Sisters Jazz Festival returns with top bands

The Sisters Jazz Festival mixes some of the country's best touring jazz bands with outstanding local and regional musicians.

The show kicks off Friday, September 13, at noon with a free outdoor performance at Sisters Market on Cascade Avenue (see schedule of events). The festival opener will showcase Sisters' own Blue D'Arts, Sin Sity Suitz, from Las Vegas, and Pat O'Neal's Riverboat Jazz Band, from Portland.

Two of the Festival's favorite bands, Chicago 6 and Gator Beat, will be featured Thursday night, September 12, in a performance at the Cycle Oregon camp at Sisters High School.

This 8 p.m. show is free to the public.

Nine bands will be performing in the Jazz Festival's main venues and six more will be in small venues around town, at jam sessions and other performances during the weekend.

In addition, the Sisters High School Jazz Band will perform in both a main venue and an outdoor venue.

This year the Jazz Festival organizers are closing the main venues during lunch and dinner breaks Friday and Saturday so that patrons can leave the venues without missing any performances. Fans will be treated to jazz from regional groups at small venues throughout town during these breaks.

Touring bands will provide a range of jazz styles, including traditional New Orleans sound, big band, swing, zydeco, and intimate club music.

Returning to the main venues are: Chicago 6 with Vocalist Yve Evans, back to Sisters for the 10th time; Gator Beat, with their unique Cajun and zydeco "swamp funk"; and the Michael Kaeshammer Trio, from British Columbia, a hit of the 2000 Jazz Festival.

Performing at the Jazz Festival for the first time are The Duffy Bishop Band, a blues band from Portland; The Night Blooming Jazzmen, from Southern California; Pat O'Neal's Riverboat Jazz Band; and the swing band Sin Sity Suitz, led by world-class trumpeter Stan Mark.

Sisters' fans will be treated to two shows by the Oregon Coast Lab Band.

Regional groups performing at small venues during the weekend are: A.J. and Elise Cohen, playing at Papandrea's Pizzeria; The Shirley VanPaepeghem Trio, to be heard at The Depot Deli; Guitarist Rich Hurdle, at Cascade Brewing Ale House; The Michelle VanHandel Trio, playing at Coyote Creek; The Benjamin Scharf Trio, featured at El Rancho Grande.

The Sisters High School Jazz Band will play Saturday at noon on the deck at Hucklebeary's, in the Town Square.

The Jazz Festival will feature evening jam sessions for the first time, Friday and Saturday nights at Coyote Creek after the venues close.

Friday's jam will be led by Sisters-own band The Blue D'Arts.