Charles Boyer Stentz

I was a student of Chuck during the early years of The Evergreen State College. He worked with Don Chan to create a wonderful jazz program at the college starting from absolutely nothing , and had ears so keen that if you made an individual mistake on the other side of the ensemble thinking that nobody would notice, he would inevitably hear it and stop everyone to find the culprit and correct the problem. It was a privilege to play along side of him. He had a quality of making you feel good,...

I grew up listening to all the great musician
in Olympia. My Daddy was Ray Harris and I will always remember him talking about how great a sax player he was. My sister Linda played the sax and my parents always praised Mr Stentz. May he R.I.P. and play that saxophone on!!!

Chuck always gave a warm friendly smile and greeting by name over many years of shared enjoyment of live music in our community. His presence gave a sense of continuity and welcoming to the jazz experience here in Oly. How sad to lose that familiar face and blend of lighthearted gravitas...

Sorry to hear of Chuck's passing. Wishing you comfort at this time.

Chuck has been a friend, employer and mentor to me since I met him in 1977. I worked for him at both the Downtown and Westside Yenney Music Stores for several years. He mentored me on Alto Saxophone, and helped me earn a Superior rating in the Senior division of the National Bureau for the Advancement of Music in 1978. Something I could never have attained with out Chuck's musical acumen and lyrical understanding of HYMN TO THE SUN. I learned a lot about both music and life from Chuck. He...