Pacific Lutheran University

Traditionally held on campus at the Mary Baker Russell Amphitheater, the series marked its 10th anniversary July 8 with a special concert at the Museum of Glass. Nearly 500 people gathered in downtown Tacoma on that warm summer evening to listen to the soothing sounds of the group Pearl Django and vocalist Greta Matassa and her trio.

Pearl Django, one of America’s most respected “hot club” style groups appeared at the first concert in 1997, and Matassa is one of the most talented singers working in jazz today. In addition to the music, the audience toured the museum galleries.

The summer concert series returned to campus two days later for a performance by vocalist Dennis Hastings, a longtime resident of Olympia, Wash. The concert not only demonstrated Hastings’ unique expertise in jazz and swing idiom, it also kicked off the official Jazz Under the Stars series.

The series continues on campus, occurring weekly from July 10 to August 14. Concerts are every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Mary Baker Russell Amphitheater, and are free and open to the public.

Pura Vida Coffee Company provides free coffee and complimentary star charts are distributed at each performance. Stargazing opportunities will be available at the W.M. Keck Observatory following the final three performances on July 31 and August 7 and 14. http://www.nsci.plu.edu/astro/

In the event of rain, performances will be held in Lagerquist Concert Hall.

This year’s lineup includes:

• July 17, Lance Buller and Stephanie Porter: Jazz trumpeter Lance Buller took up the trumpet age 13. He has since played with top jazz, rock and Latin groups in Los Angeles, working with musicians such as Little Anthony, Bob Marley and the Beach Boys. Vocalist Stephanie Porter will join Buller on stage. The Seattle native has entertained audiences for over a decade with her original adaptation of jazz standards.
• July 24, Greg Williamson’s Pony Boy Records All-Stars Big Band: The Pony Boy Records All-Stars is a big band ensemble led by the company’s founder, drummer Greg Williamson. Williamson has pulled together a library of important arrangements, and the group’s repertoire dates from the original swing hits of the 40s to today’s large jazz ensemble orchestrations.
• July 31, Hip Bone: The Tacoma-based trio Hip Bone plays in the tradition of the Hammond B-3 organ trios that recorded for Blue Note Records beginning in the 1950’s. The trio includes organist Buck England, guitarist Jho Blenis and drummer Mike Slivka.
• August 7, Gail Pettis: Vocalist Gail Pettis recently received the Earshot Golden Ear award for the Northwest Vocalist of the Year, won the Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist Audition and was an artist-in-residence at the Amersfoort Jazz Festival in the Netherlands. Her debut album, “May I Come In?” was released in August 2007 and is receiving local and national airplay.
• August 14, David Joyner Trio: David Joyner, professor of music and director of jazz studies at PLU, is active in the Puget Sound professional jazz scene. The David Joyner Trio features Joyner’s own original compositions, as well as his unique arrangements of jazz standards and tunes from the Great American Songbook.

For more information about the concert series, visit the music department’s Jazz Under the Stars Web site or call ext. 7602.

Jazz Under the Stars is co-sponsored by PLU Summer Sessions, PLU’s Department of Music, 88.5 KPLU-FM, Prosser Piano Company and Pura Vida Coffee Company.

University Communications staff writer Megan Haley compiled this report. Comments, questions, ideas? Please contact her at ext. 8691 or at haleymk@plu.edu. Photo by University Photographer Jordan Hartman.