Don’t be downbeat

The Oregon Coast Jazz Party is a high note this fall

Ken Peplowski

A dazzling line-up of musicians are poised to shine during the 18th annual Oregon Coast Jazz Party at the Newport Performing Arts Center on Friday, Sept. 30 and Saturday, Oct. 1.

An Oregon Coast tradition, this year’s party will feature stellar artists from near and far and with a variety of musical backgrounds. In the always-exciting jazz party format, each performance will be dynamically arranged with musicians playing in unexpected combinations — an alchemy of improvisational skill and jazz styles.

This year, Ken Peplowski will be the master of mixing and matching 17 jazz stars to make the on-stage magic happen. A virtuosic musician who once won comparison to the great Benny Goodman from none other than the “Velvet Fog,” Mel Torme, Peplowski will also be joining the party with his clarinet and saxophone.

Headlining this year is the Grammy-winning Monty Alexander, who was recently awarded his birth-country’s national honor, the Order of Jamaica. Lauded for his exhilarating performances, Alexander boats a repertoire that spans a broad range of musical expression: the American songbook and the blues, gospel and bebop, calypso and even reggae.

Jazz party musicians also include local favorites like classically trained flutist Holly Hofmann, who proves that the flute can hold its own among the horns. In 2007, she became the event’s music director, bringing in the event’s now-signature jazz party format, harkening back to Otter Crest Jazz Weekends, which drew top-flight musicians to the coast from the 1970s through the 1990s.

Also familiar to local jazz fans will be the members of the Central Coast Jazz Alliance: former Newport High School band director John Bringetto on trumpet, local brewmaster Matt White on the sax, bassist Greg Berton, who, since returning to his native Oregon after 34 years with the San Diego Symphony, has been an active leader in the coastal music scene and Dr. Sandy Schaefer, an expert percussionist.

From Portland, Steinway artist Randy Porter, a Northwest jazz performer and instructor at Lewis and Clark College, will be playing piano.

Performing musicians traveling to Newport from the current New York jazz scene include drummer Jason Brown, bassist Luke Sellick and saxophonist Roxy Coss. In addition to being an acclaimed performer, Coss is founder and president of the Women In Jazz Organization, which helps women and non-binary musicians make it in the historically male-dominated jazz industry. Also from New York is renowned trumpeter and educator Terell Stafford, hailed as “one of the great players of our time” by jazz legend McCoy Tyner.

Along with up-and-coming artists, audiences will be treated to the virtuosity of venerable jazz masters. Pianist Mike Wofford got his start in the 1960s LA jazz scene and has performed with numerous icons including Quincy Jones, Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald. And, long-time event favorite Lewis Nash returns on the drums. Joining on bass will be Grammy-winning performer, composer, arranger, educator and producer John Clayton, who has played with Whitney Houston, Paul McCartney and Yo-Yo Ma.

Critically acclaimed singer Karla Harris will grace the stage with her nuanced and elegant sound, influenced by contemporary jazz, Latin, swing and the blues. Jazz Weekly wrote that her album, “Certain Elements,” released in 2018, “glows with wonderment.” Based in Atlanta, Harris also teaches aspiring jazz singers who are passionate about this uniquely American art form. 

Each performance will feature five sets, plus a bonus evening set on Saturday, Oct. 1, in which the entire line-up of musicians will play together.

Performances are Friday at 7 pm and Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm. Individual tickets are $51.50 to $61.50 and VIP passes for all performances are $174. The Newport Performing Arts Center is located at 777 W. Olive Street. For more information and tickets, go to coastarts.org or call 541-265-2787.