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This last weekend was the 2nd annual Chelan Wine & Jazz Festival where it showcases sixteen internationally acclaimed, local jazz artists, and celebrates over thirty wineries across the remarkably beautiful Lake Chelan Wine Valley. I hear the wine is great, but I went for the Jazz, and although I went to only a few performances, I thought that I would share this great experience.
First off, it was impossible to view all of the performances, which is not necessarily a bad thing. When I got into town on Friday, the first group I viewed was Pearl Django. Unfortunately, it was difficult to appreciate their performance due to the noise level of the crowd. So we bailed early. However, the little I did hear made me think of a mix of folk and jazz. I guess it’s how I imagine European jazz sounding like, but that’s just speculation.
So up and across the street was Greta Matassa performing at Layla’s. Greta’s voice was amazing and really captivated the audience. The rest of the band was just as amazing. The group was fun to listen to for their synchronicity, playing off each other, and how much soul Greta put into her singing.
On Saturday, I went and listened to Cascadia Groove. They were a completely different jazz experience. Their jazz style fits in a later era than what we think of when someone says jazz. It’s almost a jazz fusion that is reminiscent of artists like Chuck Mangione, Tower of Power, and the Yellowjackets. They were a very entertaining group full of familiar and original tunes.
Sunday concluded the festival with two free performances. The first showcased future professionals, The Shack. The Shack is a Seattle-based combo group of high school students, and they played quite well. The final group was the Ellensburg Big Band. They usually play that classic 40’s and 50’s big band jazz that you hear performed a lot, but their performance that day, seemed to span across many eras of jazz. From old to modern and back again, they captivated the audience with their groove, their togetherness, and their energy. It’s no wonder they were invited to play in New Zealand. Yes, that’s right. New Zealand.
As fun and exciting the wine and jazz festivities were, their were many other activities to view as well. From rat rods, to mud bogs, to viewing the topography. The weekend was full of fun.
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- Greta Matassa – http://www.gretamatassa.com/
- Pearl Django – http://www.pearldjango.com/
- Cascadia Groove – http://www.cascadiagroove.com/
- Ellensburg Big Band – http://www.ellensburgbigband.com/
- chelanwinejazz.com/