Bud Shank sacked...

[brownie]

Sad news in the 'Seattle Times' today!

Director bids farewell to Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend

By Paul de Barros

"Something very beautiful died here this weekend," said saxophonist Bud Shank, his voice cracking with emotion as he addressed the hushed crowd in McCurdy Pavilion on Saturday night at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend.

Fired suddenly, two months ago, after 21 years as artistic director of the festival — and a workshop that bears his name — the silver-haired, 78-year-old saxophonist declared, "We will never be back to Port Townsend again."

It was a sad moment.

Though Centrum officials say Shank's dismissal was part of a larger plan to "shake up" all their programs, Shank took it as a personal affront. He already has scheduled a competing event on the same weekend, in Albuquerque, N.M. No new artistic director for Jazz Port Townsend has been announced.

Shank's dramatic farewell was even more poignant in light of Saturday's stellar programming, particularly the sparkling festival debut of the Brazilian-American vocal/guitar duo, Luciana Souza and Romero Lubambo, which received a standing ovation.

Singing mostly in Portuguese but also in English, Souza negotiated staccato, wordless vocals of jaw-dropping speed, as Lubambo braided orchestral lines around her pure, light voice. No mere virtuoso, Souza came across as natural and musical on the fast numbers; on ballads, her emotional transparency brought people to tears.

Los Angeles pianist/composer/arranger Bob Florence, filling in on short notice for ailing Tom Talbert, was actually more enjoyable in an impromptu set than in the more-formal outing he had with the Festival All-Star Big Band a few years ago. A highlight was his "Three E-Motions, Part II," which featured baritone saxophonists Gary Smulyan and Bill Ramsay playing the sweet parts — a nice touch!

The only disappointment Saturday was a complacent set of standard-issue be-bop by Canadian trombonist Ian McDougall, though alto saxophonist Campbell Ryga leavened things somewhat.

Seventy-five-year-old Seattle evergreen Ernestine Anderson, working gracefully within the limitations age has etched on her voice — and good-naturedly joking about "senior moments" with a sympathetic audience — offered a lovely opener Saturday night, proving that swing is a lifelong possession.

Of course, Shank had the last word, musically and otherwise. He and alto-saxophone mate Phil Woods, both wearing caps — Bud in a duckbill, Woods in his trademark roadster — burned like men a third their age. Now ferocious, now lyrical, Bud seemed to pour his whole two decades in Port Townsend into his solos.

After his speech, the pair played "Bouncing With Bud." "Bud's going to bounce right out of here," he quipped — then they sauntered backstage, arm in arm.

Shank will be sorely missed. Festival attendance was down this year, particularly Friday night.

That trend, a change of directors and the possible flight of instructors loyal to Shank, suggests Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend may have to reinvent itself in 2005.

[Dan Gould]

Too bad for Bud. Surely its the Festival's loss ...

[wolff]

Hmmmmmm....

They only reason I've gone to three of these was to see Shank, Woods and the other local veterans, who will probably follow Shank to New Mexico.

[ghost of miles]

VERY sad news for me, as I'm a Shank fan & have a keen interest in Port Townsend--would like to live there some day, in fact. I was hoping to catch the festival next year.

I also wonder if this is part of the trend to "pop-ify" jazz festivals. Hey, I appreciate the multitudinous quality of the music & music in general, but lately I've looked at the listings for some "jazz festivals," and sometimes only a third or a quarter of the acts are jazz! I guess directors gotta do what they gotta do to survive...

[Jim Alfredson]

Since jazz is now being defined by instrumentation (see Jamie Cullem) and not by the actual music, I guess what else can we expect?

[catesta]

Since jazz is now being defined by instrumentation (see Jamie Cullem) and not by the actual music, I guess what else can we expect?

Sad, but true.

[wolff]

Interesting comments I thought I would add to this thread.

Hello Jazz lovers, wherever you are! I continue to be a fly on the windshield of the jazz industry. (HA!) I presume you know that Bud Shank was fired from his post as founder and guiding light of the Bud Shank Workshop in Port Townsend, WA. He has been the 'man' there for 25 plus years, assembling one of the best teaching ensembles ever! But now they want a younger man with young ideas! Outsourcing the wrong guy folks! It only takes forever to learn this music thing and even longer to come to terms with this jazz thing. And they want a younger guy. Any damn fool can play when they are 20, or 30, 0r 40, 50, 60. But try cutting the mustard when you are in your late 70's! Now anyone that can do that has acquired knowledge that no younger person can ever hope to learn.

The jazz existence, or any existence is not about getting somewhere it is all about the voyage. No one can ever master life, only experience it and contribute something to making the world a better place to be an artist. ARTIST is the key word. If you want to be a practical musician, great. Get some gigs and have a good life. But if you want to be a jazz musician, the requirements are more stringent. An awareness of world culture is a good place to start! Learn something about food and wine, learn a language, read a book, paint a painting, see an O'Neal play, stare at a sunset. Write a Rondo for heaven's sake- be somebody. And no matter how long you do it you will barely touch the surface of this passion called life, the jazz life! You have to be a warrior-Bud Shank is a warrior! A tough one who has survived. What he has to teach is incalculable to measure. And they want a younger guy. How about Norah Jones to teach jazz singing? Yeah! Right!

Bud and I have been doing many gigs together, Toronto festival, North Sea and others. We broached Concord records to try and secure a one shot record deal for Yoshi's in November. They said that instrumental music doesn't sell anymore! Imagine! A company founded on instrumental music, great music, decides that it doesn't sell anymore. I am mad as hell and will continue to rant and rave about these things until my last breath.

Culture in America is going to hell in a hand basket. (I love that

saw - don't know what it means but love it still.) Keep the song alive. Until next time stay well. And thank you for being a part of

my thing!

Phil Woods