Jazz Jottings February 2022

Carol and Jeff Loehr aren’t sure what number to assign to the 2022 Sun Valley Jazz & Music Festival, scheduled to return to the Sawtooth Mountains of Southern Idaho October 12-16. “The last live festival was #30 and took place in 2019,” the co-directors said. “That was three years ago, so does that make this year’s event number #33? But the 2020 and 2021 festivals were cancelled due to the pandemic, so the next one in sequence should be #31.” The Loehrs have not been totally idle over the past year. When the Blaine County health officials shut down large gatherings in Sun Valley, they decided to invite their major sponsors to a jazz party-like get-together at their home in Battleground, Washington (just across the Columbia River from Portland, Oregon). Some 50 sponsors from as far away as Cincinnati were entertained by 13 musicians and a quartet, and a good time was had by all. The Loehrs say all systems are GO at the moment and that they remain optimistic the 2022 Festival will take place in picturesque Sun Valley, concluding, “We do it because it is what we love to do.” ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ When bassist Nicki Parrott came to the United States from her native Australia in 1994, the plan was to stay for six months. Those six months have since stretched into 28 years during which time she has become a highly sought-after rhythm section player, vocalist, songwri