Emmanuel Episcopal Church presents ‘Jazzin’ with the Classics for Christmas’

Submitted by event organizers.

Emmanuel Episcopal Church presents the 16th annual “Jazzin’ with the Classics for Christmas,” featuring rhythm and blues vocalist Jaz Lund and her father, jazz pianist, flutist and clarinetist Martin Lund, classical flutist Jeffrey Cohan and bassist Paul Gabrielson in a unique and joyous celebration of music for the holidays that bridges the jazz/classical divide on Monday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Eastsound.

Donations (a free will offering) toward expenses will be welcome. Please call the church at 360-376-2352 or see www.candlelightnw.org for more information.

In this program, four renowned jazz and classical artists and friends meld their musical perspectives in an unusual collaboration and unique celebration of the Yuletide season that is guaranteed to generate an abundance of Christmas cheer. Jaz, Martin, Paul and Jeffrey team up to bridge contemporary improvisational jazz and the “art music” of baroque and Renaissance times. Instrumental musicians have “jazzed up” melodies familiar to them in the style of their day for centuries, and this team’s virtuoso improvisations on Yuletide favorites, and their renditions of classical standards, will bring together the best of jazz and classical worlds in a new program for 2025.

Jaz Lund

Jaz Lund is Seattle’s soulful songstress, blending R&B, soul, hip-hop, pop and folk into a unique sonic tapestry. Known for her rich vocals and syncopated raps in tracks like “Slow Down with Me,” “Happy Meal” and “Fallin’”, she has collaborated with artists like Ruck P, Masta Ace and Shuko, showcasing her versatility across genres online and in jazz festivals and venues across the Northwest. With a sound that combines modern production with classic R&B elements, Lund is carving out a special place in the contemporary music scene.

Martin Lund

Martin Lund, an extremely diverse musician, has played with some of the great blues artists of our time and worked in the studios of Los Angeles as a composer, arranger and musician with artists like Mel Torme to Isaac Hayes. His eclectic background has allowed him to move freely through any style of music from classical to rock and from jazz to Broadway. He is equally adept at clarinet, saxophone, flute and piano. Lund is a well-known performer and teacher who produces one of Orcas Island’s most popular summer music events, the Orcas Island Jazz Festival, bringing in top talent from around the Northwest and beyond. Lund graduated from the University of Washington with a BA in both music and music education.

Paul Gabrielson

Jazz bassist and educator Paul Gabrielson has been playing professionally for over 30 years. Recently relocating back to Seattle from New York City, Gabrielson brings with him a performance roster of some of the finest jazz musicians on the scene today, having performed with Jeff Watts, Jeff Herschfield, Mark Ferber, Benny Green, Bob Florence, Bill Mays, Geoff Keezer, Larry Fuller, Arturo O’Farrill, Ron Affif, Paul Bollenbach, Corey Christianson, Randy Johnston, Don Mock, Ingrid Jensen, Duane Eubanks, Terrell Stafford, Jon Gordon, Mingus Big Band, Diane Shure, Jay Clayton, Mark Murphy and many more. Gabrielson has taught at Pacific Lutheran University, Central Washington University and City College of New York and has given numerous clinics and recitals nationwide. Gabrielson is also the festival founder and director of the annual Pinehurst Jazz Festival in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

Jeffrey Cohan

Flutist Jeffrey Cohan has performed as a soloist in 25 countries, both on modern and early transverse flutes from the Renaissance through the present. The winner of many important competitions and awards, he has performed throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, and worldwide for the USIA Arts America Program. Many works have been written for and premiered by him, including five new flute concerti since 2000. He is artistic director of the Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival in Washington, DC, the Black Hawk Chamber Music Festival in the Midwest and the Salish Sea Early Music Festival in the Pacific Northwest. He can “play many superstar flutists one might name under the table,” according to the New York Times, and is “The Flute Master” (headline) according to the Boston Globe.