Spenard JazzFest’s first weekend off to harmonic start

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - JazzFest events are taking over Anchorage’s Spenard neighborhood for the next week.

The festival stretches from May 30 to June 9, at venues like Peratrovich Park and Van’s Dive Bar. There’s an event for any listening preference.

Some Alaskan musicians have made long journeys to partake in the musical gathering. Chaz Gist, a full-time musician from Ketchikan, is acting as an “emotional support bassist” at JazzFest.

While Gist said his own band, Dude Mtn, fills much of his time and takes him many places, he doesn’t get up to Anchorage all that often.

“From southeast, obviously, if you’re off the road system, there’s a lot of concerns about just how to maneuver. We can’t drive from any town to any other town in southeast, right. So you have to get on flight, you have to get on a ferry,” Gist said. “Unless you have some kind of entity, like a festival or like something that pays your way up.”

For Gist, that opportunity comes from JazzFest. This is his second year attending the festival to fill in as a bassist for varying acts, which he said has given him a different opportunity to jam.

For a full schedule of JazzFest events, click here.

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