Page 40 - the NOISE August 2013

ON LEFT & RIGHT: The Prescott Jazz Society’s 13th Annual AT CENTER: Linda Illuminardi Prescott Jazz Summit is August 23rd - 25th. cOURTESy PHOTOS at the Tis Art Gallery. COURTESy PHOTO
Prescott has had more than its fair share of heartbreak recently and the loss of 19 members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew is not something that will be quickly forgotten. As the community begins the long process of healing and recovering, the local arts and culture scene continues to bring some much-needed joy, wonder and release.
There are plenty of events going on in Au- gust that have been scheduled for months, and we will get to those. But first, I want to take a moment to mention the incredible outpouring of support from our local arts community in response to the yarnell Hill Fire. While this terrible loss has broken the all our hearts, it has also revealed what an amaz- ing place Prescott is. And that is worth taking a detour to explore.
Within less than 24 hours of the loss of the hotshots, local businesses, artists, arts organizations and individuals were already putting together fundraising events. El Gato Azul held an event the very next day, with a silent auction of work and items from local artists and businesses, live music from local musicians and 100% of the restaurant’s pro- ceeds of the day donated to the Prescott fire- fighter families. Folks showed up in droves and almost $13, 000 was raised in just a few hours. This is only one example of the many, many spontaneous acts of love, support and generosity that has happened pretty much every day since the tragedy.
Prescott is a wacky little Arizona town, es- pecially in terms of arts and culture. Here in Prescott we Rodeo (and yes, you MUST say
“Rodeo” with a capital “R”). But we also do theater, dance, independent film, jazz, heavy metal music, country music, Americana mu- sic, bar bands, arts and crafts, fine art oil and acrylic painting, photography, jewelry mak- ing, weaving, ceramics, sculpture, experimen- tal performance art, circus skills, sidewalk chalk art and pretty much every kind of art imaginable.
It’s a little weird to have this thriving art scene in the midst of what is a fairly conserva- tive area, but somehow it works. And whatev- er friction that occasionally pops up in small town politics, it’s days like these that the
deep love and
support rises up.
Folks are step-
ping up and putting the skills and passions that sustain them in art and in life into service. It is a hugely, overwhelmingly beautiful thing to experience. Makes this writer feel proud and blessed to call herself a Prescottonian.
Stepping off the soapbox, let’s take a look at what is happening in this lil’ mountain town in August. Because, really, we could all use a little more beauty, laughter, music and art right now.
Fundraisers for both the Prescott fire- fighter families and the folks in Yarnell, many of whom lost their homes, will continue to pop up around town. Ranging from small, local benefit concerts and performances to July’s massive street party, you can expect to find some pretty amazing things happening. Honestly, so many of these events are hap- pening on super short notice, that you can pretty much guarantee a fundraiser featuring art, music, performance, dance, etc. on any given weekend this month. What a great way to get your art fix and do some good!
On the fine art front, there is a pretty nifty show at the ‘Tis Art Center Mezzanine gal- lery. “Book and Illuminardi” features an eclec- tic mix of work from artists Judy Book and Linda Illuminardi. Book’s pieces feature a deft use of color, while Illuminardi’s sculp- tures offer images mixed with a healthy dose of whimsy. This show is worth making the time for and will be up until August 12. Head over to 105 S. Cortez to check it out or take a look at their website for more info on other gallery events at TisArtGallery.com.
For you mellow folk music fans, Barnaby Bright is a concert you won’t want to pass up. Playing on the Prescott Center for the Arts stage on Saturday, August 17, this indie-folk duo is sure to please. Barnaby Bright mem- bers Nathan and Rebecca Bliss have wowed music lovers from London to Ohio. These multi-instrumentalists are pretty much guar- anteed to provide a beautiful escape for an hour or two. Presented by the Folk Sessions, tickets for the 7:30 p.m. show are $22 and can be purchased online at pca-az.net or by call-
ing 928-445-3286. Not in the mood for mellow? No worries, Prescott’s own Whiskey Row-llers can throw some elbows and skate like the wind. The derby grrrls have a double-header
lined up for August 17th that will surely sat- isfy the most rock ‘em, sock ‘em fans. The first bout pits the Whiskey Row-llers against the Surlie Girlies, with the Prescott team facing off against the Brawlers for the second bout. All of this is happening against the gorgeous open sky at the Pioneer Park Roller Rink. Hit up NorthernArizonaRollerDerby.com for bout times and tickets, or just holler at a local derby girl and she’ll get you set up.
August marks the transition between sum- mer and fall in Prescott, but it also brings one of the most popular poetry events in the state. The Arizona Cowboy Poets Gathering is coming to the Yavapai College Performing Arts Center. Mark your calendars for August 8th through 10th because you won’t want to miss this one. While the poets don’t officially hit the stage until Friday, August 9, there’s a benefit concert with Baxter Black planned that should be fun. Lots of the poet sessions are free, with a few ticketed sessions on Fri- day and Saturday evenings. There are few arts ‘n culture events that are as quintessen- tially Arizonan as the Cowboy Poets and this gathering is always a blast. For more info on the event check out AzCowboyPoets.org. Tickets are available through the Yavapai College box office online at ycpac.com or by phone at 928-776-2000 or 877-928-4253.
And that brings us to the tippity-top don’t miss event in August, the Prescott Jazz Sum- mit. Now in its 13th year, the Jazz Summit is now recognized as one of Prescott’s “signa- ture events.” Which basically means that even the city has recognized just how super cool it is that this organization brings world class jazz musicians to Prescott.
Every year there are a combination of re- turning guests and brand new faces. Some of this year’s guest musicians include Carl Saunders on trumpet, Kim Richmond on alto sax, Gary Anderson of Woody Herman’s band. Another amazing musician playing this
year is Jennifer Leitham. This left-handed upright bass player is very well known in the jazz world and has toured with Mel Torme and Doc Severenson’s band (of The Tonight Show).
While it’s awesome to have great guest musicians come to play, what really makes the Jazz Summit special is the accessibil- ity. Normally, folks don’t have a chance to have a chat with musicians, but this festival provides that opportunity. Also super cool is that these same musicians play jazz with local musicians, including kids from the high schools jazz band.
One of the most popular concerts of the Prescott Jazz Summit is the jazz brunch held at the Hassayampa Inn. This is a classic ex- ample of folks being able to get up close and personal with jazz musicians and then get- ting to hear them play over brunch. Seriously, how cool is that? This event typically sells out early, so don’t put off getting tickets or you will be out of luck.
Even if you’re not flush with cash, there are still some great concerts. One of the most fun and totally free events is happening on Tues- day, August 20th at the Courthouse Square. Running from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., the Swing Shift Big Band Concert will be performing live jazz right in the heart of downtown Prescott. There is nothing quite like live jazz in an out- door setting, and the “free” part is just icing on the cake.
There are so many concerts happening during the Jazz Summit that it is a little hard to narrow it down to favorites. Truly, the best way to enjoy this festival is to buy a pass and hit as many shindigs as you can. There is still early bird pricing on festival passes and event tickets, so don’t waste too much time dilly-dallying over getting your tix. For a full listing of events and to order tickets, visit their website at PrescottJazz.com.
angie Johnson Schmit will be
taking a well-deserved vaca- tion in the not so distant future. slackerwriter@gmail.com
40 • AUGUST 2013 • the NOISE arts & news • thenoise.us