Jazzman Martin Lund Presents First Annual Jazz Festival

September 4 – 6, 2015 at Orcas Center

— by Jackie Daigle —

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For anyone new to Orcas Island who does not yet know Martin Lund and his passion for music, the first annual Orcas Island Jazz Festival is the start of something big.

Creating a music camp for kids has always been a dream of his. Yes, he’s an accomplished musician having worked with some of the greatest blues artists of our time; worked in recording studios in LA as a composer and arranger and with diverse artists from Mel Torme to Isacc Hayes. But what turns him on is teaching. Martin sees this Jazz Festival as the perfect venue to teach kids and adults as well all about Jazz. So, it’s no coincidence that the three musicians that comprise the Jovino Santos Neto’s Trio are all music educators. Aside from the educational aspect this festival could provide, one thing is for certain – listeners will get to hear world-class music for three nights over this Labor Day weekend.

Martin Lund will perform all three evenings. While Saturday’s performance features Brazilian music, Sunday’s performance will celebrate Latin Rhythms. Joining the stage Sunday evening are a lineup of local musicians including Gene Nery.
Here’s the Schedule, with ticket information following:

Friday September 4th 7:30pm Gypsy Jazz Night with Pearl Django and Gail Pettis
Pearl Django
Gypsy Jazz at its best, Pearl Django endures as one of the most highly regarded Hot Club style groups working today. Although the band’s roots are firmly in the music made famous by Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli. the band’s signature style is marked by pristine and dexterous string work, the steady pulse of rhythm guitar and an unmistakable swing that delights audiences of all musical sensibilities.
Members:
Ryan Hoffman & Troy Chapman, Guitar; Michael Gray, Violin;
David Lange, Accordion; Rick Leppanen, Bass

Gail Pettis
Named ” 2010 Northwest Vocalist of the Year,” Gail’s rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing have been described as “deliciously soulful” by Cadence Magazine. Her live performances have been described by Earshot jazz as going “…from strength to strength, performing a winning, crowd-involving style of vocal jazz.”. No stranger to Orcas Island, we’re delighted to have Gail grace our stage once again. Fun fact … Gail is an orthodontist.

Saturday, September 5th Brazil Night
6:45pm pre-concert talk with Jovino Santos Neto
7:30 pm Concert – Jovino Santos Neto Trio with Gail Pettis and Paula Santoro

Jovino Santos Neto, piano and flute
Three-time Latin Grammy nominee Jovino Santos Neto, a master pianist, composer and arranger, is among the top Brazilian musicians working today. Currently based in Seattle, he has throughout his career been closely affiliated with the Brazilian master Hermeto Pascoal. He was an integral part of Pascoal’s group from 1977 to1992, where he fine-tuned his artistry, performing around the world and co-producing several legendary records. Currently, Jovino leads his Seattle-based ensemble and teaches piano and composition at Cornish College of the Arts. He can also be heard around the world as a piano soloist, working with symphony orchestras, jazz big bands, chamber music groups, and in collaboration with musicians such as his mentor Hermeto Pascoal, Bill Frisell and Paquito d’Rivera.

Chuck Deardorf, bass
Chuck Deardorf has been an integral member of the Northwest jazz scene for over two decades. A respected acoustic and electric bassist, his dynamic performances have been a part of countless festivals, nightclubs, and recording sessions, touring the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Australia with such jazz greats as saxophonists Bud Shank and Don Lanphere; pianists George Cables, Bill Mays, and Kenny Barron; and guitarists Larry Coryell and Bruce Forman. Deardorf teaches bass, leads classes in sight-reading, coaches ensembles and counsels Cornish students in music careers.

Jeff Busch, percussion and drums
Jeff Busch is an exuberant drummer/percussionist, vocalist, and composer whose passion for soulful music of varied traditions has led him to perform with jazz, blues, and gospel groups–as well as calypso, samba, and Cuban jazz ensembles. Jeff worked as a percussion accompanist for dancers in England. Now based in Seattle, he continues this work for the Cornish College of the Arts, and for Janelle Keane’s Afro-Brazilian dance classes at the University of Washington Experimental College.

Paula Santoro
Paula Santoro de Sousa Lima was born in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais), the sixth largest city in Brazil. From an early start, singing was a big part of her life. At the young age of 3 she would entertain her family by singing children’s songs during family reunions. Paula has come a long way from those family soirées, traveling the world while launching her career. It’s not often that a new star emerges on the international music scene with a fully formed and very personal vision expressed through contemporary rhythms and musical eloquence, but such is the case with Paula Santoro. A star of the concert stage, musical theater, and Brazilian television, Santoro’s grasp of the modern Brazilian musical vernacular is nearly as complete as her deeper understanding of artistic expression employed to express a full range of human emotions.

Sunday, September 6th Latin Music Night
6:45pm pre-concert talk with Jovino Santos Neto
7:30 pm Concert – Jovino Santos Neto Trio with Gail Pettis and Paula Santoro

Tickets cost $28 for adults and $16 for students; three-day passes are $75 for adults and $40 for students. Tickets for Saturday and Sunday evenings also include a pre-concert talk with Jovino Santos Neto. CDs will be offered for sale including Martin’s latest CD Sentimental Journeys – a group of songs about trains, planes, automobiles and boats – romantic adventures about the joy of the journey, not the destination.

For tickets, go to: www.orcascenter.org or call (360) 376-2281.