin’ On” with Justin Kauflin (piano), Doug Weiss (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums).
• Second set: “Laws to Live By” with Hubert Laws (flute), Bill Cunliffe (piano), John Clayton (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums).
Tonight’s Jazz in the Clubs, 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• American Legion Hall, 209 Monroe St., will feature Tia Fuller (alto), Jeff Clayton (alto), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Jon Hamer (bass) and Gary Hobbs (drums).
• Cellar Door, 940 Water St., will feature Dawn Clement (piano), Michael Glynn (bass) and Kelby MacNayr (drums).
• Key City Public Theatre, 1128 Lawrence St., will feature workshop vocalists with Eric Verlinde (piano), Chris Symer (bass) and Mark Ivester (drums).
• Pope Marine Building, 1000 Madison St., will feature workshop participant combos.
• Old Whiskey Mill, 1038 Water St., will feature Adrian Cunningham (tenor and clarinet), Terrell Stafford (trumpet), Sean Jones (trumpet), Gary Smulyan (bari sax), Bruce Forman (guitar), Bill Cunliffe (piano), Martin Wind (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums).
• Beverly’s Hall, 1034 Water St., will feature George Cables (piano), John Clayton (bass) and Jeff Hamilton (drums).
Saturday’s mainstage concerts, 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
1:30 p.m. — The afternoon mainstage concert at McCurdy Pavilion will include:
• First set: “Tia and Sullivan” with Tia Fuller (alto sax), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Doug Weiss (bass) and Kendrick Scott (drums).
• Second set: “Lifting Voices” with Cedric Dent (voice), Dee Daniels (voice), Niki Haris (voice), Sullivan Fortner (piano), Jon Hamar (bass) and Joe La Barbera (drums).
• Third set: “Big Baaaad Band: Centrum All Star Big Band” with faculty soloists Jeff Clayton (alto), Adrian Cunningham (tenor), Dee Daniels (voice), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Niki Haris (voice), Sean Jones (trumpet) and Terell Stafford (trumpet).
7:30 p.m. — Also at McCurdy Pavilion, Saturday night’s mainstage concert will include:
• First set: “Hello Pops — A Tribute to Louis Armstrong” with Wycliffe Gordon (trombone, trumpet and vocals), Adrian Cunningham (clarinet and saxophone), Bill Cunliffe (piano), Martin Wind (bass) and Jeff Hamilton (drums).
• Second set: “The Haris House: Niki Haris featuring special Wycliffe Gordon” with Niki Haris (vocals), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Sullivan Fortner (piano), John Clayton (bass) and Joe La Barbera (drums).
Saturday’s Jazz in the Clubs, 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
• American Legion Hall will feature Jay Thomas (trumpet and sax), Gary Smulyan (bari sax), Mark Taylor (alto), Bruce Forman (guitar), Randy Halberstadt (piano), Jon Hamar (bass) and Gary Hobbs (drums).
• Cellar Door will feature Justin Kauflin (piano), Doug Weiss (bass) and Mark Ivester (drums).
• Key City Public Theatre will feature workshop vocalists with John Hansen (piano), Michael Glynn (bass) and Kelby MacNayr (drums).
• Pope Marine Building will feature workshop participant combos.
• Old Whiskey Mill will feature Jeff Clayton (alto), Niki Haris (vocals), Dee Daniels (vocals), Dan Balmer (guitar), Eric Verlinde (piano), Chris Symer (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums).
• Beverly’s Hall will feature George Cables (piano), Chuck Deardorf (bass) and Joe La Barbera (drums).
For more information, visit centrum.org/jazz-port-townsend-performances.
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Reporter Sarah Sharp can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or at ssharp@peninsula dailynews.com.
Trumpeter Sean Jones will perform in Centrum’s All Star Big Band on Saturday for Jazz Port Townsend. (Sean Jones)
