Ballard Jazz Festival kicks off April 21

The last few years of tenor saxophonist Hadley Caliman's career have been among his most productive, after decades spent off the radar in prison, in recovery — both the result of his past drug addiction — and quietly teaching music while living in the Columbia River town of Cathlamet.

Caliman, who will perform Saturday at the annual Ballard Jazz Festival, is awaiting the release of his third album in two years (a yet unnamed recording with longtime friend Pete Christlieb), which follows "Gratitude" in 2008 and this year's "Straight Ahead." In early April, the album peaked at No. 2 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart — a measure of radio airplay in North America.

Caliman and his quartet from "Straight Ahead" (trumpeter Thomas Marriott, pianist Eric Verlinde, bassist Phil Sparks, drummer Matt Jorgensen) will open the Mainstage Concert at 7:30 p.m. They will be followed by the festival's headliner, Brazilian trumpeter Claudio Roditi, who will play with Seattle-based pianist Jovino Santos-Neto, also a Brazilian native. Bassist Chuck Deardorf and drummer Mark Ivester make up the rest of the rhythm section.

The festival, in its eighth year, has matured to reliable form, featuring the area's best jazz musicians and five days of performances all over downtown Ballard. As usual, the festival brought in a prominent player from outside the area, Roditi, a New Yorker and a regular at the Lionel Hampton festival in Idaho. Singer Greta Matassa will perform at a jazz brunch Sunday, expanded to include two seatings at 10 a.m. and noon.

But most of the sentiment surrounds Caliman, 78, for whom the past few years have also been a time of narrowing focus for reasons unrelated to playing jazz.

Caliman has liver cancer.

"I'm almost 79, how much more time am I supposed to get, 30 more years?" Caliman said, laughing gently. "Give me a break. You just have to face it ... It will just take care of itself.

"Right now I feel wonderful. I'm Christian. My peace in my life came with that. That's what's given me the strength to go on. Music is also a big part of my life. I do it every day. I can concentrate on it totally."

Doctors have given Caliman only short-term assurances. He takes medicine only for comfort so that he doesn't "feel sick." He avoids excuses to lie down, staying active for most of his day. He has lost weight but has continued to perform regularly enough — he is at the New Orleans Creole Restaurant Wednesday night — and many outside his inner circle do not know he is sick. He can last two sets but begins to wear down after that, he said.

"I don't worry about it," said Caliman, who lives with his wife Linda in a rented cottage on Mercer Island. "Because of my background, I know I can do one day at a time."

The festival opens Wednesday with a yearly tradition, the "Brotherhood of the Drum," featuring five groups led by drummers. It continues Thursday with the "Guitar Summit," featuring six guitarists. Both shows will be at the Sunset Tavern.

The greatest mix of styles (straight-ahead, experimental, Latin, world) can be heard Friday at the jazz walk with musicians performing all night at 12 venues. The salsa band Tumbao performs Friday when the Leif Erikson Lodge will be transformed into a dance hall.

Hugo Kugiya: hkugiya@yahoo.com