from The Seattle Times blog:

Back in February, when Garfield High School Jazz Band director Clarence Acox was at the Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival, bassist and festival director John Clayton casually mentioned to Acox as he was walking off the bandstand that he wanted Acox to do “some kind of Quincy thing at Port Townsend.”

“I didn’t hear from him for several months,” says Acox.”Then I heard I was leading the band.”

Eventually, Acox came to understand he was heading up a program with the Centrum All-Star Big Band at this year’s Jazz Port Townsend, which gets underway Thursday, July 25. The big band concert is Saturday afternoon.

Acox has had a ball putting together the program, gathering arrangements with help from Clayton and (trombonist) Dave Marriott.

“Quincy had a knack for creating beautiful melodies,” says Acox. “But he also had a knack for putting together great arrangements that were appealing to the audience and that were substantive enough that the musicians enjoyed playing them.”

Continue reading at The Seattle Times blog.

Category:
Seattle Jazz