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Gualala Arts
Promoting public interest and participation in the arts since 1961.
Archive of past events: 2004 through 2014
Local chefs, cooks and even amateur competitors vie for the title of "Best Mendonoma Coast Chowder." $20 includes Festival Logo wine or beer glass and 15 tickets for chowder tastings and beverages, including fine wines and microbrew as well as soft beverages. Hot bread fresh out of the oven is included in the tastings. Additional tickets are available for $1 each.
This year the Chowder Challenge "People's Choice" and "Most Tasted" contests end promptly at 1:15 p.m. so the winners in all classes can be announced by 1:30 p.m., to give patrons a chance to sample the winner's chowders before they are all gone! Fred Adler from KTDE, 100.5 FM is music coordinator and emcee of the event.
Professional Chefs
Riley Huddleston -
Alexander's at Timber Cove Amateur Chefs
Rick & Teresa Denniston - "Starcross Kin Worldwide Chowder" (Trad New England Style) Chowder Challenge JudgesHall Kelley has designed the printed schedule and large posters for the Whale & Jazz Festival for the past three years and attends as many Festival events as possible. The Chowder & Jazz event is one of his favorites, and he is thrilled to be a judge again this year. Renee Kling comes from a family tradition of exceptional cooks and gardeners and started her 30-year career as a professional chef cooking at local "hot spots" including The Sea Ranch Lodge, The Gualala Hotel and The Galley. She is most well known for her devotion to Point Arena School Districts' School Food Service where as 15-year Manager, she has been an advocate for wholesome, 'from-scratch' school meals. George Marshall, known affectionately as "The Big Chowderhead," who with his amazing Traditional New England Clam Chowder won the Chowder Challenge "Triple Crown" in 2010 and 2008, and in 2007 won 1st place & People's Choice. George stepped back in 2009 to be a judge and we again look forward to his discerning palate with this year's entries.
Barnebey's Hot Four
The Hot Four continue to be the band of choice at the Whale & Jazz Festival's Chowder & Jazz event, having returned every year since 2006. They had also appeared for many years in Gualala sponsored by Gualala Lions Club with Barnebey's former Jazz Salvation Co. band. Barnebey has assembled a group of versatile jazz musicians well versed in a good time, swinging, improvisational style. The repertoire for the afternoon will include old favorites, the resurrection of some obscure musical gems from the golden age of jazz, and probably a few surprises for the musicians and listeners alike, all in the tradition of the free and easy music of the Big Easy and great for New Orleans traditional dancing!
Tom Barnebey, cornet & trombone
Tom is the currently the cornetist with the Zenith Jazz Band, leads a Roaring Twenties style quintet called "Beyond Salvation Jazz Band," and fills in on various instruments with other trad bands in the Bay Area.
Robert Young, reeds & cornet
Robert is a multi instrumentalist and a full time musician. His "day job" is piano accompanist for schools, choral groups and theatrical performances. He plays cornet and reeds with the Black Diamond Blue Five and his own group, the El Dorado Syncopators. In the recent past, he has worked with the Zenith Jazz Band, Fourth Street Five, and the San Francisco Starlight Orchestra.
Scott Anthony, banjo & guitar
Since 1984 Scott has led and had a wonderful time playing in the Golden Gate Rhythm Machine, as well as Bob Schulz's Frisco Jazz Band, and others. He now makes a living as a musician, a part-time computer programmer and consultant, and builds custom guitars. When there is free time he devotes it to his original avocation as an artist, painting watercolors and acrylics. Tom Clark, string bass
The Gualala Arts Center, located at 46501 Old State Highway in Gualala, CA, Join us in celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Gualala Arts, 1961 - 2011
Serving the coastal communities of northern Sonoma & southern Mendocino Counties.
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This family-friendly midday event includes a jazz concert of traditional New Orleans jazz performed by Barnebey's Hot Four of Sonoma County free to the public accompanying the 9th annual Chowder Challenge tasting competition.
A panel of 'celebrity' judges will determine winners in both professional and amateur classes in the categories of Traditional (New England Style Clam Chowder) and an Open Class (for all manner of seafood and even vegetarian chowders). A "People's Choice" vote of the Chowder & Jazz patrons decides the most popular entry and there is even a cash award for the entrant with the 'most tasted' chowder!
Tom has been in trad jazz since the 1960s, when he began playing banjo and piano in pizza parlors around the Los Angeles area, and cornet with the then newly formed Jelly Roll Jazz Band. After moving to Sonoma County, he led the well regarded Jazz Salvation Company for 20 years. A highlight on the JSC's schedule in last nine of those years was the annual Dixieland by the Sea concert in Gualala.
Prior to his move to Northern California, Robert was bass saxophonist in the legendary Golden Eagle Jazz Band in and worked with various other jazz bands in Southern California.
Joining us for this year's Barnebey's Hot Four & More will be banjo and guitar player Scott Anthony.