PORT ANGELES — Motown. Duke Ellington and bossa nova. Irish fiddle tunes and the Rolling Stones. And that’s just skimming the surface of an evening full of music at, of all places, a Lutheran church.
The third annual Jammin’ for Justice concert promises four groups from across the spectrum, song- and age-wise. The event, Saturday night at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 301 E. Lopez Ave., is a celebration of locally grown music, food and gifts, all to benefit three nonprofits: Volunteers in Medicine in the Olympics, aka VIMO; the basic-assistance program called MANNA and the statewide Faith Action Network.
Tickets to the 7 p.m. event are $10 at Holy Trinity church and at Port Book and News, 104 E. First St.
Summary explanation
David Christian of String Theory, one of the bands to play Saturday, summed up the whole idea.
“Music always seems to bring people together,” he said.
String Theory, a rock trio also featuring Joel Winborn and Mike Maxwell, will offer songs including Robert Johnson’s “Stones in My Passway” and the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.”
Also on the Jammin’ bill are the Hostile Elders, a jazz outfit formed especially for this event. Trombone player Don Smaltz predicts his band will roam the great American songbook, from “Take the A Train” to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Meditation” and “No More Blues.” Smaltz’s fellow Elders include well-seasoned bassist Ron Newton, keyboard player George Lindamood and drummer Bob Haick.
Trio
The trio known as Rachael, Mick and Barry will add Motown to the mix, plus some classic rock and country. Rachael Jorgensen, former lead singer with the band Mister Sister, has joined father-and-son team Barry and Mick Burnett for Saturday’s performance.
To round things out, two young and well-known musicians will offer traditional Irish music.
Erin Hennessey, the multi-award-winning 18-year-old fiddler, will team up with guitarist David Rivers, formerly of Abby Mae & the Homeschool Boys.
The pair’s music is “jubilant and carefree,” says Rivers, who’s been known to add in the bodhran drum when a tune calls for it.
Other gifts
Jammin’ for Justice also offers gifts, ranging from a kayaking trip to a vegetable-garden walkabout, donated to the silent and live auctions. Holy Trinity Lutheran pastor Dick Grinstad has contributed a kayak outing for three or four people on Freshwater Bay or Lake Crescent, while supporters Bob and Karen Larsen have donated a French or Italian dinner in their home for five or six people. Dr. Gene Turner is host of the walkabouts at his home garden, which he predicts will be jammed with vegetables June through September.
Also among the auction items are a Victorian high tea for eight served by Vicki Corson and a private flight over the Olympic Peninsula donated by pilot Dennis Toepke.
True to its name, Jammin’ for Justice also will have scones and jam for guests, promised organizer Merry Van Deusen. The justice part, she added, has to do with social justice and reaching out to fellow community members. VIMO and MANNA seek to help unemployed, underemployed and elderly people with medical and dental care, assistance with utility bills and other basics, while the Faith Action Network advocates for struggling Washingtonians at the state Legislature.
Saturday’s event offers more than music, auction items and good food, said Van Deusen.
“It also gives you the opportunity to contribute to those less fortunate than you. You can make a difference in someone’s life.
“That might be a bit corny,” she said. “But it’s actually how I feel.”
