Jazz Port Townsend

A sophomore and bassist in the Lake Washington High School jazz band, Ross Gawthrop shares his favorite jazz with KNKX listeners.

With a rich, dextrous and soulful voice, singer Michael Mayo is a quickly rising jazz performer and prominent mentor of emerging jazz vocalists.

Drummer Allison Miller started playing with jazz legends at age 12. Today, the seasoned performer and educator remains optimistic about the future of the artform.

In a new agreement, Centrum, nonprofit producer of beloved summer jazz workshop Jazz Port Townsend, ensures its long-term presence at Fort Worden State Park.

For 46 years, the Jazz Port Townsend workshop and festival has been a winning recipe. This summer, pianist and educator Dawn Clement takes over as artistic director.

Watch performances from the Saturday shows at Centrum's 2023 Jazz Port Townsend workshop.

Guest DJ Nata Verthein, a recent Interlake High School grad, treats the KNKX audience to a variety of jazz styles from Taiwan.

At age 50, Centrum has become a $4 million-a-year operation with 14 fulltime staff. In a typical year, it brings in 300 temporary faculty, more than 2,000 participants and thousands more visitors to a former military fort in Port Townsend.

Pianist Matthew Whitaker has packed a lot of music into his 22 years. He performs a diverse set of compositions in this KNKX studio session performance.

Trombone master Wycliffe Gordon led a powerfully bluesy band on the mainstage at Centrum's 2022 Jazz Port Townsend festival.