Awards & Festivals
Festival Artists Who Defy Boundaries | Coastal Jazz
By Tim Reinert For many years, Downbeat Magazine has embraced the tagline "Jazz, Blues & Beyond," which serves as a broad descriptor for music that eludes traditional classifications. Today, we explore the diverse sounds featured at this year’s Vancouver International…
“Storytelling, Like Language, Is Alive”: How Amy Bruton Bluemel Protects Her History
During her storytelling sessions, Amy Bruton Bluemel displayed her Chickasaw woven dance belt, sharing cultural tales over the six days of the 2024 Festival. Photo by Daniel Martínez González, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives Amy Bruton Bluemel has always collected stories…
Festival Artists Reinventing the Jazz Genre | Coastal Jazz
Written by Tim Reinert Jazz is in a constant state of evolution, a characteristic that defines the genre. This transformation is not seen as a flaw but rather a fundamental aspect of its identity, which often leads to spirited discussions…
Baby Rattlesnake: A Chickasaw Folklore Comic
Discover more about Chickasaw storyteller Amy Bruton Bluemel, who performed daily at the 2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, on the Festival Blog. Zihan Zhang is an illustration intern at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and a graduate student at…
Tim’s Picks – Must-See Free Shows | Coastal Jazz
By Tim Reinert The term “Free Jazz” typically refers to an adventurous style of jazz that often breaks away from the conventions of traditional forms. However, today’s focus is on a different type of Free Jazz—one that truly is free!…
Native American Women Warriors: A Sisterhood Bonded through Service
Cameras: Ali Ali, David Barnes, Trinity LeEditor: Ali Ali Members of the Native American Women Warriors, the first all-female Native American color guard in the country, stand proudly in jingle dresses, each holding a flag. The first woman in line…
More Must-See Free Shows | Coastal Jazz
By Tim Reinert While the saying goes that there's no such thing as a free lunch, Coastal Jazz proves otherwise by offering a variety of free jazz concerts at this year’s Vancouver International Jazz Festival. In fact, there are plenty…