2024 Festival Dates: August 23, 24, 25
24th Annual / Esther Short Park / Vancouver, WA USA
Vancouver Wine & Jazz Festival
Gates open
@ 3:00 PM
Friday Headline Band
8:30 - 9:45 PM | Jontavious Willis Band
GRAMMY-nominated Jontavious Willis is resolved in his mission: to reinvigorate today’s Blues with the spirit of the past. Inspired by a time when the Blues were plentiful and rhythm reigned supreme, Jontavious leverages his unique sound—a synthesis of his Georgia heritage and reverence for traditional Blues—to get the world dancing again. Jontavious performs original, toe-tapping tunes in the style of Delta, Piedmont, Texas, and Gospel Blues. Dynamic vocals, technical prowess, and an abundance of Southern charm keep Jontavious sending jolts of vitality through the Blues community. Jontavious received widespread acclaim when he was invited to open for Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’ during their TajMo tour in 2018, giving him an opportunity to perform on a national stage.
". . .Jontavious is a great new voice of the 21st century in the acoustic blues. . .” - Taj Mahal
The BEST of the Northwest Bands
4:00 - 5:00 PM | Terry Robb - Acoustic American Blues
Terry Robb is an awarding-winning fingerstyle guitarist, singer, composer, and arranger. His work is featured in Hollywood films, and documentaries such as Game of Thrones, The Horse Whisperer, and Dance of Death: The Life of John Fahey, American Guitarist. He is associated with the American Primitive Guitar genre and is regarded as a virtuoso of acoustic blues guitar. Robb has released 15 critically acclaimed solo recordings and performed at festivals and concert halls across the United States, Canada and Europe. His latest release, Confessin’ My Dues, was nominated by The Blues Foundation for the Acoustic Blues Album Blues Music Award. Robb is a member of the Recording Academy, Oregon Music Hall of Fame and Cascade Blues Association Fall of Fame.
“. . .Terry Robb is one of our finest acoustic guitarists today. . .” – Living Blues magazine
Website: CLICK HERE | Video: CLICK HERE
3:45: - 5:00 PM | Stanley Jordan - Jazz Guitarist
Be it bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits, to blazing straight ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works, Stanley Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected. Jordan came to prominence with his 1985 album Magic Touch, a revolutionary project that placed him at the forefront of re-launching legendary Blue Note Records into a contemporary entity in jazz. Magic Touch was at the top of Billboard's jazz chart for a stunning and record-breaking 51 weeks. The album became a gold-seller (over 500,000 sold in the U.S. alone) - outstanding for any jazz or instrumental CD. Jordan performs frequently as a soloist and performs with the Dave Matthews Band, the String Cheese Incident, Phil Lesh, Moe, and Umphrey's McGee, as well as collaborating with other guitarists such as Kevin Eubanks. Jordan has received four GRAMMY nominations.
“…Genius is a word often tossed around in musical circles, but it has been rightfully applied to Stanley Jordan...” – LA Times Jazz Critic Leonard Feather
Sat | Aug 24, 2024
1:30 – 2:30 PM | Navy Band Northwest Jazz Band – 80th Anniversary
The Navy Band Northwest Jazz Band leans into contemporary jazz, performing songs by Marcus Miller, Snarky Puppy, Michel Camilo, and Vulfpeck – but sprinkles their show with a salt and pepper of jazz fusion and jazz standards. This cutting-edge jazz ensemble is anything but ‘old school.’ In 1944, a group of Sailors formed a band at Naval Air Station Seattle at Sand Point to welcome home the Hellcat Fighter Squadron returning from combat operations in the South Pacific. The band became known thereafter as the “Hellcat Band.” 80 years later, Navy Band Northwest is the United States Navy's musical ambassador in the Pacific Northwest region and is one of nine U.S. Navy Bands in the continental United States, Hawaii, Italy, and Japan.
6:30 - 7:45 PM | Marcus Roberts Jazz Trio
Pianist Marcus Roberts is often hailed as “the genius of the modern piano.” He is known throughout the world for his impeccable technique, introspective playing, and commitment to integrating the jazz and classical idioms to create something wholly new. His first recording with orchestra (Portraits in Blue, Sony Classical, 1996) featured his innovative arrangement of “Rhapsody in Blue” and was nominated for a Grammy. Roberts’ melodic and soulful group improvisational style uses musical cues and exotic rhythms as the foundation for his modern approach to the jazz trio. The Marcus Roberts Trio features the phenomenal drummer Jason Marsalis, and gifted bassist Rodney Jordan and is known for its virtuosic style and entirely new approach to jazz trio performance. While most jazz trios have the piano front and center, all members of the Marcus Roberts Trio share equally in shaping the direction of the music.
“Pianist Marcus Roberts is a genius that makes him the logical successor to Thelonious Monk's wild style, with a lot of Fats Waller in his stride” – Philadelphia Inquirer
Gates open
@ 11 AM
5:30 - 6:30 PM | Norman Sylvester Blues Band
Born in Bonita, LA in 1945, Norman's earliest influence came from hearing gospel singing in church, and blues greats like BB King and T Bone Walker coming from the Juke Joints on the back streets of town. His first professional gig was in 1963 with the legendary Isaac Scott. Norman has since shared the stage with the likes of James Cotton, Tower of Power, Buddy Guy, Blind Boys of Alabama, Peter Frampton, and many more. The Norman Sylvester Band performed at the first Portland Waterfront Blues Festival in 1987 and has played over 4000 concerts in its 40 years. Norman is known for his generosity in sharing the stage with young ‘up-and-coming’ musicians and is an outstanding educator and blues scholar. Norman is an Oregon Music Hall of Fame inductee and is recognized as one of the BEST bluesmen in the Northwest by fans and his colleagues alike.
7:15 - 8:30 PM | Charlie Musselwhite
13-time GRAMMY nominee Charlie Musselwhite’s journey through the blues was from his birth in Mississippi to Memphis, Chicago, and California. Arriving in Chicago in the early sixties, he was just in time for the epochal blues revival. Fifty years of nonstop touring, performing, and recording have reaped huge rewards. Charlie Musselwhite is living proof that great music only gets better with age. Charlie has been collaborating with the world’s finest Artists for many years, including Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Eddie Vedder, Tom Waits, Bonnie Raitt, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Gov’t Mule, INXS, Mickey Hart and Japan’s Kodo Drummers, George Thorogood, Eliades Ochoa, Cat Stevens and John Lee Hooker. Musselwhite, more than any other harmonica player of his generation, can rightfully lay claim to inheriting the mantle of many of the great harp players that came before him with music as dark as Mississippi mud and as uplifting as the blue skies of California.
“Harmonica virtuoso Musselwhite richly decorates his music with telling nuance and chiseled detail.” – San Francisco Chronicle
The BEST of the Northwest Bands
12:00 - 1:00 PM | Jasnam Daya Singh Chamber Jazz
Brazilian-born pianist and composer Jasnam Daya Singh now makes the Pacific Northwest his home. His impeccable technique and introspective playing endear him to audiences and musicians alike. Singh’s Ekta: The Unity Project, was commissioned by Portland Jazz Composers Ensemble for the 2017 Montavilla Jazz Festival. It is a multi-movement suite that incorporates a wide-range of tributaries of the jazz stylistic river—Brazilian choro and samba of Singh’s country of birth, expansive European jazz and classical styles, and high-energy straight-ahead jazz. Since 1991, he has made constant appearances at the Monterey Jazz Festival. He has recorded and performed with great luminaries such as Paul McCandless, Ali Ryerson, Kenny Stahl, Claudia Villela, Charles Loos, Marcia Maria, Alex Acuna, and Alphonso Johnson. In 2009, Jasnam Daya Singh’s CD Live at Caramoor with Jovino Santos Neto, received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Album.
Fri | Aug 23, 2024
Sunday Headliners
2:00 - 3:15 PM | (Updating)
Artist Website: CLICK HERE | Music Video: CLICK HERE
Saturday Headline Bands
3:00 - 4:15 PM | Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra
The Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra was formed in 2000 to encourage women and girls to become involved in jazz performance and composition as a career or avocation, to develop the musical, educational, and artistic growth of individual musicians, and to foster appreciation of jazz as an art form. SWOJO has become a dynamic force for jazz in the Puget Sound and Pacific Northwest. It has performed at clubs, jazz festivals, and concert halls on two continents and performed with many female jazz artists including Hazel Leach, Jill Townsend, Ingrid Jensen, Grace Kelly, Mimi Fox, Christine Jensen, Sherrie Maricle, Sheryl Bailey, Greta Matassa, and Dee Daniels. The orchestra has performed at the Earshot Jazz Festival, Seattle Jazz Vespers, the Triple Door Mainstage, Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle’s Bumbershoot Festival, Festival Jazz en Lima (Peru), and many others.
“…a thoroughly professional, bold, glossy, and swinging sound…” – Jazziz magazine
7:00 - 8:00 PM | US Navy Northwest Brass Band - Celebrating 80 Years!
In 1944, a group of Sailors formed a band at Naval Air Station Seattle at Sand Point to welcome home the Hellcat Fighter Squadron returning from combat operations in the South Pacific. The band became known thereafter as the “Hellcat Band.” 80 years later, Navy Band Northwest is the United States Navy's musical ambassador in the Pacific Northwest region and is one of nine U.S. Navy Bands in the continental United States, Hawaii, Italy, and Japan. This 35-member unit performs in various ensembles including New Orleans-style brass band, jazz quintet, rock band, concert band, and more. The Navy Band Northwest Brass Band performs funk, rhythm and blues, jazz, and soul music in the old-school New Orleans Brass Band tradition featuring trumpets, trombones, tuba, saxes, and drums. Get your dancing shoes on, and party like its Mardi Gras!
4:45 - 6:00 PM | The Rumba Kings
Formed in 2015 by George Stevens (bouzouki & Spanish guitar) and Johnny Bacolas (bassist & songwriter), The Rumba Kings is a Seattle-based band that defies musical boundaries. Since 2018, they have gained a steady following through the support of Seattle jazz station KNKX FM. Influenced by diverse musical genres ranging from the Spanish-guitar influence of The Gipsy Kings to the Mediterranean-inspired instrumental melodies of Yanni, The Rumba Kings captivate audiences with their diverse and romantic blend of Jazz, Pop, Latin, and Mediterranean music. While their name may suggest a focus on rumba, the name is somewhat misleading. The Rumba Kings' repertoire encompasses a myriad of musical influences, creating a rich and dynamic sound combined with a powerful 12-piece live stage show featuring guitars, bouzouki, mandolin, bass, Latin percussion, keyboards, strings, singers, saxophones, and dancers.
Website: CLICK HERE | Video: CLICK HERE | Video: CLICK HERE
12:30 - 1:30 PM | The Dan Balmer Group
Guitarist Dan Balmer has performed and toured with Joey DeFrancesco, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Les McCann, Javon Jackson, Karrin Allyson, Benny Golson, Jeff Hamilton, Gerald Clayton, John Clayton, Terell Stafford, Ingrid Jensen, Duduka da Fonseca, Kendrick Scott, Taylor Eigsti, Buddy De Franco, Bruce Forman, and countless other jazz artists. The Dan Balmer Group will play music from Dan's 2023 CD When The Night, which Ashley Kahn of the New York Times called “…one of the best CDs of last year…" Dan's music is a unique blend of jazz, indie rock, funk, and pop, that is emotional, accessible, and virtuosic. Dan received The PDX Jazz Master Award for 2024.
"...the model of what a contemporary guitarist should be..." - LA Times
5:30 - 6:45 PM | The Brubeck Brothers Jazz Quartet
Chris and Dan Brubeck have been making music together practically all their lives. Drummer Dan and bassist, trombonist, and composer Chris cut their first record in 1966— more than a half century ago. They’ve subsequently played with numerous groups, as well as with their father, jazz giant Dave Brubeck, and with their own Brubeck Brothers Quartet. Guitarist Mike DeMicco and pianist Chuck Lamb complete this dynamic quartet. The quartet has performed on concert series, colleges, and jazz festivals across North America and Europe including the Newport, Detroit, Montreal, and Monterey Jazz Festivals, and with chamber & orchestral groups such as the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Russian National Symphony Orchestra, and the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. Although the Quartet’s style is rooted in “straight-ahead” jazz, the group’s creativity, technique, and improvisation can be heard in their uncompromising music, which reflects their dedication to melody, rhythm, culture, and the spontaneous spirit of jazz.
“The Brubeck Brothers Quartet attains that rarefied level where music is both relaxed and expressive, and their joy in its creation is contagious. There’s nothing out there that comes close to their unique blend of inventiveness.” — All About Jazz
Gates open
@ 11 AM
Sun | Aug 25, 2024
BEST of the Northwest Bands
11:30 AM- 12:15 PM | (Updating)
Artist Website: CLICK HERE | Music Video: CLICK HERE
8:15 - 9:30 PM | Elvin Bishop
Ever since Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and Blues Hall Of Famer Elvin Bishop first hit the scene with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band back in 1965, he’s blazed his own musical trail. Whether he was playing raw, eye-popping blues, or penning the evergreen radio hit Fooled Around And Fell In Love, or touring the world for decades delivering his original, good-time countrified blues, Bishop has always inspired his fans with his rowdy guitar playing and witty, slice-of-life songs. Toward the end of the 1960’s he became a regular at the famed Fillmore Auditorium jam sessions, playing alongside Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and B.B. King before embarking on a solo career. Although Bishop has been performing his electrified front porch blues for over 50 years (his first professional gig was as guitarist for Junior Wells’ band in 1962), he is as vital and creative an artist today as he was when he first hit the national scene in 1965.
“a legendary guitarist whose playing is impeccable and spirited…a distinguished American player.” – Rolling Stone
Website: CLICK HERE | Video: CLICK HERE | Video: CLICK HERE