Pacific Lutheran University

(Note: In the event of rain, the performance will be held in Lagerquist Concert Hall.)

The popular Jazz Under the Stars series of outdoor concerts begins this Thursday, July 13 with jazz vocalist Dina Blade.

The summer concerts take place every Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Mary Baker Russell Amphitheater through Aug. 17. The performances are free and open to the public.

Starbucks Coffee Company will provide free coffee and complimentary star charts will be distributed at each performance. Unfortunately, W.M. Keck Observatory is closed for renovations throughout the summer, and the stargazing opportunities traditionally offered after each performance will not be available this year.

This year's lineup:

• July 13, Dina Blade: Jazz vocalist Dina Blade is an engaging entertainer who sings classic jazz songs and educates audiences with anecdotes of jazz history. She will be joined by her trio and special guest alto saxophonist Craig Flory. Blade has appeared both nationally and internationally at jazz clubs and festivals, as well as on film, radio, and television. Her extensive repertoire includes classic jazz composers such as Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.

• July 20, Bill Ramsay Big Band: The 10-piece Bill Ramsay/Milt Kleeb group performs regularly in and around the Seattle-area. Their performance will feature tenor saxophonist great, Pete Christlieb, formerly a member of Doc Severinsen's Band on the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.” The group will perform music from their 1997 CD, “Kelly's Heroes.”

• July 27, Eric Verlinde Trio: One of the hottest groups on the Northwest jazz scene today, the Eric Verlinde Trio is led by the dynamic and versatile pianist Eric Verlinde. His approach to music is energetic and unique, and he has dazzled audiences worldwide. The trio features Chuck Kistler on acoustic bass and Andre Thomas on drums. The group plays standard, bebop and original songs.

• August 3, Reuel Lubag Trio: The Reuel Lubag Trio plays jazz in the tradition of Oscar Peterson, Wynton Kelly, Bud Powell, Sonny Clark, Art Blakey and other legends. Lubag, a pianist and drummer, is a well-established artist in the Northwest jazz scene. He appears regularly at Tula's, a Seattle jazz club, teaches jazz piano and directs the Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Seattle Pacific University, and is the pianist, arranger and conductor for the Evergreen Christian Fellowship in Issaquah.

• August 10, Jazz Senators: The Jazz Senators are a big band group from Olympia that includes some of the finest jazz musicians from across the United States. Regardless of the genre, the group performs every tune with a unique twist. Norm Wallen, a prolific composer and arranger in the Northwest, leads the band.

• August 17, PLU Regency Jazz: Directed by David Joyner, director of jazz studies at PLU, the Regency Jazz Ensemble is comprised of jazz studies faculty. The ensemble performs twice a year at Lagerquist Concert Hall and performs for other educational and civic events throughout the region. The ensemble for this year's Jazz Under the Stars performance includes Joyner, on piano, saxophonist Saul Cline, bassist Clipper Anderson and drummer Maria Joyner.

Jazz Under the Stars is co-sponsored by PLU Summer Sessions, the Department of Music, 88.5 KPLU and Starbucks Coffee Company. For more information about the performances, call the music department at ext. 7602 or ext. 7787.