The Pacific Northwest has played a big part in the evolution of vocal jazz. The first attempt to transcribe Big Band instrumental music for a vocal choir was done in 1967 by Portland’s Hal Malcomb. Malcomb’s group, Genesis, began hosting what is now the oldest vocal jazz festival in the country, The Northwest Vocal Jazz Festival. Carrying on that tradition is the Bellevue High School vocal ensemble, The Bellairs—8 fine young singers, accompanied by piano, bass and drums and mentored by Kirk

KNKX "School of Jazz" hit the road for our second studio session featuring a regional high school jazz band program (our first being the Point Grey Secondary School studio session in June at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival). This time, "Evening Jazz" host Abe Beeson was on stage at the Alberta Abbey in North Portland with the winner of this year’s Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Competition —the American Music Program’s Pacific Crest Jazz Orchestra , an all-star high school big