With the turn of the calendar, the successful Jazz Builds a Library concert thrown by the Friends of the Sudden Valley Library in October has blossomed into a whole concert series for the delight of the jazz lovers of Whatcom County!

Jazz, while considered the foremost American art, has its roots from all over the world.  There are influences from Africa and Cuba in the dynamic rhythms, Ireland in the unaccented beat, France for the expert musicianship and Eastern Europe for the instrumentation.  In turn, jazz from America has grown outward to influence musicians in many countries.

With this in mind, the Friends of the Sudden Valley Library have decided to celebrate the world-wide influence of jazz with the 2012 World of Jazz Builds a Library concert series.  The series features some of the Pacific Northwest’s best jazz musicians from the U.S., Canada, and Brazil, whose music emphasizes the world-wide appeal and influence of this American art form.

WWU Faculty Jazz Collective, April 14: Canadians Mike Allen, Miles Black and Adam Thomas join Bellingham’s Julian MacDonough to reprise their exciting performance that brought down the house last fall in Sudden Valley.

Pearl Django, June 9: Possibly the most celebrated Django Reinhardt tribute band in the country, Pearl Django will present music that originated in France, Belgium and the gypsy camps of Eastern Europe, as well as many original compositions.

Jovino Santos Neto, October 13: Brazilian music and rhythms will be played by this quartet that features pianist Jovino Santos Neto, and includes Bellingham born Jeff Busch on many different native rhythmic instruments.

Greta Matassa with special guest Jovon Miller, December 8: The closing concert of the series will bring jazz lovers back to its American roots with Seattle’s own Greta Matassa, including a special guest appearance by jazz tap dancer, Jovon Miller.

All concerts take place from 3 – 6 p.m. in the Sudden Valley Dance Barn, Gate 2, 8 Barnview Ct., Bellingham.  Tickets are $60 for the series, and can be purchased at Sudden Valley Community Association Administration or Community Center, at Village Books, or by calling either K.C. at 360-671-1709, or Mary at 360-306-1800. Seating is limited and demand is expected to be high.  If available, tickets for single concerts will be sold for $20 each after March 14.  Drinks and snacks will be available for purchase at the concerts.  There is plentiful free parking.

All proceeds from the concert series will benefit the building fund for the South Whatcom Public Library at Sudden Valley.  The Friends of the Sudden Valley Library are raising $300,000 to convert 6,500 square feet of empty barn space in the Community Center complex for a full service Whatcom County Library System branch library to serve a population of 9,000 people in Sudden Valley and the south Whatcom County area.

For additional information, visit www.suddenvalleylibrary.org, or call K.C. Sulkin at 671-1709.