Jud Sherwood: Jazz Project Bellingham, WA

I enjoy music and concerts. Yesterday, my wife and I spent a great afternoon and evening at an outdoor concert down by the waterfront in Bellingham. The excellent concert was sponsored by the Jazz Project and the Port of Bellingham. The weather was hot and it could not have turned out better. There were plenty of people in attendance but it was not so crowded that you couldn't move or felt cramped. Local restaurants provided everything from Giuseppe's wonderful Italian raviolis to subs, burgers, popcorn and cookies. Get this, admission was free to all. Now, if you bought a beer or wine in the beer garden, then your $5.00 donation helped fund the project.

It was a day of meeting friends and hanging out. The acts were excellent -- Jennifer Scott Quartet which is jazzy, but versatile as to selections. That was followed by Blues Union, with John Carswell, a pianist and vocalist who performs blues and rock from Hendrix, to Charles to Santana. Capping the evening was Sambatuque, a Seattle based group that features wonderful Brazilian and Latin rhythms. Local boy, Jeff Busch, is the percussionist and the act is fronted by the talented Mikaela Romero, who sings in Portuguese and Spanish. This is great warm weather music.

This event was put together by our local master organizer of such events. Jud Sherwood has won the Mayor's Arts Award twice and he is adept at bringing music to Bellingham and Whatcom County on a regular, and an affordable, basis. Sherwood founded the Jazz Project 14 years ago and it is still going strong. The Jazz Project supports many local non-profits, hosts workshops and clinics, and provides scholarships, lessons and instruments for low-income children and families. Below is an artist's painting of Sherwood, who is the best-known drummer in our part of the northwest. The original artwork, a painting or less costly post cards, is available at the link (click on the photo of Jud).