JUNE 3 – JUNE 6, 2010
About the Bellevue Jazz Festival
2009 BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL CELEBRATES COMMUNITY AND THE CREATIVE POWER OF MUSIC
National and local jazz stars will light up the 2009 Bellevue Jazz Festival
in Downtown Bellevue, May 22 – 24. Featured artists are Dianne Reeves
Strings Attached, the Mingus Big Band, Kurt Elling, Patricia Barber,
Danilo Perez, and Mose Allison Trio.
The Bellevue Jazz Festival returned last year under the direction of the
Bellevue Downtown Association (BDA) with a focus on entertaining audiences
with premier world and regional talent and showcasing the rich tradition
of jazz education in our community.
World-renowned saxophonist and three-time Grammy winner Branford Marsalis
headlined the festival with a concert May 23 at Meydenbauer Center. The
Spanish Harlem Orchestra, a 13-member Latin jazz ensemble and Grammy winner,
performed a sizzling Latin jazz dance set May 24 at Meydenbauer Center.
More than 20 free concerts by top regional artists were offered during the
weekend at venues throughout Downtown Bellevue.
Bellevue's jazz festival history dates back to 1978 when the City of Bellevue
first hosted the Bellevue Jazz Festival at Bellevue Community College. Honoring
this tradition and bringing jazz back in festival form is a primary aim
of the BDA. To accomplish this, the BDA has brought together a cast of more
than 20 jazz experts to help guide programming for the festival.
Since 1974, the BDA has produced major arts and cultural community events,
in addition to advocacy work on behalf of members, all to advance Downtown
Bellevue as the economic and cultural heart of the Eastside.
2009 BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL ADVISORS
Michele Abrams, CJAZZ
Shelley Brittingham, CITY OF BELLEVUE
Mary Pat Byrne, CITY OF BELLEVUE
Vivian Christiansen, KPLU 88.5
Joey Cohn, KPLU 88.5
Robert Derrick, CITY OF BELLEVUE
Karen Donovan, SPACE MEDIA
Stephen Elliott, MEYDENBAUER CENTER
John Gilbreath, EARSHOT JAZZ
Brenda Goldstein-Young, KPLU 88.5
Stacy Graven, MEYDENBAUER CENTER
John Haynes, PACE
Matt Jorgensen, ORIGIN RECORDS
Cooksie & Lionel Kramer, EASTSIDE JAZZ CLUB
Jennifer Leavitt, THE BELLEVUE COLLECTION
Greta Matassa, VOCALIST
Steve Ramsey, KBCS 91.3 FM
Leng Tshua, SHERMAN CLAY PIANOS
Rick Tupper, COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT
Jim Wilke, “JAZZ AFTER HOURS”
Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars Program
The 2009 festival also marks the launch of a program to celebrate and help
develop emerging jazz students. Working with a team of noted educators,
the festival will present a unique high school player invitational program
called the Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars.
Rising Stars offers promising students from the Seattle metropolitan region
the unique opportunity to rehearse with noted area musicians in a workshop
environment, and then perform in a professional setting as part of the festival.
The Bellevue Jazz Festival invited 50 high school band directors from Washington
State to nominate students for Rising Stars. Nominated students applied
and auditioned for the program, and a panel of Rising Stars program advisors
selected players to form three six-member ensembles. The ensembles rehearsed
under the direction of three professional musicians from the local area.
Rehearsals were hosted and facilitated by Music Works Northwest.
The Bellevue Jazz Festival Rising Stars program will culminate at the Bellevue
Jazz Festival, Sunday, May 24 at 7:00 p.m. with a live performance by the
ensembles at the Theatre at Meydenbauer Center, as an opening act for the
Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2009 RISING STARS:
Christian Anderson, EDMONDS-WOODWAY (tenor saxophone)
Max Bates, BELLEVUE (alto saxophone)
Eddie Bond, MERCER ISLAND (guitar)
Tory Brediger, SHOREWOOD (bass)
Joe Gladow, SHOREWOOD (tenor saxophone)
Peter Graham, BELLEVUE (piano)
Thomas Guenther, KENTWOOD (alto saxophone)
Matthew Gunby, MERCER ISLAND (trombone)
Max Holmberg, ROOSEVELT (drums)
Ellie Lightfoot, GARFIELD (drums)
Eli Meisner, NEWPORT (guitar)
Mat Muntz, ROOSEVELT (bass)
Chris Picardo, MERCER ISLAND (tenor saxophone)
Ariel Pocock, NEWPORT (piano)
Colin Ramsay, MERCER ISLAND (drums)
Nick Rogstad, SAMMAMISH (trombone)
Zach Stoddard, NEWPORT (bass)
Devon Yesberger, EDMONDS-WOODWAY (piano)
2009 BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL RISING STARS CLINICIANS:
Michael Brockman, UW SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY / CO-DIRECTOR OF SRJO (Earshot Jazz Golden Ear for “Best Acoustic Jazz Ensemble,” 2005)
Steve Korn, DRUMMER
(Earshot Jazz Golden Ear “Emerging Artist of the Year,” 2000)
Neil Welch, SAXOPHONIST AND COMPOSER
(Earshot Jazz Golden Ear “Emerging Artist of the Year,” 2008)
2009 BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL STUDENT SHOWCASE
The Bellevue Jazz Festival is thrilled to present the Student Showcase
at the Bellevue Arts Museum on Friday and Saturday, May 22 & 23. Combos
from award-winning local programs will perform 45-minute sets showcasing
the rich and diverse offerings presented by members of the local high school
jazz scene. Stop by the Bellevue Arts Museum for an up close look at what
makes this area a hotbed of jazz talent!
| Friday, May 22 |
Saturday, May 23 |
| 3:15pm – 4:00pm |
12:30pm – 1:15pm |
| 4:30pm – 5:15pm |
3:30pm – 4:15pm |
| 5:45pm – 6:30pm |
4:45pm – 5:30pm |
2009 BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL EDUCATION TEAM
Michael Brockman, UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Vince Caruso, BELLEVUE HIGH SCHOOL
Matt Eisenhauer, NEWPORT HIGH SCHOOL
Paul Harshman. SHOREWOOD HIGH SCHOOL
Scott Ketron, MUSIC WORKS NORTHWEST