Jazz Port Townsend mainstage performances take place at Fort Worden’s McCurdy Pavilion.
Centrum – the national arts nonprofit located at Fort Worden State Park – presents Jazz Port Townsend July 25-27, 2013 . Washington’s largest summer jazz festival, Jazz Port Townsend will be headlined in 2013 by such internationally renowned musicians as Anat Cohen, Wycliffe Gordon, and Artistic Director John Clayton – turning the Victorian seaport and arts community of Port Townsend into an incredible summer jazz scene.
Mainstage shows take place at Fort Worden State Park’s McCurdy Pavilion—a renovated WWI-era balloon hangar converted into a 1,200-seat performance hall. Smaller, more intimate shows take place in Port Townsend’s downtown restaurants and clubs.
The lineup of mainstage and club performers includes such artists as Clarence Acox, Cyrille Aimee, Dan Balmer, George Cables, Obed Calvaire, Dave Captein, Gerald Clayton, Jeff Clayton, John Clayton, Dawn Clement, Anat Cohen, Chuck Deardorf, Diego Figueiredo, Wycliffe Gordon, Randy Halberstadt, Jon Hamar, Jeff Hamilton, Stefon Harris, Gary Hobbs, Jeff Johnson, Joe LaBarbera, Kelly MacNayr, Julian McDonough, Thomas Marriott, Rene Marie, Dave Peck, Travis Ranney, Joe Sanders, Vern Sielert, Bria Skonberg, Gary Smulyan, Terell Stafford, Chris Symer, Mark Taylor, Jay Thomas, Byron Vannoy, Sachal Vasandani, Eric Verlinde, Laura Welland, Jiggs Whigam, Rodney Whitaker, Anthony Wilson, and Matt Wilson.
The mainstage and club performances serve as the public capstone to the weeklong jazz workshop attended by 225 jazz students of all ages from all over the country.
“Centrum’s Jazz Port Townsend festival rivals any major assembly of jazz musicians in the world,” said Centrum executive director Robert Birman. “The camaraderie, stellar talent and love of Port Townsend pervade every performance. We are excited to feature two of the fastest rising women in jazz, Anat Cohen and Bria Skonberg, on one ticket on Friday, June 26. That will be an event not to be missed. In addition, we have a big band salute to Quincy Jones and top shelf arrangers and performers at every event this summer. I tip my hat to John Clayton and his colleagues who dedicate so much to making Port Townsend’s jazz week one of the best of the year, every year.”
Jazz Port Townsend is produced with support from the National Endowment for the Arts; Washington State Parks; the Washington State Arts Commission; Harris, Mericle & Wakayama; Subway; AllState; Edward Jones; WESTAF; and Wilder Auto, as well as media sponsors KPLU and KPTZ.
To Order Tickets visit www.centrum.org; call Centrum at 800.746.1982 or visit the Centrum office at Fort Worden State Parkfrom noon until 4 pm, Monday through Friday. Tickets are also available at the box office beginning one hour before each show.