Golden Ear Award Winners

February 3, 2009 / / No Comments


Drummer Byron Vannoy (pictured with daughter Olivia and emcee Jim Wilke) and his group, Meridian, had the 2008 NW recording of the Year


Hadley Caliman won the award for Acoustic Jazz Ensemble and NW Concert of the Year


Saxophonist Mark Taylor was named 2008 NW Jazz Instrumentalist

Thomas Marriott and his Willie Nelson Project won the award for NW ‘Outside’ Jazz Group (apologies to Tom … I was onstage so I couldn’t take a picture – Matt J.)


Saxophonist Neil Welch was named Emerging Artist of 2008


Greta Matassa was again named NW Vocalist of the Year


Jazz Program Director Gordon Todd accepting the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame award for KBCS 91.3fm


Bassist Phil Sparks is accepted in the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame


Tula’s Jazz Club owner Mack Waldron received a special award for service to the jazz community.

Earshot Golden Ear Award Nominees Announced

December 22, 2008 / / No Comments

Each year the Golden Ear Awards program provides an opportunity for Seattle jazz fans and performers to celebrate the region’s jazz accomplishments of the previous year. Earshot Jazz initiated the Golden Ear Awards in 1990 to recognize the accomplishments of Seattle jazz artists over the previous year, and to induct significant members of the jazz community into the local Jazz Hall of Fame.

Nominees have been announced for the 2008 awards. To cast your vote, visit the Earshot website at:
http://earshot.org/Events/golden.html?&event_id=399

2008 NW Recording of the Year:
Hadley Caliman – Gratitude
Byron Vannoy – Meridian
Thomas Marriott – Crazy: Music of Willie Nelson
Matt Jorgensen +451 – Another Morning
Jeff Johnson – Tall Stranger

2008 NW Acoustic Jazz Ensemble:
Hadley Caliman Quartet/Quintet
Jim Knapp Orchestra
Ziggurat
Hans Teuber/Geoffrey Harper/Byron Vannoy

2008 NW “Outside” Jazz Group:
Jeff Johnson Trio
More Zero
Thomas Marriott’s Willie Nelson Project
Speak

2008 NW Jazz Instrumentalist:
Mark Taylor
Hadley Caliman
Hans Teuber
Thomas Marriott
Jeff Johnson

Emerging Artist of 2008:
Neil Welch
Byron Vannoy
The Teaching
Evan Flory-Barnes

NW Vocalist of the Year:
Kelly Harland
Kelley Johnson
Greta Matassa
Gail Pettis

2008 NW Concert of the Year:
Hadley Caliman at Ballard Jazz Festival
Hadley Caliman CD release party at Tula’s
Lee Konitz at Ballard Jazz Festival
Wayne Horvitz Retrospective at Earshot Festival

Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Nominees:
Jack Perciful
KBCS 91.3
Phil Sparks
Bob Nixon

Concert Review: Jon Hamar CD Release at Tula’s

January 21, 2008 / / No Comments

By Cynthia Mullis
photos by Carolyn Caster

(A big congratulations to Jon Hamar for receiving the Earshot Golden Ear Award for Emerging Artist!)

On Wednesday, January 16th, I went to Tula’s to attend the release party for bass player Jon Hamar’s new CD Here After.  I have to say that it’s to its credit that Tula’s has eliminated blender drinks from their menu. And why, do you ask, is this suddenly an important revelation? Well, mainly because it would be an otherwise unfortunate place for an acoustic bass player to have a CD release party! As it was, there were no Margaritas and Pina Coladas to interfere with this quiet, intimate CD release party for bassist Hamar and his trio. Of course, the phone rang during an acapella bass solo, raising a slight chuckle in the audience, but I for one was grateful for the chance to hear Hamar’s music with little interference. As a result it was a very satisfying experience.

Wednesday’s audience was a modest but appreciative assembly of friends, family, students from Cornish and Central Washington University, not to mention a few bass players. On stage were pianist Dawn Clement and Byron Vannoy on drums. The three musicians were locked in and sounded like they’ve spent a lot of time playing together. Jon and Dawn had a special simpatico and Byron is a perfect complement to the two. Dawn and Byron are also featured on Jon’s new recording Here After, in addition to John Hansen, Jon Wikan, Hans Teuber and Dan Tyack.

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Golden Ear Award Winners

January 21, 2008 / / No Comments

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott winning two awards for Best Northwest Jazz Recording and Northwest Jazz Instrumentalist and jazz drumming legend Dean Hodges‘ induction into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame were among the highlights at the 2007 Earshot Golden Ear Awards held Sunday night, January 20th at the EMP.

Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto and his group opening the night with a set of music featuring Chuck Deardorf on bass, Mark Ivester on drums and Jeff Bush on percussion.

Latin jazz group Sonando was presented with the award for Acoustic Jazz Group and the Paul Rucker Quintet won the award for Outside Jazz Group.

The award for Emerging Artist went to bassist Jon Hamar who thanked all of his fellow nominees who he has had the pleasure of performing with.

Gail Pettis, who was also nominated for Best Northwest Jazz Recording, snatched up the award for Best Northwest Vocalist.

New York vibraphonist Joe Locke‘s performance at Jazz Port Townsend won the 2007 Northwest Concert of the Year award. This was the second Golden Ear Award for Joe Locke who won in 2005 for his performance at the Ballard Jazz Festival.

Two drummers inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame.

Dean Hodges, who began his career after graduating from Oscar Peterson’s Advanced School of Contemporary Music, is the elder statesman of Seattle drumming and has performed with nearly every artist imaginable.

Origin Records founder and drummer John Bishop was also inducted into the Hall of Fame for his years of performing and promoting the Seattle jazz scene.

Sunday Jazz

January 20, 2008 / / No Comments

Tonight is the annual Golden Ear Awards at EMP … be there or be square!

2007 Golden Ear Awards
Awards Ceremony: Sunday, January 20, 2008
Featuring performance by Jovino Santos Neto Quarteto
and emcee Jim WilkeEMP/SFM at Seattle Center, 7 pm
325 5th Avenue North, Seattle
Click here for more info.

JAZZ ALLEY: Stanley Clarke

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Garfield HS Jazz (3-4); Jay Thomas Big Band (4-7); Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra (8pm)

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Sunday Night Salsa: Supersones

SERAFINA: Jazz Brunch with the Conlin Roser/Cynthia Mullis Duo (11am to 1:30pm); Jerry Frank, solo jazz piano (6:30pm to 9pm)

GRAZIE: Jam Session (6:00 – 9:00pm)

TWISTED CORK WINE BAR: Katy Bourne Quartet
located in the Hyatt Regency Bellevue at 900 Bellevue Way, Bellevue

2007 Golden Ear Award Nominations

December 17, 2007 / / No Comments

2007 RECORDING OF THE YEAR:
– Thomas Marriott, “Both Sides of the Fence”
– Richard Cole, “Shade”
– Gail Pettis, “May I Come In?”
– Greta Matassa, “The Smiling Hour”

2007 NW ACOUSTIC JAZZ ENSEMBLE:
– Ziggurat Quartet
– Sonando
– Jim Knapp Orchestra
– Hadley Caliman Quartet

2007 NW “OUTSIDE” JAZZ GROUP:
– Rick Mandyck/Gregg Keplinger Duo
– Frieze of Life
– More Zero
– Paul Rucker Quintet

2007 NW JAZZ INSTRUMENTALIST:
– Thomas Marriott
– Chuck Deardorf
– Dawn Clement
– Hadley Caliman

EMERGING ARTIST OF 2007:
– Byron Vannoy
– Evan Flory-Barnes
– Jon Hamar
– Elspeth Savani

NW VOCALIST OF 2007:
– Greta Matassa
– Gail Pettis
– Karin Plato
– Kelley Johnson

2007 NW CONCERT OF THE YEAR:
– Joe Locke at Jazz Port Townsend
– Brotherhood of the Drum at the Ballard Jazz Festival
– Cuong Vu at the Earshot Jazz Festival
– Ahmad Jamal at the Earshot Jazz Festival

SEATTLE JAZZ HALL OF FAME NOMINEES:
– Sonny Buxton
– Jack Brownlow
– Dean Hodges
– John Bishop

The 2007 Golden Ear Awards Ceremony will take place 2007 January 20th at 7:00 pm at the EMP.

To cast your vote, print out a ballot from the December 2007 issue of Earshot Jazz. You can find one throughout Seattle of you can download a PDF version of the ballot by clicking here.

For more information about the awards, visit the Earshot Jazz website.