Sisters gets that jazzy feeling for annual festival.

Byline: The Register-Guard

Ten bands, four venues and 65 concerts in a variety of styles - including swing, big band, traditional, gospel, zydeco, blues and straight-ahead jazz - are on the docket at the 2003 Sisters Jazz Festival on Sept. 12-14.

The festival, a fund-raising

event to benefit the Sisters school district's music scholarship fund, virtually takes over the small Central Oregon city for the weekend.

On hand will be the bands Titan Hot Seven with Bob Draga, Cornet Chop Suey, Blue Street, Gator Beat, Pieter Meijers Quartet featuring Cheryl Stephens, Chicago Six, Lily Wilde & Her Jumpin' Jubilee Orchestra, the Good Bait Quintet, Yve Evans & Company and the Oregon Coast Lab Band.

JAZZ NOTES

Although the Sisters Jazz Festival started in 1990 as a traditional jazz showcase, it has evolved over the years to have much broader appeal.

An all-events, three-day admissions badge is available for $55. One-day passes are $25 for Friday, $30 for Saturday, $15 for the Saturday evening concert only, $15 on Sunday. A three-day youth badge (ages 12 to 18) is $10, and children younger than 12 are admitted for free.

Tickets for the festival can be ordered over the Internet at www.sistersjazzfestival.com or by calling toll-free [phone].

Meredith d'Ambrosio

Jazz vocalist Meredith d'Ambrosio returns to Eugene to sing selections from the Great American Songbook from 8:30 p.m. to 11:15 p.m. Thursday at Luna, 30 E. Broadway.

With her will be pianist Randy Halberstadt. A $10 cover will be charged.

Boston-born d'Ambrosio began singing in 1958 in small bands with pianist Roger Kellaway in her hometown. Since then, she has worked with Harold Danko, Bob Dorough, Dave Frishberg, Eddie Higgins, Dick Hyman, Milt Hinton, Major Holley, Jay Leonhart, Michael Moore, George Mraz, Rufus Reid, Leroy Vinnegar, Ken Peplowski, Phil Woods, Johnny Frigo, Gene Bertoncini, Kevin Eubanks and Ben Riley.

Although she is known primarily as a jazz singer and pianist, d'Ambrosio also is a respected calligrapher, watercolorist, creator of eggshell mosaics, composer, lyricist, recording artist and teacher.

She moved to New York City in 1981, and since then has been touring throughout North America and Europe.

CAPTION(S):

Meredith d'Ambrosio will sing American standards on Thursday at Luna.