Seven live jazz performances create a festival within a festival
WILSONVILLE, OREGON – MAY 17, 2022: Charbonneau Arts Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting local student art programs, has announced the addition of live jazz music to its 38th Annual Festival of the Arts, June 3-5. Beginning with the opening celebration on Friday evening and continuing throughout the weekend, festival goers will be treated to more than 70 regional artists and artisans, and the sounds of seven popular jazz performers from the Willamette Valley area. Tickets are not required for the performances, but donations will be welcome.
Guitarist Dan Balmer will headline Saturday’s performances. From coffee house gigs at age 15, to chart-topping success with the Tom Grant Band in the 90s, world tours with Grammy Award-winner Diane Schuur and contemporary jam-bands, Balmer brings fire and heart to every performance. He has recorded nearly 100 CDs, including twelve as a leader, from which his original works have appeared internationally in television, film, and radio.
Vocalist Rebecca Hardiman will headline Sunday’s line-up. Rebecca started her professional career with the Boston-based vocal jazz group The Ritz. While with The Ritz, Rebecca performed at the 1987 Montreal Jazz Festival and recorded a CD entitled The Ritz for Denon Columbia Records. To date, Rebecca has released six CDs and several singles, some being submitted for Grammy consideration. She has performed at all the major festivals and jazz venues in the Pacific Northwest.
Other featured artists include author, broadcaster, journalist, and spoken-word artist, Lynn Darroch. Lynn’s Bright Moments show is a mainstay on Portland’s KMHD Jazz Radio. His book, Rhythm in the Rain, chronicles the evolution of jazz music in the Pacific Northwest. Lynn will perform with jazz pianist George Colligan. With 130 albums to his credit, including 33 as a band leader, Colligan was the winner of DownBeat Magazine’s 2015 Critics Poll for keyboards.
The complete line-up follows, and all festival details are on the website at charbonneauarts.org.
Friday, June 3: 6pm – 9pm: Guitarist Kevin Karrick at the ticketed Opening Night Celebration.
Saturday, June 4: 10 a.m., Kind of Grey. 12 p.m., The Sarah Saul Combo. 2 p.m., The Dan Balmer Group.
Sunday, June 5: 10 a.m., The LeMaster Jazztet. 12 p.m., Lynn Darroch & George Colligan. 2 p.m., The Rebecca Hardiman Quartet.
About the Charbonneau Festival of the Arts
The Charbonneau Festival of the Arts is one of the longest running art shows in the region. It draws art lovers to the Charbonneau Country Club in Wilsonville. Fine artists and artisan vendors, plus students from Canby and Wilsonville High Schools will exhibit and sell their creations. The Jazz performances will be staged in the outdoor covered Pavilion. The event’s Silent Auction is a fundraiser for high school arts programs in Canby and Wilsonville. The bonus will be the Virtual Gallery and Music Stage at charbonneauarts.org, that will run for the month of June.
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