Kobe Jazz Queen Miwa Wakabayashi Comes To Seattle

October 12, 2007 / / No Comments

Miwa Wakabayashi, winner of the 2007 Kobe Jazz Vocal Competition, comes to Seattle this weekend for two performances.

Born in Yamanashi prefecture in 1977, Miwa grew up with great influences from American movies such as West Side Story, Sound of Music and Walt Disney films. Inspired by Whitney Huston and Janis Joplin, she started singing when she was a junior high student. She joined various kind of music groups and sang rock, pops, and gospel. In 2003, Miwa was deeply impressed by the magic of jazz. She studied jazz vocal with Takako Ueno and started performing at KOLN jazz club in her hometown, Fuji-city, Shizuoka. Currently she is showcased at venues in Shizuoka and Tokyo enchanting more audiences with her deep and soulful renditions.

Friday, October 12 – Hiroshi’s Sushi Restaurant
2501 Eastlake Ave E.
Seattle, WA 98102
6:30 – 9:00pm

Miwa Wakabayashi – vocals
Bill Anschell – piano
Chris Symer – bass
Greg Williamson – drums
Jay Thomas – trumpet, sax

Monday, October 15 – Jazz Alley
2033 6th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
Phone: 206.441.9729

with: Bill Anschell – piano
Jeff Johnson – bass
Mark Ivester – drums

Great Day In Seattle Photos Go On Sale

October 9, 2007 / / No Comments

GreatDay.jpgOn May 6th, 2007 nearly 300 local jazz musicians met on the steps of Seattle’s City Hall for a photograph in the spirit of Art Kane’s 1958 “A Great Day in Harlem.”

Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Daniel Sheehan captured the event as the musicians who cross jazz music’s many generational and stylistic boundaries were photographed together for the first time in Seattle’s legendary jazz music history.

A very limited number of signed prints (by all involved in the photo) can be purchased through special arrangement.

All proceeds of sales will be donated to The MusicCares Foundation, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. The MusiCares Foundation is an affiliated charitable entity of The Recording Academy.

To purchase a poster, please visit the Great Day In Seattle Website.