Jazz 'mini-venues' will dot Sisters

Four regional jazz groups and two Sisters school bands will bring music to the city's streets and eateries during meal breaks on Friday and Saturday, September 12-13 at the Sisters Jazz Festival.

The Festival's four main venues will be shut down at the dinner hour Friday and Saturday and lunch on Saturday to encourage jazz patrons to circulate in the community, a pattern initiated at the 2002 Jazz Festival. All performances at the Jazz Festival's "mini-venues" are free to the public.

Appearing at El Rancho Grande during the festival will be the Rich Hurdle Trio, with guitarist Rich Hurdle, his daughter vocalist Tara Hurdle and bassist John Melvin. The group will present sets containing ballads, swing and Latin music. Hurdle is a regular performer in the Central Oregon jazz scene and has a private instruction studio in Bend.

The popular Michelle VanHandel Trio will perform at Depot Deli during the weekend meal breaks. The group's leader is a composer and vocalist and the trio regularly performs an entire repertoire of original music. VanHandel will be joined by two of Central Oregon's most sought after jazz musicians, John Allen on bass and Dillon Schneider on guitar.

Elise Franklin Cohen and Warren Zaiger will perform at Angeline's Bakery during the jazz festival breaks.

Described as strong musicians individually, the duo has melded their talents with vocalist Cohen, accompanied by the talented bassist Zaiger.

Two former Sisters High School students, Mike Kurtz and Ben Scharf, will provide open air entertainment at the Towne Square when the venues are closed during the Jazz Festival breaks.

Both are continuing studies at the University of Oregon, where Kurtz, a bass player, has finished his freshman year. Pianist Scharf has been accepted in the university's nationally recognized Jazz Studies program, which he will enter this fall.

The Sisters High School Jazz Band and the Sisters Middle School Jazz Ensemble will appear in open programs at Barclay Park on Saturday. Directed by Jody Henderson, the bands have earned regional recognition through their performances at the Lane Jazz Festival, the Oregon Jazz Celebration and the Reno Jazz Festival.

Jazz Festival badges may be ordered on line at www:sistersjazzfestival.com or by calling 549-1332.