Care to Jazz Festival

Annual festival raises money for patient care fund
7th annual event took place July 11 & 12

The Puget Sound can be a wonderful place during the summer. Warm weather, cool breezes, and the sound of jazz music echoing throughout the air. The sight and sounds of the Care to Jazz Festival have become a staple for many warm and caring individuals in Kitsap County. The two-day event blends performances by Northwest jazz artists and a dinner and auction all in an effort to raise money for the Edwin G. Tegenfeldt, MD Patient Care Fund.

The Festival returned for it's 7th installment at the Silverdale Beach Hotel, bringing with it the largest lineup in its history. The Friday Night Gala Benefit was July 11 from 5:30-10:30 pm out on the hotel patio. A fantastic Cajun-style buffet dinner along Dyes Inlet complimented an evening of dancing, live and silent auctions and wonderful music by The Don Alverson Trio and The Jazz Ambassadors. Emcee and auctioneer, Cris Larsen, kept the laughs coming and bids rolling throughout the night while attendees bid on everything from a handcrafted vase to lunch with City of Bremerton Mayor, Cary Bozeman.

Saturday's Jazz at the Beach was an all-day concert from 11 am to 10:30 pm featuring a lineup of performances throughout the hotel. After torrential downpours nearly rained out last year's event, Mother Nature smiled down leaving not even a trace of cloud cover for this year. The No Inhibitions Jazz Band kick-started the day on the main stage with an assortment of dance-friendly selections. Guests jitterbugged and whirled in the grass as the band played with the gorgeous backdrop of Dyes Inlet behind them. The Olympic College Jazz Faculty hosted a jam session out on the patio and invited attendees to come and play a few improv sets with them. Bill Ramsay & Friends gave a "Mel Tormé Revival" out on the main stage and The Jazz Ambassadors, as well as The Jazz Guys, wowed the crowds inside the Auto Bar Lounge.

As the day began to wind down, Deems Tsutakawa serenaded the guests with the Baby Grand. He played an array of original and covered selections, dazzling those guests on the back patio. Karen Shivers - Care to Jazz' very first headliner from 2002 - gave an evening performance inside the hotel restaurant, Josef's. With nothing but her voice and a rhythm section, the local diva captivated the audience in a small, intimate setting, which featured a wine and cheese tasting.

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*Photos courtesy of Susan Larsen

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