Jazz Port Townsend - Day 6

July 27, 2007

Roberta Gambarini presented a workshop on the song and how a performer infuses a song with meaning. Her accompanist for the session was pianist Tamir Hendelmen.

Roberta Gambarini

Tamir Hendelmen

After Roberta’s session, I attended a number of the student performances taking place throughout the day.




Later that day, the Jazz Port Townsend public performances began. People gathered just outside McCurdy Pavilion in anticipation. McCurdy Pavilion is a refurbished balloon hangar that can hold as audience as large as 1200 people. I attended two performances in the pavilion today. The festival also includes performances in Port Townsend clubs in the evening.


Radio personality Jim Wilkie and festival director, and bassist, John Clayton welcomed the audience to the festival.

Jim Wilkie

John Clayton

I caught a rousing set by the Houston Person Trio, featuring Houston Person on sax, Jeff Hamilton on drums and Atsuko Hashimoto on Hammond B-3.


Atsuko Hashimoto

Houston Person

I closed out my day with a performance by the Banda Brothers, led by Ramon and Tony Banda.


Joey DeLeón, percussion

Tom Catanzaro, tenor sax, and Francisco Torres, trombone

Chris Barron, piano

Jazz Port Townsend - Day 5

July 26, 2007

In the morning, Gerald Wilson presented one of his several sessions on arranging to workshop participants. The session was moderated by John Clayton.

Gerald Wilson

John Clayton



Meals to workshop participants, including today’s lunch, were served in the Fort Worden Commons.


After lunch, instructors and workshop participants gathered for a group photograph.



Today's faculty performances included a scintillating set by Roberta Gambarini.

Roberta Gambarini, vocalist

Tamir Hendelman, piano



Liis rehearses with pianist Steve Christofferson, late in the day.

Jazz Port Townsend - Day 4

July 25, 2007

Gerald Wilson and John Clayton continue their discussion of Wilson’s career in jazz in Fort Worden’s Wheeler Theater:



Later in the day, the faculty performances resume:

Randy Halberstadt, piano

Houston Person

Jeff Clayton, Bill Ramsay, Houston Person & Gary Smulyan

Nancy King, vocalist

Bass players rule, for a set in Wheeler Theater:



After today’s faculty performances, the workshops and other activities resume:

Vocal workshop jam session

Clarence Acox, instructor

Late in the evening, workshop students rehearse for an upcoming performance:

Jazz Port Townsend - Day 3

July 24, 2007

The vocal workshops continued today, including a lively performance featuring the three workshop instructors: Roberta Gambarini, Nancy King and Dee Daniels. Festival staff provide photo credentials, allowing me access.


Bassist and festival artistic director John Clayton introduces today’s faculty concert:


Jay Thomas, flugelhorn

Dawn Clement, piano

Terell Stafford, trumpet

Ingrid Jensen (right), trumpet

Steve Davis, John Clayton & Lynne Arriale

Gerald Wilson was a highlight of the festival. The great composer and band leader had several sessions in which he described his life in jazz, taught several classes on arranging and led a band in one of the festival public performances.

John Clayton and Gerald Wilson



Liis Todd and Gerald Wilson

Jazz Port Townsend - Day 2

July 23, 2007

Liis started her vocal jazz workshop today. I took the rental car, drove around and checked out the area. In Port Townsend I found a silent vigil for peace hosted by the local branch of Women in Black:




Returning to Fort Worden, I captured the following images from the bluff near our room in one of the former base barracks:




Now an inn in the State Park, Alexander's Castle (above) is reputed to be a story of unrequited love. The locals reveal that it was built by Reverend John Alexander for his Scottish bride-to-be in the late 19th century. When he returned to Scotland to bring her back to the United States, he discovered that she had married another man.