Jazz fans enjoyed a wonderful time and great music the weekend of April 13-14.  Multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan and his Inner-Outer Intercontinental Orchestra, clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and trumpeter Melton Mustafa's Quintet were headliners.

There were three educational groups: the PJC Jazz Ensemble with Sullivan as guest artist, the UWF Jazz Band, and the Gulf Coast Community College Jazz Band (Panama City), under direction of Ted Shumate.  Sullivan performed with the PJC Ensemble in concert the Friday night before JazzFest at PJC; and Buddy DeFranco, a Yamaha artist, gave a clinic on Friday afternoon at UWF.

Headliners performed both days of JazzFest.  Local and regional groups were: Bop Du Monde; Holly Shelton and the Snowden All-Stars Big Band; Spracklen/Morley duo with vocalist Darlene Bishop; Classic Jazz Quartet with Tom Morley and Walt Kattner; Tim Jackson’s Mr. Big; Don Gumpert’s Dixieland Band; Jones and Company; the UWF Faculty Sextet; and Crystal Joy Quartet. 

Heavy rain all day Friday and Saturday morning forced us inside to Seville Quarter on Saturday, but the music was wonderful and the energy in Phineas Phogg’s room made it just as enjoyable. The weather was glorious on Sunday, so we had a great day in Seville Square.  Because of the loss of concession sales due to decreased attendance and the move inside on Saturday, the JazzFest was in deficit less than $4,000.  We made this up from our “Rainy Day” fund and Pat Ashton, our Volunteer Executive Secretary, wanted it clearly understood that we paid all our bills on time, as usual.