The festival took its maiden voyage Aug. 19-25, 1985. Billed as the first annual Pacific Jazz and Blues Festival, the event featured 100 musicians from British Columbia, Oregon and Washington state at clubs and venues around the city. It was created \u2013 and mostly financed \u2013 by John Orysik, Robert Kerr and Ken Pickering, along with Deborah Roitberg, who would become a founding board member. Together, they founded the Coastal Jazz and Blues Society, which was born with the intent of providing a 10-day music festival along with a year-long jazz presence.<\/p>\n
In this year\u2019s festival, there will be open jazz jams June 20-29, presented at and with Tyrant Studios. Come for the 9:30 p.m. sets ($18 in advance, $20 at door), then stay as the headliners become hosts, sharing the stage with visiting artists and local players alike starting at 11 p.m. (pay-what-you-can). Among the headliners are, on June 21, Ard n\u2019 Saul, who pay homage to the classic two horns and rhythm section tradition \u2013 the group is led by alto saxophonist Saul Berson and tenor saxophonist Ardeshir.<\/p>\n
On June 22, 6 p.m., at Zameen Art House, Infidel Jazz presents Asef ($20 in advance, $25 at door). Members of the group \u2013 Berson (saxophones), Itamar Erez (guitar), Sam Shoichet (bass) and Liam Macdonald (drums\/percussion) \u2013 bring to the stage many years of experience playing a variety of music from around the world, including Balkan folk, tango, klezmer, flamenco and bebop.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Also on June 22, at the Georgia Street Stage at 6:30 p.m., Dawn Pemberton and her band \u2013 which includes Max Zipursky on keys \u2013 play a free concert of music from gospel and R&B, to jazz, funk and soul. Zipursky also plays with Confiture on June 29, 8:30 p.m., at Ocean Artworks ($15 at door). Led by vocalist Tim Fuller, Confiture celebrates 30 years of house music, blending classics with original tracks.<\/p>\n On June 26, Juno-nominee Andrea Superstein plays at Frankie\u2019s Jazz Club, at 8 p.m. ($20-$25), and the Evan Arntzen Quartet, with special guest Lloyd Arntzen, perform a free show on July 1, noon, at Ocean Artworks.<\/p>\n Vancouver-born, New York City-based saxophonist, clarinetist and vocalist Evan Arntzen blends modern jazz influences with deep roots in the genre\u2019s history. The quartet will be joined by Arntzen\u2019s grandfather, Lloyd Arntzen, a legendary clarinetist, saxophonist and vocalist who\u2019s been a pillar of Vancouver\u2019s traditional jazz scene since the 1940s.<\/p>\n![\"photo](\"https:\/\/www.jewishindependent.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/jun-13-music.13.2025-Vancouver-International-Jazz-Fest-andrea-superstein_coastaljazz.ca_.jpg\")
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