Burien Arts is holding its second annual all-day Highline Vintage Jazz Festival with two sessions on Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Highline Performing Arts Center, located at 401 South 152nd Street in Burien.

The all-day music fest will feature two unique three-hour performances, the first from 2pm – 5pm and the second from 7pm – 10pm, with some of the region’s most well-known jazz musicians playing Dixieland, swing, solo stride piano, gypsy jazz and more.

Tickets to the event cost just $20 per show or $35 for a full-day pass, and are available through Brown Paper Tickets here.

Identical twin banjo pickers The Canote Brothers will MC.

Matinee performance musicians will include:

MATINEE (2:00 – 5:00 pm):

• Holotradband: Traditional / Dixieland
• Tony Marcus and Patrice Haan (Leftover Dreams): Swing Standards
• Pearl Django: Gypsy Jazz
• Rouge: French Cabaret

EVENING SHOW (7:00 to 10:00 pm):

• Harley’s Horns A’Plenty: Swing Standards
• Ray Skjelbred: Stride piano
• Uptown Lowdown Jazz Band: Traditional / Dixieland
• Del Rey & Craig Flory: Blues /Jazz/Traditional

The Festival will also feature:

• Outdoor musical entertainment
• Dancers
• Great food
• Raffle prizes
• Free transportation to and from local restaurants and bars (which will likely be having specials for festival-goers)
• And more!

The Highline Vintage Jazz Festival is the brainchild of Burien Arts’ board member and fixture in the local music scene, Lance Haslund. Lance is a part-time musician and lifetime lover of all music, particularly jazz. He has been promoter of small concerts in the Burien area for several years and says:

“The Highline Vintage Jazz Festival will fill a void in the local festival scene.

To my knowledge, until now the Puget Sound area has not provided a showcase for multiple styles of early jazz in one event.

As Burien emerges as one of the new vital places for the arts in the region, we pay tribute to the people who moved here and grew the community during the Big Band era, and offer a faithful rendering of the music of their youth.”

Burien Arts is a local non-profit dedicated to enriching the community by providing engaging and innovative arts programming to the Highline region and beyond. Vitally active since 1965, Burien Arts maintains a crucial role in the artistic fabric of the community.

Tickets to the event are available online through Brown Paper Tickets (www.brownpapertickets.com) or by calling: 1-800-838-3006. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the festival.

Buy your tickets now by clicking here!

For more information, please check www.burienarts.org, call 206-244-7808 or email info@burienarts.org.

Here are some videos shot at last year’s fest featuring the Bulldog Brass Band:

ChoralSounds Northwest’s “Fascinating Rhythms” will play at the Highline Performing Arts Center on Saturday, May 16th at 8pm, and Sunday May 17th at 2pm.

Here are the details:

WHAT: ChoralSounds Northwest’s “Fascinating Rhythms”

WHEN: Saturday May 16th at 8pm and Sunday, May 17th at 2pm

WHERE: Highline Performing Arts Center, located at 401 South 152nd next to Highline High School

COST: Ticket prices range from FREE to $25; NWAA is pleased to offer a FREE ticket to all of their concerts for anyone age 17 and younger, when accompanied by a paid adult.

To order tickets, click here.

For more information about the FREE Youth Ticket program, click here

INFO: Conducted by David Spring, this show features the legendary songbook of George & Ira Gershwin in a spring concert to remember. Rhapsody In Blue, Summertime, The Man I Love, I Got Rhythm, Someone to Watch Over Me…these songs are just a part of ChoralSounds Northwest’s stellar salute to these legends of American music.

In the second half of the program, each of the ensembles of the NWAA family will take the stage with other classic American songs to help celebrate our Silver Anniversary.

From the chamber music artistry of Cantaré Vocal Ensemble under the direction of Mark Adrian to the budding talents of our youngest singers in KidSounds, YouthSounds & TeenSounds Northwest, conducted by Paula Hawkins, this is a wonderful opportunity to sample all our best as we begin the next 25 years of enriching, entertaining & educating our community.

(THIS IS FROM 2009):

Burien Arts is holding its first annual Highline Vintage Jazz Festival on Saturday, May 2nd at the Highline Performing Arts Center, located at 401 South 152nd Street (map below).

The all-day music fest will feature two unique three-hour performances, the first from 2pm-5pm and the second from 7pm-10pm, with some of the region’s most well-known jazz musicians playing Dixieland, swing, solo stride piano, gypsy jazz and more!

Tickets to the event cost $20 per show or $35 for a full day pass, and are available through Brown Paper Tickets (<–click to order safely online).

Matinee performance musicians will include:

• The Canote Brothers as MCs
• Bulldog Brass Band (Garfield High School New Orleans style band)
• Pearl Django (Gypsy Jazz)
• The Jangles (Western Swing)
• Dina Blade (“A Tribute to Dorothy Fields”)

Evening performances boasts a seperate line-up of impressive jazz musicians including:

• Holotradband (Dixieland)


Hot Club Sandwich

• Paul Asaro (Solo stride piano)
• Hot Club Sandwich (Gypsy Jazz)
• Casey MacGill & Blue 4 Trio (Jump Swing & vocals)

The Festival will also feature:

• Outdoor musical entertainment
• Dancers
• Great food
• Raffle prizes
• Free transportation to and from local restaurants and bars (which will likely be having specials for festival-goers)
• And more!

The Highline Vintage Jazz Festival is the brainchild of Burien Arts’ board member and fixture in the local music scene, Lance Haslund. Lance is a part-time musician and lifetime lover of all music, particularly jazz. He has been promoter of small concerts in the Burien area for several years and says:

“The Highline Vintage Jazz Festival will fill a void in the local festival scene.  To my knowledge, until now the Puget Sound area has not provided a showcase for multiple styles of early jazz in one event.  As Burien emerges as one of the new vital places for the arts in the region, we pay tribute to the people who moved here and grew the community during the Big Band era, and offer a faithful rendering of the music of their youth.”

Burien Arts is a local non-profit dedicated to enriching the community by providing engaging and innovative arts programming to the Highline region and beyond. Vitally active since 1965, Burien Arts maintains a crucial role in the artistic fabric of the community. In addition to hosting the Highline Vintage Jazz Festival, Burien Arts also: runs a vibrant art gallery, manages the South King County High School Arts Program and Education Annex, supports a summer performing arts series, and partners with other arts groups, civic organizations and the City of Burien to bring exciting art installations and community festivals to the region.

Tickets to the event are available online through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling: 1-800-838-3006.

Walk-up sales can be made at Allusia in downtown Burien, located at 921 S.W. 152nd Street in Olde Burien.

For more information, please check www.burienarts.org, call 206-244-7808 or email info@burienarts.org.

To give you a taste of what kind of music you can expect, here are some audio and video clips of artists scheduled to appear:

Hot Club Sandwich “Stompin’ at KAOS”:
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Former Soundgarden frontman and legendary grunge/rock singer Chris Cornell will be making a rare, FREE in-store performance with Timbaland at a Southcenter phone store in Tukwila on Sunday, Nov. 2nd.

WHEN: Nov 2, 2008, 3pm

WHERE: Verizon Wireless Store, located at 17100 Southcenter Parkway in Tukwila (map below); (206) 575-6242

We spoke with a rep at the Verizon store and she said that Cornell and Timbaland will be doing both an in-store meet and greet/autograph session as well as a live performance in the parking lot.

She suggested arriving early (around 2pm), as it’s a first-come/first-served event and they’re expecting a big crowd.

Cornell and Timbaland will be performing later Nov. 2nd at Showbox SODO.

We think this appearance will most likely look and sound something like this:

Or this:

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Thursday afternoon, several unsuspecting cast members of Burien’s own Hi-Liners upcoming production of “Peter Pan” were arrrguably shocked when two authentic Seafair Pirates stormed in wearing full regalia, swords, axes, accents and costumes at their rehearsal space at Lake Burien Presbyterian Church.

The raiding scalliwags included “DC” and “ClapEye,” two real, working Seafair Pirates who even have their own trading cards (DC is on the left, ClapEye on the right)

 

The occasion was to help the young Hi-Liner cast, especially those playing the roles of pirates in “Peter Pan,” to better understand how to portray the part realistically.

“I bet you’re all waiting for me to utter that infamous 18th letter of the alphabet, aren’t ya?” quipped DC, whose duds made it obvious that he outranked his lowly co-hort, ClapEye. “But a true pirate never says such a letter, no. A true pirate needn’t stoop to Hollywood cliches and stereotypes, so there’s no need to say that dreaded 18th letter…”

After the entire room agreed by shouting the dreaded 18th letter, DC then entertained them with tales of what accents to use (cockney is best, even though it’s technically inaccurate but sounds ‘piratey’ enough), how to work with props, why pirates always exaggerate everything, how to handle a fake sword or gun, and why his clothes were fancier than ClapEye’s (he outranked him and therefore had more loot).

One highlight of the visit was when DC asked how the young pirates would take a swig from a (prop) Rum bottle. As quickly as you can do Jack Sparrow slurring the 18th letter of the alphabet, a young pirate-acting woman named Gillian Peterson jumped up to volunteer. Below is an animation of her swig:

The Hi-Liners’ “Peter Pan” starts flying at the Highline Performing Arts Center Sept. 6th.

Buy tickets online here.

Hi-Liners website here.

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We’re pretty sure this is a legit Youtube video of some Burien kid who calls himself l2ape doing a killer gee-tar solo – watch and let us know (in comments below) what you think – could this be B-Town’s own Jimi Hendrix?

Or have we been duped into a Purple Haze?

And if you know this kid, or perhaps you are this kid, please email us ASAP!

A very interesting and highly unusual musical art performance will be taking place Saturday (Aug. 16th) at Seahurst Park at 11:30am and Eagle Landing Park at 12:30pm.

The performance, called Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas will include opera singers and percussionists performing original work by Seattle Composer Byron Au Yong at Seahurst Park, Eagle Landing Park, Des Moines Marina, Des Moines Beach Park, and Salmon Creek Ravine.

Performers will be David Stutz and Stuart McLeod, and it’s basically an on-location opera performed at/near the water.

UPDATE: We now have a schedule, thanks to Mike Min:

• 10:30am: Salmon Creek Ravine
• 11:30am: Seahurst Park
• 12:30pm: Eagle Landing Park
• 1:30pm: Des Moines Marina (Farmer’s Market)
• 2:30pm: Marine View Park
• 3:30pm: Des Moines Beach Park

From their press release:

By taking opera out of the opera house, the Bottled Operas connect the power and beauty of traditional operatic voices with a musical experience intimately connected to nature. The site-specific performances allow Au Yong to take his music directly to places where people interact with many forms of water, creating opportunities for audience members from all walks of life to experience heightened awareness, understanding, and awe of the powerful forces of nature and humanity in a natural environment.

Percussionists play the water found at these locations with instruments that include wood, stone, bamboo, bone, rope, hide, plants, and metal. Libretti are written by eight writers from diverse cultural and artistic traditions not often represented in opera; the 64 Bottled Operas will be anything but a traditional operatic experience.

Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas will be performed by opera singer/water percussionist duos in rivers, lakes, fountains, ravines, and other waterways as part of 4Culture’s Site-Specific Performance Network on August 4, 11, 16, 17, 18, 23, 26, and 28.

4Culture Site-Specific Performances are FREE to the public.

Byron Au Yong creates ceremonial musical events for voices with Asian, European and hand-made instruments. His works have been performed in Canada, China, England, Germany, Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Local projects include Piao Zhu: Flying Bamboo created for the Seattle Asian Art Museum and YIJU: Songs of Dislocation presented at the Jack Straw New Media Gallery. Au Yong was the only American selected for the Jerwood Opera Writing Programme where his mini-opera The River Museum was performed at Aldeburgh Music.

Performance Schedule available online at hearbyron.com and sitespecificarts.org.

NOTE: If you miss this on-location local performance, you can still see Kidnapping Water: Bottled Operas at Bumbershoot in two weeks (full details here).

Here’s a musical taste of some of Au Yong’s work:

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Saw this posting on Craigslist this morning and just had to share it:

Hello Dolls…

I’m writing this letter in hopes to find someone who is familiar with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Harry Connick Jr, Louis Prima, etc.

I am an 18 year old kid who’s got the heart and soul of Frank Sinatra. I literally live and breathe his music. I show it through my personality, character, and performances.

I sing his music just like him, with an entertaining performance of Dean Martin. I mix them. It’s something I’m well known for with a lot of local artists whom I know through my agent.

I am looking for someone who is willing to share their talent by teaching me how to play piano. I have always wanted to accompany myself on stage to some of the popular crooning tunes but have not been able to because I don’t know how to play!!

I am young, broke, but willing to work something out.

Let me know if your interested.

I have a 4 track demo cd i can send you or give you over a cup of coffee at starbucks, and I also have a video on myspace of a performance from last August. “Luck be a lady”:

www.myspace.com/mrpapageorgio14

Here’s his impressive “Luck Be A Lady” performance from the Teen Idols Performance last year:

From his MySpace page:

Hello Everyone!! I am Daniel Quintero. I am a guy who is going through a tremendous change for the good. Some stats about me though: I have black hair, Green eyes, I am tan 8 months out of the year(LOL), I’m 6′1, and I am a very generous person who get’s a kick out of going on adventures. lol. I’ve been told that my personality is the best thing about me. I am very forgiving, however if I apologize to you for something I did wrong and you feel the need to brush me off, your on the hit list. jk. I live in Burien all alone in a fairly spacious 1 bedroom. I had the most beautiful furniture an 18 year old could have, but I got rid of it and am saving up for DARK BROWN LEATHER and a huge flat screen so that when football season comes around next year..I’m completely set. lol.If Im not singing, then im either working, or with my family. I used to work for my brothers company as an Operations Manager (Some may call it a delivery driver, LMAO), but I recently quit. To be completely honest with you, I put in a lot of hours at work. It’s difficult to see me. But for now I went back to a job I was doing on weekends. I can’t tell you what it is cause I would have to kill you. ha. On the weekends I perform in a group called Teen Idols as Frank Sinatra/Dean Martin. Something I enjoy doing week nights when I’m done with my work is to come home, cook my dinner with a glass of Merlot while listening to Ol’Blue Eyes and just relax. The video below is of my August 2007 performace in Teen Idols, I sang “luck Be a lady” and danced with Libby. If there’s something you want to know about me then I suggest you just ask. I’m an easy person to approach. But for now…’Fuhgettaboutit’

Now, we don’t normally get excited when some 18-year old starts comparing himself to Frank or Dino, but after watching this kid’s vid (which at first we thought was simply lip synched but it’s not!), we were impressed enough to give ‘em some B-Town Blog space.

So…are there any piano players or teachers out there willing to help this guy out?

If so, let us know – we’d love to document the process (can you say “B-Town Idol”?).

It’s obvious that he can sing – let’s see what else he can do!