Fun & Music a Mile High in Prescott!

The City of Prescott, Arizona, held its 23rd annual event mostly at the Hassayampa Inn, an historic hotel near the Old Square in the heart of the city. After a Meet & Greet cocktail hour, the first evening had a concert at the Elks Opera House Theater across the street from the Hassayampa. The Elks Theater is a beautifully restored, acoustically dynamic “opera” style building with balcony and box seating available. It is a beautiful venue. There is a large room on the 3rd level used for lectures, gatherings, weddings, events, etc. The Performing Arts Center is actively utilized by the community and is a local treasure. More than twenty musicians gathered on the stage to celebrate The Blues and its beginnings in the jazz genre. They were just warming up for a terrific weekend of musical adventures. Master of Ceremonies, Pete Barbutti, had just reached his 90th birthday and has been entertaining audiences for over 78 years, with over 1,000 appearances on national television and 90 times on The Tonight Show—he has lots of stories to tell! The musicians appearing included: Trumpet – Mike Vax, Director of the Jazz Summit; Louise Baranger, Dave Coolidge, Bruce Gates, Dominic Derasse, Mike Gurciullo Trombone – Rob Boone, Brian Zabriskie,