Wednesday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Greta Matassa Jazz Workshop

JAZZ ALLEY: Keiko Matsui

NEW ORLEANS: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Penelope Donado, with Ed Weber (piano), Jeff Johnson (bass) and Robert Rushing (drums)
9pm – ABC Trio, with Ben Hamaji (piano), Colleen Gilligan (bass) and Alex Evenon (drums)

DULCES LATIN BISTRO: Eric Verlinde

LUCID: Vocalize It w/ Tai Shan

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

Fred Anderson, Saxophonist and Club Owner, Dies at 81

from the New York Times:

Fred Anderson, a tenor saxophonist who tied the bebop innovations of Charlie Parker to the explorations of later avant-garde musicians and who owned the Velvet Lounge, a South Side Chicago club known for fostering the careers of emerging players, died on Thursday. He was 81.

In 1982 Mr. Anderson, who was earning a living with odd jobs, including bartending, took over a workingman’s bar at 2128 1/2 South Indiana in Chicago and slowly began to transform it. At first he opened it on alternating Sunday nights for jam sessions for local musicians; eventually he turned it into a full-time music room where he led his own bands and booked others, especially experimental players who attracted the most serious of serious jazz aficionados.

He named it the Velvet Lounge after an audience member complimented him, possibly inaccurately, on his smooth and velvet sound. Particularly since the early 1990s, when he began charging a cover, many prominent musicians — including the flutist Nicole Mitchell and the saxophonist Ken Vandermark — have had their careers nurtured there.

“People don’t come to the Velvet to hang out,” Mr. Anderson said in an interview with NPR in 2005. “They come to listen to music. It’s a happy place to play.”

Review: Jake Bergevin at Bake’s Place

Review by Libby Graham

I went to Bake’s Place in Issaquah on Friday, June 11, and had the great pleasure of seeing vocalist and trumpeter extraordinaire Jake Bergevin. He is one of the nicest people you’ll meet and has a mega talent to match with his effortless crooning vocalese, inventive original compositions, and sensitive re-imaginings of works by such artists as Kurt Elling and Leonard Bernstein. His rendition of the classic standard “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face” and a fresh arrangement of Sting’s “The Girl with No Regrets” were shining examples of his varied, eclectic repertoire. Joining Jake that evening was an exceptional rhythm section comprised of Dan Kramlich on piano, Brad Boal playing drums, RJ Whitlow on bass, and local favorite Susan Pascal playing vibes.

Jake’s second set was themed around songs of New York and the debut of brand new material for him. Especially wonderful were his takes on “New York, New York”, “Let Me off Uptown” and a couple of songs dedicated to two famous NY bridges, “Chelsea Bridge” and “Brooklyn Bridge”.

Jake is the gifted jazz band director at Edmonds-Woodway High School and in May gained national recognition for his band’s participation in the famed Essentially Ellington competition at Lincoln Center in New York City. He also fronts his popular big band, “Javatown Swing Orchestra” and will be performing with them for the 13th year in a row at Ellensburg’s Jazz in the Valley on Saturday, July 31st. Other up-coming performances include Pacific Lutheran University’s Jazz under the Stars on Thursday, July 15, The Bloedel Reserve Concert Series (Bainbridge Island) on Saturday, July 17 and The Mill Creek Community Summer Concert Series on Thursday, August 5.

Tuesday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Critical Mass Big Band

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: Meshell Ndegeocello

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

MIX: Don Mock

THE CHAPEL: Oana Rusu Tomai

DULCES LATIN BISTRO: Eric Verlinde

OWL ‘N THISTLE: Jam w/ Eric Verlinde & Jose Martinez

Photos: East-West Trumpet Summit Release

from Daniel Sheehan at eyeshotjazz.com

Thomas Marriott celebrated the release of his new CD, “East-West Trumpet Summit“, which is currently #1 on the JazzWeek National Airplay Chart and was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition. The “East” portion of the Trumpet Summit is usually Ray Vega, but because of family commitments Vega wasn’t able to make this performance. In his absence, Vern Sielert (still “East” of Seattle as Sielert is now teaching in Idaho), joined the band which also featured Bill Anschell on piano, Phil Sparks on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums. A great sound on a summer evening.

Versatile Trombonist Benny Powell Dies

Note: Benny Powell’s last studio recording as a leader was for Origin Records. Click here to view/listen to that recording.

from NPR:

The Count Basie Orchestra is announcing that trombonist Benny Powell has died at age 80. Powell is best known for his role in the Basie band of the 1950s and early ’60s — he took a brief solo on the hit recording of “April In Paris” — but he also held spots in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra and many, many other top ensembles. He was busy as a recording studio, Broadway and television musician, and also worked with high modernist jazzmen like pianist Randy Weston and clarinetist John Carter.

A week before his death was announced, Powell performed pleasingly with David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Centennial Band as part of the CareFusion Jazz Festival New York. I spoke with him briefly afterwards, and he said that while he did not play early jazz frequently, he had grown up in New Orleans and was comfortable in the idiom. Apropos of this, his words were recently quoted in the HBO series Treme, according to co-creator Eric Overmeyer in a comment left on this blog:

I asked [Powell] once what he said … to his students, and he replied, “Straight ahead and strive for tone.” Which seems to me like pretty sound advice for all kinds of strivers.

Monday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Doomsday Device

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: Meshell Ndegeocello

NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Quintet

TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder

AMORE: Ronnie Pierce Jazz Ensemble

EL GAUCHO BELLEVUE: Primo Kim

POGGIE TAVERN: Better World w/ Marc Smason & Joanne Klein

Sunday Jazz

JAZZ ALLEY: Bobby Caldwell and The Pony Boy Orchestra

BOXLEY’S: Danny Kolke Trio

CAFE RACER: Racer Sessions
5828 Roosevelt Way NE, 8pm

TOST: Washington Composers Orchestra (WACO)

SESSION: Kevin McCarthy w/ David George
Darrell’s Tavern, 18041 Aurora Ave N, Shoreline, 8pm

CONCERT: Linda Ciofalo w/ Randy Halberstadt
Camano Island, 1pm, jazzvox.com

CONCERT: Pearl Django
Marine View Church, 8469 Eastside Dr NE, Tacoma, 5pm

TULAS JAZZ CLUB: (closed for private party)

Saturday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Gail Pettis Quartet

JAZZ ALLEY: Bobby Caldwell and The Pony Boy Orchestra

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Deborah Shelton w/Randy Halberstadt (piano), Phil Sparks (bass), Mark Taylor (saxophones), Byron Vannoy (drums)
9pm – Manghis Khan
11pm – Jim Knodle and the Distract Band

BAKE’S PLACE: Michael Tomlinson

BOXLEY’S: Karen Shivers Quartet

SERAFINA: Tim Kennedy Trio

LUCID: Fabulous Party Boys

CAFE RACER: Jon Sheckler Group

SHORELINE ARTS FESTIVAL:
12:30 – Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra
4pm – Katy Bourne Trio
Shoreline Center, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline

This Sunday on Jazz Northwest

from Jim Wilke:

Recent CDs by some great resident talent is featured this Sunday (6/27) on Jazz Northwest. Included will be new CDs by Dave Peck, The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Dina Blade and The Ziggurat Quartet among others. Jazz Northwest airs every Sunday afternoon at 1pm PDT on 88-5, KPLU and kplu.org.

Friday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: NYC Vocalist Linda Ciofalo with the Kelley Johnson Quartet

JAZZ ALLEY: Bobby Caldwell and The Pony Boy Orchestra

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Gravity

BAKE’S PLACE: Trish, Hans & Phil

BOXLEY’S: Carolyn Graye

SERAFINA: Fred Hoadley Trio

NORTH CITY BISTRO: Scott Lindenmuth Trio

LUCID: Alicia Roney Quartet

LATONA PUB: Phil Sparks Trio

THE CHAPEL: Gust Burns & Tyler Wilcox

HIROSHI’S: Jazz and Sushi

Thursday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Thomas Marriott CD RELEASE: “East-West Trumpet Summit”

JAZZ ALLEY: Bobby Caldwell and The Pony Boy Orchestra

THAIKU: Jon Alberts, Jeff Johnson and Tad Britton

NEW ORLEANS: Ham Carson Quintet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – “Swing Into Summer” featuring Chip Parker, with Darin Clendenin (piano), Clipper Anderson (bass) and Mark Ivestor (drums)
9pm – Nathan Eklund Group, with Nathan Eklund (trumpet/flugel), Mark Taylor (saxophones), Dawn Clement (piano), Chris Symer (bass) and Byron Vannoy (drums) – CD Release!

BARCA: Clark Gibson Trio

LUCID: The Hang w/ The Teaching

HI-FIDELITY LOUNGE: Ray Ohls Trio
2711 6th St, Bremerton, 8:30pm

Wednesday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Jon Wikan / Torben Waldorff / John Ellis CD RELEASE: “American Rock Beauty”

NEW ORLEANS: Legacy Quartet w/Clarence Acox

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Vocal Jam – hosted by Marti MacEwan – backed by Steve Rice (piano), Kevin McCarthy (bass) and Robert Rushing (drums)
9pm – Vocal Showcase, featuring Meg Roberts, Kim Davis and Andy Shaw

LUCID: Katrina Kope & Company

JAZZ ALLEY: Frank Vignola Trio

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

CD Release Parties this week at Tula’s

This week Tula’s Jazz Club features two CD Release Parties featuring groups with Seattle and national connections.

On Wednesday, June 23, drummer Jon Wikan returns to town for the release of “American Rock Beauty” with Danish guitarist Torben Waldorff and New York saxophonist John Ellis.

Thursday night, June 24, Thomas Marriott celebrates the release of his new CD, “East-West Trumpet Summit“, which is currently #1 on the JazzWeek National Airplay Chart and was recently featured on NPR’s Morning Edition. The “East” portion of the Trumpet Summit is usually Ray Vega, but because of family commitments Vega wasn’t able to make this performance. In his absence, Vern Sielert (still “East” of Seattle as Sielert is now teaching in Idaho), will join the band which also features Bill Anschell on piano, Phil Sparks on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums.

Make sure and call Tula’s and make a reservation for these events (206-443-4221).

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB
2214 2nd Avenue
Seattle
206-443-4221
http://www.tulas.com

Tuesday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Little Big Band

JAZZ ALLEY: Frank Vignola Trio

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: The Ben Darwish Group EP Release Tour, with Ben Darwish (piano/vocals), Chad McCullough (trumpet), Michael Rush (bass) and Jason Palmer (drums)

LUCID: Kelly Ash & Mikaela Romero Vocal Workshop

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita

THE MIX: Don Mock

OWL ‘N THISTLE: Jam w/ Eric Verlinde & Jose Martinez

2010 Calgary Jazz Festival cancelled

from CBC News:

Organizers have cancelled the 2010 Calgary Jazz Festival because of financial constraints — just before the event was scheduled to start.

In a written release, interim C-Jazz president Richard Sherry said the decision came after a six-hour board meeting on Saturday, two days before the festival was to open.

The lineup for the festival this year included jazz legend Chick Corea, who was to perform Friday.

Sherry said the “painful” decision to cancel the festival followed an in-depth examination of all its financial aspects.

“For several months, the board had been asking the C-Jazz executive director for a detailed rundown of expenses and cash flow required for the 2010 festival,” Sherry said.

“It wasn’t until … two days before the festival that we finally got a look. We were surprised that our wishes to scale down the festival following the difficult 2009 festival were, for the most part, disregarded.”

Sherry said the board concluded that “there was no possibility of financial success in 2010.”

He said the board thought “less pain would be inflicted on the artists, volunteers and jazz music fans” by cancelling the event before the opening instead of during the festival next week, which seemed likely.

Arrangements are being made to enable refunds for people who bought passes or event tickets.

Monday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: JAZZ JAM with Darin Clendenin Trio

TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder

NEW ORLEANS: New Orleans Quintet

AMORE: Ronnie Pierce Jazz Ensemble

EL GAUCHO BELLEVUE: Primo Kim

POGGIE TAVERN: Better World w/ Marc Smason & Joanne Klein