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Jazz Fest returns to Seaside
SEASIDE — After more
than 30 years running the
Seaside Jazz Festival, co-di-
rectors Ruth Johnson and
Judy Shook have decided
it’s time to hand over those
responsibilities.
North Coast broadcaster
Dennis Brodigan takes over
the helm.
Brodigan brings expe-
rience with the prominent
local fundraisers and has
been active in the Seaside
community.
“It is a great event that
brings hundreds of people
to the downtown core area,”
he said. “It is good for Sea-
side and good for jazz.”
The main festival runs
Friday, Feb. 23, through
Sunday, Feb. 25. A Thurs-
day opening night per-
formance featuring Dave
Bennett and the Memphis
Speed Kings at the Elks
COURTESY SOU’WESTER LODGE
The Cabin Project, aka Katie Sawicki (left) and Zanny Geffel
COURTESY SEASIDE JAZZ FESTIVAL
Dave Bennett and the Memphis Speed Kings open up the Seaside Jazz Festival.
Lodge is sold out.
Concerts continue Fri-
day, Saturday and Sunday
at the Seaside Civic & Con-
vention Center, Best West-
ern and the Elks Lodge.
Each band or performer
plays multiple sets through-
out the festival, moving
between venues. These sets
typically average at least an
hour. There are five featured
venues, and all venues are
located in the downtown
Seaside.
Groups include the
Uptown Lowdown Jazz
Band, Ivory and Gold, the
All New High Street Party
Band and Bob Draga and
Friends.
For more information,
visit http://www.jazzsea-
side.com/Schedule.htm.
Oregon Trail Trio honors Beaver State’s history in song
CANNON BEACH — The Ore-
gon Trail Trio celebrates the
Beaver State’s storied history
in song 3 p.m. Saturday,
Feb. 24, at Tolovana Hall in
Cannon Beach.
This free concert is
designed for families with
grade-school-aged children
and learners of all ages.
Besides bringing that
wild, dusty history to life,
the Trail Trio’s appeal is also
rooted in the present.
“An intimate, engaging
live performance is where
kids experience the wonder
of music,” Trio member
Mick Doherty said.
While hearing music
performed live in the days of
the Oregon Trail was a given,
today it’s not always the case.
“In the digital age I think
it’s very important for kids
to hear what wind- and
muscle-driven music sounds
like,” Doherty said.
Besides playing, singing
COURTESY TOLOVANA ARTS COLONY
The Oregon Trail Trio, from left: Phil Neuman, Gayle Neuman
and Mick Doherty notforsale
and telling stories, the Trail
Trio demonstrate the work-
ings of their instruments, in-
cluding guitar, fiddle, hammer
dulcimer and tuba. (Believe it
or not, the tuba was a staple of
music on the Trail.)
The Trio, an offshoot
of the Oregon Trail Band,
perform traditional tunes
one might have heard on the
long journey west, as well as
original songs recounting the
settlement of Oregon.
One of the traditional
pieces in the Trio’s repertoire
was discovered in a piano
bench in a historic house in
Oregon City by group mem-
bers Gayle and Phil Neuman.
The Neumans are musi-
cologists and educators who
specialize in ancient, me-
dieval and Renaissance-era
styles and perform with the
Oregon Renaissance Band.
Gayle primarily plays fiddle.
Phil plays the wind and string
instruments, and a relative of
the tuba called the “serpent.”
Showgoers may recognize
Doherty from a number of
groups performing regularly
on the coast, including the
Cascadia Folk Quartet and
Oregon Shadow Theater, a
live shadow puppetry com-
pany.
The event is produced by
the Tolovana Arts Colony.
Tolovana Hall is located at
3779 South Hemlock St.
For more information,
visit tolovanaartscolony.org,
email tolovanaartscolony@
gmail.com or call 541-215-
4445.
Sing your song
for all to hear
SEAVIEW, WASH. — Port-
land-based orchestral rock
band The Cabin Project
combine free-writing, lyric
exploration and song ar-
rangement into a workshop
at the Sou’wester Lodge
(3728 J Place, Seaview)
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday,
Feb. 24.
Learn how to compose
your own musical story
in collaboration or inde-
pendently.
Over seven years, The
Cabin Project, musical
duo Katie Sawicki and
Zanny Geffel, has built
a methodology for song-
writing — specifically, the
interplay of rhythm and
lyric cadence to compose
moving, dynamic melo-
dies. Explore communicat-
ing timeless themes such
as love, justice, loss and
other life journeys.
In addition, Geffel will
introduce hand drum-
ming and rhythm circle
techniques as a way to
transcend one’s conscious
practice through contem-
plative improvisation.
Sawicki provides
individualized, strategic,
support to organizations,
coalitions and community
groups seeking to advance
racial justice work.
Geffel has a B.A. in
classical percussion from
Biola University. She plays
drum set, classical percus-
sion, marimba, cajon and
various Latin and African
percussion instruments,
specializing in classical,
rock, jazz and musical
theater.
The workshop is for stu-
dents 14 and up. The cost
is $40. RSVP via souwest-
erfrontdesk@gmail.com or
360-642-2542.
Bring a pen, notebook,
any lyrics or poem drafts
you’d like to share, and a
guitar and/or hand drum
or percussion instrument if
you have one (we will pro-
vide instruments to those
who don’t). Also bring a
sack lunch and/or snack;
hot tea and coffee will be
provided.
The class is part of the
Sou’wester’s fall/winter
2017-18 workshop series.
Visit souwesterlodge.com/
calendar to see the entire
schedule of more than 28
artist-led workshops.
Evening of music
Everyone is invited to
an evening of music with
these instructors later in
the day, 8 to 10 p.m. in the
Sou’wester Lodge. This
event is free and open to
the public.