Blues musician and multi-instrumentalist, Jontavious Willis, joined Centrum as the Artistic Director for the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop back in 2020. Mr. Willis grew up singing Gospel music at a Baptist church with his grandfather. Since an early age, he demonstrated a talent and passion for the music and the ability to sharpen his skills rapidly. …
2022 Blues Workshop In-Person and Online
Early Blues and New Blues in 2022 Daily classroom instruction in traditional acoustic blues, its history, songs, and styles as well as technical skills, movement forward and how to play well with others in the form. Afternoons include ensemble playing and evenings present faculty concerts celebrating various regional styles, both traditional and moving the genre…
2021 Blues Concert Moving Online Due to Forecast
UPDATED 8/6/2021 Based on feedback we have been receiving in the past 24 hours from ticket holders as well as our artist faculty—coupled with the very latest forecast for rain tomorrow via NOAA—we must put everyone’s health and safety first and have therefore, despite our best intentions earlier this week, decided that we cannot realistically…
Red Hot Strings – May 14 – 16
Centrum’s “Virtual” Red Hot Strings 2021: A Space-Age Celebration Of The Great Jazz-Age String Players Daily classroom instruction by our noted professional staff; mini-concerts by up-and-coming professional level young players; a salon for attendees to hangout and chat, songs swaps and show-and-tell of instruments; half-hour shows by still-under-the-radar professional players; group performances by…
Centrum Suspends 2020 Summer Season Until 2021
Programs Through August 2, 2020 Rescheduled to 2021. Centrum Executive Director, Robert Birman, announced today that the organization’s traditional summer programming for 2020 is being postponed and rescheduled to 2021. This decision affects all Centrum workshops up to and including the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues festival which was due to end on August 2, 2020.…
Centrum Names Jontavious Willis Artistic Director for Acoustic Blues
Twenty-two-year-old Blues musician and multi-instrumentalist, Jontavious Willis, from Georgia, has been named Centrum’s Artistic Director for Acoustic Blues beginning in 2020. Willis succeeds Jerron Paxton in the role, following a vital five-year tenure at the helm. One of many Centrum summer programs, the Port Townsend Acoustic Blues Workshop takes place the first week in August…