Mount Baker Summer Festival 2025
Participating Musicians
Performance Schedule
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Scotty Bemis started taking piano lessons at the age of seven and grew up in the Seattle area where he soon found he had a strong interest in jazz. He was especially influenced by Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, and The Ray Brown Trio. He attended Eckstein Middle School and Roosevelt High school where he played in the top jazz bands which competed nationally (receiving first place at the most notable jazz competition in the U.S., the Essentially Ellington competition in his senior year), and performed internationally in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. He also played in the Bellevue Community College Jazz Band while in high school and traveled to China, the Czech Republic, Peru during his sophomore, junior, and senior years. Scotty continued playing jazz piano for various school events while in college at Santa Clara University, where he double-majored in Physics and French. He now tutors many academic subjects, teaches piano, and plays for private events, weddings, and with local groups. He also plays at restaurants including Osteria La Spiga, El Gaucho Bellevue, and Canlis.
Born in Seattle, bassist Michael Glynn began performing professionally at the age of 16. While living in the Pacific Northwest, New Mexico, and the Bay Area he has performed with such jazz luminaries as Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein, Seamus Blake, Conte Candoli, Eddie Daniels, Dave Grusin, Louis Hayes, Geoffrey Keezer, Don Lanphere, Mark Levine, Harold Mabern, Lewis Nash, William Parker, Aaron Parks, saje, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Gary Smulyan, and Terell Stafford. In addition to his jazz work, Michael has performed in a variety of other genres, including classical concerts with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the New Mexico Symphony, Opera Southwest, and Canticum Novum Santa Fe, calypso with Trinidadian steel drum legend Ray Holman, and Arab/European music with Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim Al Haj.
Max Holmberg is a Seattle based drummer, bandleader and educator. His jazz journey started in the renowned programs at Eckstein Middle School and Roosevelt High School. After achieving a B.M. from Berklee College of Music, he returned to Seattle where he currently resides and can be found performing in person and on the radio with many diverse projects and bands including Boss Tenors, Jomoma, the Alex Dugdale Band, Danny Quintero Band, the Danny Kolke Trio, Jacqueline Tabor Jazz Band, the 200 Trio, and more. Until it shut down after 9 years in October of 2023, Max ran the Sunday night jam session at the Angry Beaver in Greenwood. He can also be found occasionally performing with Broadway shows including the Grammy and Tony-winning Hadestown (North American Tour). Some highlights of Max’s musical journey include touring internationally with the Arsonists featuring Patrick Bartley, Jr, performing at Berklee College of Music with NEA Jazz Master Joanne Brackeen, Eddie Gomez, and Wayne Krantz, a performance at Lincoln Center with the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band and Wynton Marsalis, workshops with Gerald Clayton, Joe Lovano, the late Rashied Ali, and the late James Moody.
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David Miles Keenan and Nova Karina Devonie have been playing music in bands together since 1991. “Miles & Karina” came to life in 1996 as a creative exploration of their own compositions and select covers ranging from early twentieth century French Musettes, Big Band and Western Swing up to Bossa Nova grooves from the 1960’s - and much in between…
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Noted alt-folk indie-pop singer songwriter, Seattle-based Jean Mann has a lot to write and sing about. Having toured extensively since releasing her first album, blossom (2000), this innovative, self-taught performer shares her soulful, lovely and gritty-honest tales woven through the voice of an angel. Her vocal prowess, combined with eclectic instrument playing (de-tuned acoustic 6-string and tenor guitars, harmonica and ukulele), results in the homey, intimate feeling of sitting around a kitchen table with close friends.Jean has released nine records since she began pouring out her world in song, beginning September 1999, around the time her mother passed away.
Jean and Bill share a camaraderie that for nearly twenty-two years has evolved into a rare musical partnership that is at once fresh and deep-rooted. Bill has engineered, recorded, co-produced and played a multitude of instruments on many of Jean’s albums at his Seattle/Indianola recording studios, Froglips, where the two are beginning her tenth album project.
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Seattle based Swing 3PO delivers fun and exciting Traditional Jazz and Swing with their debut release 'Doin' the New Lowdown'. Lead by Kevin Connor (guitar, banjo, vocals), the group includes archtop guitar, drums, acoustic bass and trombone. With playful vocals, swingin' solos and fun arrangements Swing 3PO brings joy to any occasion. The group is dynamic and versatile, equally at home playing a child's party as a large Lindy Hop dance event. 'Doin' the New Lowdown' includes 6 of Connor's compositions and 6 standards from the late 20's and 30's including one musette waltz. All of the songs are at tempos suitable for Swing dancing. The original songs include vocals and cover topics such as; shapes, ice cream headaches, the weather, and the Reuben sandwich. This is a CD that will appeal to toddlers, Swing dancers and Jazz aficionados. The arrangements are fresh and exciting with influences from Django Reinhardt, Oscar Aleman, and Slim and Slam among others. Connor plays archtop guitar and switches to banjo for 'Big Butter and Egg Man'. David Loomis is featured throughout on the trombone Drum duties are shared by JoJo Mascorella and Mike Daugherty with each contributing one lead vocal. The bass chair is shared by Lamar Lofton and Taylor Kent. Kevin Connor has been a key part of Seattle's thriving Gypsy Jazz and acoustic music scene over the last decade. He performs and records with Hot Club Sandwich and the SuperSones and leads Swing 3PO. 'Doin the New Lowdown' is the 2nd release under his own name and the first release for Swing 3PO.
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The Go Janes feature three Seattle veteran musicians with long histories of performance and recordings in the PNW (and beyond). Patrice of Uncle Bonsai, Kathleen a solo recording artist with deep community roots in Seattle's South End running community choirs for most of two decades. Patrice, in addition to having her own solo and duo recordings (the latter with classical guitarist Hilary Field), is also the decades-long artistic director of Wintergrass, and a sought after vocalist for many other artists’ recordings. Kathleen, in addition to releasing her own solo recordings, and writing and arranging for choirs, has written music for plays, including the recent Flying Blind, which examines life for those living with limited or no sight. Arni was a founding member of Uncle Bonsai in 1981, and recently retired from that trio. She is also a painter showing in various venues in Seattle (and currently exhibiting at the Mt. Baker Arts Fest). She teaches painting at the Seattle Artists League and the Seattle Children’s Playgarden, for children and young adults with disabilities.
The Go Janes write songs that explore the current and long-view of life, with deep appreciation for creative invention in many forms. They feature 3-part harmony vocals on all-original songs, with a delicate approach to arranging for voices, ukes and guitar.