Jazz Walk kicks off Shoreline festival

SHORELINE—Business owners, City Council members, residents and jazz enthusiasts donned hot pink wrist bands and walked between seven venues on Aug. 12 during the second annual North City Jazz Walk. Most people moved from venue to venue between musical sets while others patiently waited outside to secure a spot at their favorite venue.

“People appear to be more relaxed this year,” Chris Merklin, manager at Hot Wire On-Line Coffee House, said during the event.

In front of Merklin a line of people waited to purchase beer, wine, coffee, and even gelato. Throughout the coffee house, people sat in large leather, wooden or folding chairs, bobbing their heads, feet or both to music performed by the Janette West Quartet. A few even found room to dance.

“(The Janette West Quartet) is fabulous,” said Angela Rinaldo, co-owner of Hot Wire.

The coffee house often features free live music, according to Rinaldo, who said she hopes more people will take advantage of entertainment offered throughout the year.

“It’s free music,” she said. “You can come out and enjoy a beer or a glass of wine in a non tavern environment in a nice comfy chair and listen to free music. What could be better?”

Another busy venue throughout the three-hour event was North City Bistro and Wine Shop, where a steady crowd of people heard the Doug Reid Jazz Group with vocalist Emily McIntosh while sipping wine and enjoying Mediterranean salad, bistro crab cakes and a salmon pate spread, among other menu items.

“More people came early to eat so they did a little more planning this year,” said Pat Lewis, manager of North City Bistro.

Nearby, at the Vineyard Community Church, groups shuffling in and out listened to a 17-piece ensemble, Critical Mass Band, danced and ate slices of pizza. Across 177th Street Northeast at USA Karate, beef or chicken teriyaki and veggie yakisoba were on the menu and paired with the musical styles of Danny Ward and Reality. Couples danced while the group performed classic pieces including “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles and “Mister Magic” by Grover Washington, Jr.

In the smallest venue, The Do North Theatre, formerly known as The New Space Theatre, people clapped and voiced approval for the Paul Anastasio Trio and their performance of “St. Louis Blues” and other pieces.

“A lot of people have been in an out and a lot of people have been staying and eating too,” musician Dan Sales said while taking a break from performing at the Peking House Restaurant.

Additional food and venue choices helped to spread crowds out, according to event organizer and member of the event’s main sponsor North City Business Association, Gary Batch.

“People said crowds were lighter this year but we planned more venues,” Batch said.

New to the event this year were performances by the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council Jazz Camp on the city’s Showmobile stage in front of Industrial Air Systems building. Fifty-seven jazz students between 11 and 19 years old played pieces, including “Song For My Father” by Horace Silver.

“This is our first time being involved with the North City Jazz Walk,” said Nancy Frey, executive director of the Shoreline-Lake Forest Park Arts Council. “We’re revitalizing this jazz camp. We want to have it every year.”

The Jazz Camp was held daily at Shorecrest High School from Aug. 4 to Aug. 12 and included jazz students from Shoreline, Edmonds, Lake Forest Park, Mountlake Terrace and North Seattle, according to camp director Jim Sisko.

“It was really just a great turnout this year,” Sisko said. “We did everything from big band to small group and music theory … This whole thing gets them started so they can really get a good start with their school bands.”

The Jazz Walk was conceived last year by the Shoreline Small Business Forum to highlight the revitalized North City business district. The event kicked off the 13th annual Celebrate Shoreline which includes a parade along 15th Avenue Northeast beginning at 11 a.m. and a festival at Ridgecrest Elementary on Saturday, Aug. 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.