Two years ago, the Edmonds Arts Festival allocated space under a tent on the plaza area above the Edmonds Library to showcase local jazz groups.

“We played as much jazz as we could for three days,” recalled Peter Bennett, who coordinates Edmonds-Woodway High School’s Jazz Colony. The concept of the Jazz Colony is to give students a chance to play all summer long, improving their jazz playing skills in an environment of safe clinics and small combos.

In the beginning, Arts Festival performances consisted mostly of jazz combos of two to six musicians from Edmonds-Woodway. “But last year we decided it made sense to get as much as we could from the entire local area,” Bennett said, and Mountlake Terrace High School jazz combos joined in as well.

This weekend, “Jazz on the Plaza” will begin its third year at the Edmonds Arts Festival. “This year we expanded our scope and so we have five great high school represented, each with jazz combos,” Bennett said. They include Edmonds-Woodway High School with 11 combos, plus musicians from Mountlake Terrace, Lynnwood, Garfield and Kamiak high schools.

“We also have a few alumni jazz combo bands playing as well,” Bennett said. “We have 28 one-hour jazz combos going all day every day of the festival. For Sunday morning at 10 and 11, we have acoustic guitar players for a mellow start, but then back into jazz from 12 noon till the end.”

A local funk jazz bands will play Sunday evening from 5-6 p.m.

“It is significant to note that all of these jazz combos are great,” Bennett said,” including many of the players from the EWHS and Terrace jazz bands that were nationally recognized at the Essentially Ellington competition in May.

Jazz on the Plaza schedule for Edmonds Arts Festival 2017

Saturday, June 17

10-11 a.m.
EWHS Jazz Combo: “EJ Brannon Group”
EJ Brannon Drums
Andrew Tjandra Piano
Carson Mock Guitar
Josh Geibel Bass

11 a.m.-noon
EWHS Jazz Combo “Equilibrium”
Celeste Gould Trumpet
Audrey Tibbets Alto/Bari
Anthony Edwards Drums
Vecinda Keys Bass
Dylan Hartono Piano
Audrey Tibbits Alto Sax

Noon-1 p.m.
EWHS Jazz Combo “Jared Perez Jazz Group”
Jared Perez Trombone
Kai Fisher Drums
Rylan Fisher Bass
Jai Lasker Guitar

1-2 p.m.
EWHS Jazz Combo “Bainbridge Yohannes Jazz”
Kyle Bainbridge Bari Sax
Miriel McFarland Drums
Graeme Hafford Alto Sax
Nebee Yohannes Piano
Rodney Ocfemia Bass

2-3 p.m.
EWHS Jazz Combo: “Five for Five”
Brandt Fisher Tenor Sax
Jack Hillman Trombone
Cedar Lange Drums
Nebee Yohannes Piano
Rodney Ocfemia Bass

3-5 p.m.
Lynnwood High School Jazz Combos
Jahn Sandsmark Saxophone
Drew Thomas Trumpet
Kai Decker Trumpet
Kanu Vasdev Trombone
Zech Latimer Drums
Angelo Zane Guitar
Dillon Mathews Bass

5-6:20 p.m.
Garfield HS Jazz Combo
Marco Thompson Bass
Aidan Siemann Tenor Sax
Jack Graves Guitar
Joseph Poole Drums

6:30- 8 p.m.
Kamiak HS Jazz Combo
Ben Leonard Alto Sax
David Musoke Tenor Sax
Noah Venditto Trumpet
Aanna Tukan Bass
Aiden Becker Drums
Clarke Biard Piano

Sunday, June 18

10-11 a.m.
Bear Lund — Guitar singer

11 a.m.-noon
Guitar Quartet — “Cedarfolk Foursome”

Noon-1:50 p.m.
Mountlake Terrace HS Jazz Combo 2
Andrew Sumabat and Friends

2-3:50 p.m.
Mountlake Terrace HS Jazz Combo 1
Andrew Sumabat Horns
Gian Neri Guitar
Dimitrio Neri Piano
Andrew Vinther Bass
Kieran Faris Drums

4-5 p.m.
EWHS Jazz Combo “Bainbridge Yohannes Jazz”
Kyle Bainbridge Bari Sax
Miriel McFarland Drums
Graeme Hafford Alto Sax
Nebee Yohannes Piano
Rodney Ocfemia Bass

5-6 p.m.
EWHS Alumni – “Cape Funhouse” (Funk Fusion Mix)
Dylan Faltisco Keyboards – Bass
Jared Squires Guitar
Trevor Church Drums
Brandon Marcus Haley Tenor Sax

The 2017 Edmonds Arts Festival runs Friday through Sunday. More information is available at the Arts Festival website and  Facebook page.