Arts briefs

Jewish jazz legends convene at summit

More than 20 local and national jazz musicians will meet in Prescott to perform a series of concerts and events at the Third Annual Prescott Jazz Summit Aug. 22-24.

The event is designed to bring the best of jazz music to northern Arizona and raise funds for local school music departments, jazz camp scholarships, and the Clare Willey Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Musicians include Terry Gibbs, Lennie Niehaus, as well as Arizona jazz favorites Margo Reed, Mel Zelnick, Barb Catlin and Armand Boatman.

According to festival director Mike Vax, Gibbs is not only an international jazz legend, he's a Jewish jazz legend whose famous recording "Terry Gibbs Plays Jewish Melodies in Jazz Time" is well known in the jazz world.

Vax, an international artist in his own right, played lead trumpet with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and the Clark Terry Big Band. "Jazz is America's true art form," he says, "and everyone involved in the Prescott jazz Summit is dedicated to perpetuating that art and creating enthusiasm for great jazz music." The three-day event kicks off at noon on Aug. 22 with a free concert at Courthouse Square in Prescott. Tickets to the other concerts and events, including Friday and Saturday night concerts, a meet the musicians dinner Saturday and a Sunday jazz brunch at the Hassayampa Inn, range from $10-$100.

Call (928) 771-1268 or e-mail Mike Vax at Vaxtrpts@aol.com.

Hadassah book discussion at Borders

The Miriam Group of Hadassah invites the entire community to discuss "The Ritual Bath" by Faye Kellerman, at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at Borders Bookstore, 870 N. 54th St., Chandler. Kellerman has written a series of mysteries featuring Rina Lazarus, an Orthodox woman, and Peter Decker, a Los Angeles police detective. This particular book takes place on the campus of a yeshiva and is the first in the series.

All participants are asked to bring toiletries for a battered women's shelter.

To attend, e-mail Debbie at mitchbeck@worldnet.att.net.

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