Call it the first law of jazz and classical music festivals: There is always one going on somewhere. Heck, even dusty Ellensburg has a jazz festival (Jazz in the Valley, July 25-27)--but several events closer to home also merit investigation. Last week I mentioned the Seattle Chamber Music Festival (July 7-Aug 1). Held in the McKay Chapel, many of this year's free half-hour pre-concert recitals boast smatterings of contemporary classical pieces. Festival favorite violist Marcus Thompson and pianist Anton Nel tackle works by Krzysztof Penderecki, György Ligeti, and John Harbison (Mon June 28, 7 pm). Tickets for the SCMF's full-fledged concerts range from $16 to $35, but you can lounge on the lawn and hear the gig for free through top-notch speakers.

Farther afield is Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend festival (July 24-27), held at Fort Worden State Park's McCurdy Pavilion and in 10 clubs around Port Townsend. Headlining at the McCurdy Pavilion is Belgian harmonica legend Toots Thielemans (Fri July 25, 7:30 pm), who singlehandedly made the harmonica an accepted instrument in jazz. The 90-odd musicians slated for various venues in Port Townsend are too numerous to list, but I'm grateful to smart organizers who rightly decided that one nightly ticket gets you into all 10 clubs. Toots alone is worth the trip, though exploring the abandoned artillery batteries of the park is fun, too.

Alas, with the shifting of the Seattle Improvised Music Festival to spring, there isn't a festival geared toward the avant this summer, but let's hope the Nature Consortium's Outdoor Museum of Sound at Camp Long returns in 2004. CHRISTOPHER DeLAURENTI

For festival locations, lineups, schedules, and prices:

Jazz Port Townsend: www.centrum.org

Jazz in the Valley: www.jazzinthevalley.com

Seattle Chamber Music Festival: www.scmf.org

chris@delaurenti.net