Thursday Jazz

October 24, 2007 / / No Comments


SEATTLE JAZZ SHOWCASE

8:00pm: Richard Cole Group
9:00pm: Greg Sinibaldi’s “Goat”

Music begins at 8:00pm
Admission: $10

The LAB at Seattle Drum School
12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815

EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
David Sanchez Quartet
With palpable charisma, Sánchez’s huge tenor-sax tone flares with the musical passion of his native Puerto Rico, often in jazz interpretations of mountainous works by Latin American composers. $24 general / $22 discount

Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Roberta Piket/Billy Mintz Trio
Hailed as a revelation at last year’s festival, pianist Piket and drummer Mintz return with acclaimed bassist Ratzo Harris.
$15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

PONCHO Concert Hall, 8pm
Anat Cohen Quartet
Dawn Clement Trio
With two discs this year, this New York-based Israeli saxophonist/clarinetist is winning high praise for explorations of South American, Afro-Cuban, classical, and jazz music. Opening, Cornish-based pianist Dawn Clement packs huge imaginative punch with her trio.
$18 general / $16 discount

OTHER EVENTS:

Jazz Alley: Arturo Sandoval Quintet
Egan’s Ballard Jam House: Reptet (7pm); Tobi Stone Quartet (9pm)
Asteroid Cafe: Jam Session (9:30pm)
Thaiku: Jon Alberts, Jeff Johnson, Tad Britton
Lo-Fi: “The Hang” with Evan Flory-Barnes

Wednesday Jazz

October 24, 2007 / / No Comments

Lots of things happening today … go out and hear live music!

SEATTLE JAZZ SHOWCASE

The Seattle Jazz Showcase continues tonight with performances by vibraphonist Susan Pascal and her quartet and vocalist Greta Matassa with her longtime bandmates.

Music begins at 8:00pm
Admission: $10

The LAB at Seattle Drum School
12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815

THE EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Marc Cary Trio
This energizing pianist’s star is hotly on the rise. He leads a snarky trio through a flurry of elastic jazz by way of a studied love of hip-hop and deep digressions into adventurous territory. $15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Scott Amendola Band
Nels Cline Singers
Fresh from the Bonnaroo Festival, drummer Amendola and scorching Wilco guitarist Cline deliver a double hit. The singerless Nels Cline Singers is a critically acclaimed rock/jazz must-hear. Amendola’s band, as on his recent, electro-acoustic Believe, includes Cline, guitarist Jeff Parker (Tortoise), and violinist Jenny Scheinman (Bill Frisell’s groups).
$22 general / $20 discount

EVERYTHING ELSE:
(use the links to the right under “Seattle Jazz Clubs” for more info)

The New Orleans: The Legacy Band w/ Clarence Acox
Jazz Alley: Taylor Eigsti Quartet (with Phil Sparks on bass)
Hendrix Lounge: Ben Thomas Trio (w/ Brian Kent & Jeff Norwood)
Tutta Bella (Columbia City): Gail Pettis and Darin Clendenin
Egan’s Ballard Jam House: Rochelle House (10:00pm); Country Joe McDonald, performing his tribute to Woody Guthrie (7:00pm)

Gail Pettis CD Review

October 23, 2007 / / No Comments

Jazz Times writer and Yakima resident Doug Ramsey recently reviewed vocalist Gail Pettis’ new CD on his blog, Rifftides:

Gail Pettis, May I Come In? (OA2). In her recording debut, the Seattle singer chooses a mixture of familiar standards and less-well-known songs, delivering them with warmth and intelligent interpretation. Pettis concentrates on serving songwriters’ intentions, but her delighted treatment of Jimmy McHugh’s “I Just Found Out About Love” includes one of two scatting episodes in the collection. She scats with musicianly understanding of harmony. There is not a lot of that going around among singers. Pettis gives “Black Coffee” its bluesy due but avoids the affected emotion with which many singers are tempted to smother the song.

In “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face,” bassist Jeff Johnson, with his customary strength and sensitivity, is the singer’s sole accompanist. “We’ve Met Before” is a duet between Pettis and pianist Randy Halberstadt. With this lovely song, Halberstadt may have composed a new standard. He and Johnson are on half of the tracks. On the other half, Darin Clendenin is the pianist, Clipper Anderson the bassist, Pacific Northwest stalwarts in good form, as is Mark Ivester, who plays drums throughout. Pettis keeps her considerable vocal power in reserve, using it with restraint and taste. In the burgeoning population of new singers, she is a standout.

Tuesday Festival Lineup

October 23, 2007 / / No Comments

THE SEATTLE JAZZ SHOWCASE

8:00pm: Greg Williamson’s Double Sax Quintet
9:30pm: Scenes with John Stowell (guitar), Jon Hamar (bass), John Bishop (drums)

The LAB at Seattle Drum School
12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815

EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Earshot Festival Films / Northwest Film Forum present:
Tuesday, October 23–Thursday, October 25 (7pm & 9:15pm)
Anita O’Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer
Imagine the Sound (Cecil Taylor, Paul Bley, Archie Shepp, Bill Dixon…)
Complete details at www.nwfilmforum.org.
$8.50 General / $6 Senior/Child / $5 Member {more info}

Tuesday, October 23 Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Oliver Mtukudzi
With his driving ensemble, Zimbabwe’s great cultural export, “Tuku” Mtukudzi, blends traditional Korekore drumming with mbira and jit styles to create an inimitable form respectfully dubbed “Tuku music.”
$25 advance / $28 day of

Tuesday, October 23 Chapel Performance Space, 7:30pm
Gust Burns/Greg Campbell/ Reuben Radding/Wally Shoup
Gust Burns Trio
Shoup has long paced the sax vanguard, lately with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, as well as vaunted improvisors from all over. He finds ideal partners in bass virtuoso Reuben Radding, blistering drummer Greg Campbell, and piano tearaway Gust Burns (whose trio with Campbell and lyrical bassist Jeff Johnson opens).
$15 general / $13 discount

Tuesday, October 23 & Wednesday, October 24 Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Marc Cary Trio
This energizing pianist’s star is hotly on the rise. He leads a snarky trio through a flurry of elastic jazz by way of a studied love of hip-hop and deep digressions into adventurous territory. $15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

Jeff Johson & John Bishop to NYC with Hal Galper

October 22, 2007 / / No Comments

Bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop will be heading to New York City later this week to perform with pianist Hal Galper at the Jazz Improv Convention on Saturday, October 27th, at 9:00pm at the Herald Square Suite at the New Yorker Hotel.

Johnson and Bishop recorded a CD with Galper this past summer entitled Furious Rubato which was released on Origin Records.

Click here for tickets and information about the Jazz Improv Convention.

Up-Coming Alerts

October 22, 2007 / / No Comments

Lots of great events are coming up so make sure and mark your calendars for these events:

Saturday, October 27 – Harvest Moon Jazz Cruise Aboard the Steamship Virginia V featuring Butch Thompson Trio
In celebration of October’s Harvest Moon, the Virginia V Foundation in association with the Earshot Jazz Festival is presenting a Jazz Cruise aboard the 125ft Steamship Virginia V. The historic ship will cruise the waters of Lake Union and Lake Washington, Saturday, October 27th, with music by the Butch Thompson Trio. Passengers board at 3:30 pm at the South Lake Union Heritage Wharf. The music begins at 4 pm and the Virginia V departs promptly at 4:30 pm and returns at 7 pm. {more info}

Friday, November 2 – Kirkland Performance Center, 8:00pm
Gene Bertoncini
Gene Bertoncini is one of the most eloquent and versatile masters of the unaccompanied acoustic jazz guitar. His command of the instrument is intimate and powerful. He weaves soft, seductive jazz arrangements that cherish the melodies and harmonies of great songs.
$29 adult, $15 youth {more info}

November 14 – The Jewel Box Theater
Jake Bergevin CD Release Party
Singer/Trumpeter/Bandleader Jake Bergevin celebrates the release of his new CD, Holding Back The Dawn, with some of the finest players in Seattle. {more info}

Friday, November 30 – The Ballard Jazz Walk
The fall edition of the popular Jazz Walk will take over historic downtown Ballard on Friday, November 30th, with 16 groups performing in 12 venues and will celebrate 10 years of Origin Records. Scheduled to perform is Chicago guitarist John McLean, saxophonist Hadley Caliman, Portland’s Upper Left Trio, Thomas Marriott, Brent Jensen, John Stowell and many more. Tickets will go on sale at the beginning of November so check back for more information.

December 6 – 9 – Jazz Alley
Mike Stern Band
Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents four-time Grammy nominated guitarist Mike Stern for four nights. Supporting Stern is Anthony Jackson (bass), Bob Franceschini (saxophone) and Dave Weckl (drums). {more info}

December 11 – 12 – Jazz Alley
The Moutin Reunion Quartet
Returning to Seattle after their memorable appearance at April’s Ballard Jazz Festival, the Moutin brothers are supporting their new release, Sharp Turns, a CD/DVD release recorded live at Chicago’s Skokie Theater. {more info}

Monday Jazz in Seattle

October 22, 2007 / / No Comments

A sampling of what is happening tonight in Seattle:

THE SEATTLE JAZZ SHOWCASE

Pianist Ryan Burns is recording live at the Seattle Jazz Showcase with Tad Britton on drums and Jeff Johnson on bass.

The LAB at Seattle Drum School
12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815

EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Dafnis Prieto Absolute Quintet
This brilliant Cuban drummer has evolved a musical style that is energized sophistication. Prieto’s Absolute Quintet lives up to its name, with piano, cello, violin, and the fiery alto saxophone of Yosvany Terry.
$20 general / $18 discount

Chapel Performance Space, 7:30pm
Trevor Watts & Jamie Harris
Reuben Radding & Jane Rigler
Watts, an originator of the 1970s English free-improv scene, also pioneered the pairing of African drums and jazz saxophone. Percussionist Jamie Harris joins him in free-jazz improvisations. Bassist Reuben Radding couples lithe improvising with technical adroitness in a New York duo with flutist Jane Rigler.
$20 general/$18 discount

Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Luis Perdomo Trio
Upon moving to New York, the Venezuelan pianist quickly earned a chair in Ravi Coltrane’s quartet, and has impressed mightily with his “exploratory urgency” and “energetically limber” playing (NYT). $15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

Sun, Oct 21: Earshot Jazz Festival

October 21, 2007 / / No Comments

Normally you would think Sunday would be a slower day for music … not so with this year’s Earshot Jazz Festival.

Here is what is on tap for today:

Sunday, October 21 Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Red Earth
The Grammy and Tony Award winning jazz vocalist brings ten of Mali’s most exciting musicians to Seattle to present the music of her stunning album, Red Earth, A Malian Journey.
$35 general / $33 discount

Sunday, October 21 Seattle Art Museum, 8pm
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Codebook
On his own albums and those of pianist Vijay Iyer, this alto saxophonist forges his own voice from Ornette’s ambiguity and Bird’s exuberance. Codebook, its pieces informed by cryptography and number theory, includes Iyer, bassist François Moutin, and drum titan Damion Reid.
$20 general / $18 discount

Sunday, October 21 Tractor Tavern, 8pm
The Tiptons
Now Seattle and New York-based, the all-female sax quartet (Jessica Lurie, Amy Denio, Tina Richerson, Sue Orfield, plus drummer Faith Stankevich) employs searing, on-stage chemistry to create an international stew of Eastern European melody and American experimentation. $15 general / $13 discount

The T.S. Monk Sextet performs a fundraiser for the
Central Area Senior Center on Sunday October 21,
4pm–6pm, open to the public: call 206-726-4926.

Sunday, October 21 & Monday, October 22 Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Luis Perdomo Trio
Upon moving to New York, the Venezuelan pianist quickly earned a chair in Ravi Coltrane’s quartet, and has impressed mightily with his “exploratory urgency” and “energetically limber” playing (NYT). $15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

Sat, Oct 20: Earshot Jazz Festival

October 20, 2007 / / No Comments

Saturday, October 20 Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Preservation Hall Jazz Band
This crowd-pleasing National Medal of Arts-winner, a New Orleans treasure, has archived the city’s musical history for over a quarter century.
$40 advance; $45 day of show

Saturday, October 20 Edmonds Center for the Arts, 7:30pm
Toots Thielemans & Kenny Werner
Thielemans brings peerless range to his signature sound on the harmonica. His seasoned collaborator on piano is the stunningly gifted Kenny Werner. Photo by Jos Knaepen
$28-38 general

Saturday, October 20 Chapel Performance Space, 8pm
Gino Robair: I, Norton — An opera in real-time
“At the request of the citizens of these United States, I, Joshua Norton declare myself Emperor.” So began the proclamation by which Joshua Norton, on September 17, 1859, became Norton I, Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico. Dramatically, the work takes place as the Emperor lay dying on a rain-soaked street. At that precise moment, time is suspended and his life’s events pass before his eyes. The result is an opera that is rich in symbolism and metaphor, carrying a political subtext that resonates with current geo-political situations. Presented by Earshot Jazz and Nonsequitur
$15 general; $13 discount

Details at the Earshot Festival Website

Friday, Oct 19 – Earshot Festival Begins

October 19, 2007 / / No Comments

The Earshot Jazz Festival kicks off Friday night, October 19th with a huge night of music.

For more information, visit the Earshot Festival Website.

Friday, October 19 McCaw Hall, 8pm
Ahmad Jamal
Pianist Ahmad Jamal has infused small jazz ensembles with an orchestral spirit for decades. This living legend, an NEA Jazz Master, appears with the latest of his timeless trios.
$75, $40, $35, $30 general (Gold Circle seating available)

Friday, October 19 Triple Door, 7pm & 9:30pm
Roosevelt High School Jazz Band w/ Frank Tiberi
This year, the Roosevelt High School Jazz Band, which won the nation’s premier prize for high school jazz, the Essentially Ellington Competition, appears with the Woody Herman Band veteran saxophonist and leader.
$20 general / $18 discount

Friday, October 19 Kirkland Performance Center, 8pm
T.S. Monk Sextet
Rachael Price
A student of Max Roach by age 10, and the son and bandmate of Thelonious Monk, T.S. Monk is a hard-swinging drummer and musical tour de force. Rising-star jazz siren Rachael Price also appears with her group.
Adults $29 / Sr $20 / Youth $15

Fri, October 19 & Sat, October 20 Tula’s Restaurant, 8:30pm
Jimmy Greene Quartet
The tenor saxophonist and Jacky McLean disciple brings classical training to bear on his exuberant, original jazz.
$15 general / $13 discount CALL 206-443-4221 FOR RESERVATIONS

Previews of Earshot Jazz Festival in Local Papers

October 19, 2007 / / No Comments

FROM THE SEATTLE TIMES (by Andrew Matson)

Tonight jazz begins its annual Seattle takeover.

Lasting until Nov. 4 and hosting more than 70 performances (on stage and screen) from about 300 artists, the massive Earshot Jazz Festival is mostly based in Seattle, but stretches into Kirkland and all the way up to Edmonds. There’s something for hard-core and casual jazz fans, but it’s mostly aimed at people who like new and exciting sounds.

Click here to read the entire article.

FROM THE SEATTLE PI (by Bill White)

“Jazz is getting to be a big word,” says John Gilbreath, executive director of Earshot Jazz. He’s right. Everybody has their own definition of what constitutes jazz. Starting Friday night, and continuing through Nov. 4, Seattle will be hearing many different styles of music that have been gathered under the rubric of the jazz genre.

Click here to read the entire article.

Review: Katy Bourne at Tutta Bella

October 18, 2007 / / No Comments

Review by Cynthia Mullis

On Tuesday night I decided to defect from the happenings at the Seattle Drum School and instead head over to Katy Bourne’s gig at Tutta Bella on Stone Way in Wallingford. Katy Bourne is a fun and entertaining vocalist who performs with a top notch rhythm section—this time it was Doug Miller on bass and Randy Halberstadt at the piano (filling in for Bill Anschell, who is the regular on this gig). In addition to this monthly stand up north, Katy is a regular performer at the Columbia City Tutta Bella, as well as various other venues around town.

Read More

Thursday Night Jazz

October 18, 2007 / / No Comments

Here are a few gigs happening tonight, Thursday, October 18:

TULA’S: Thomas Marriott and Tumbao
THAIKU: Tad Britton Trio
MAY THAI RESTAURANT: Hans Teuber, Geoff Harper, Byron Vannoy
NEW ORLEANS: Ham Carson Quintet
BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Greta Matassa (7pm); Ethan Thomas Quartet (9pm)
LO-FI: “The Hang” (Jam Session led by Evan Flory-Barnes)
ASTEROID CAFE: Tim Kennedy Jam Session

Want to add to tonight’s list? Post your event in the Comments section.

Review: The Willie Nelson Project / More Zero

October 18, 2007 / / No Comments

Bill Barton has published a review from Wednesday’s Seattle Jazz Showcase featuring Thomas Marriott’s Willie Nelson Project and More Zero.

Night number three at The Seattle Jazz Showcase offered a resounding “yes, it’s really true” response to the oft-cited mention of diversity in Seattle’s jazz and improvised music community.
…
The Willie Nelson Project is a group that has a decidedly electronic palette. It’s not a state-of-the-art, spruced-up, sleek, smooth, digital computer age kind of electronics though. We’re talking dirty, low-down analog funk, boys and girls.
…
Stover’s “This is another dark, moody piece.” introduction led to the mesmerizing bass vamp and sonorous mallets on toms groove that was a little reminiscent of some of Eberhard Weber’s work filtered through a few years of drum ‘n’ bass and trance influences.

Click here to READ THE ENTIRE REVIEW.

Were you at the show? Post your review/comments about this concert.

Wed 10/17: The Willie Nelson Project / More Zero

October 17, 2007 / / No Comments

Tonight at the Seattle Jazz Showcase two cutting-edge groups are presented on an exciting double-bill:

Wednesday, October 17 beginning at 8:00pm

Thomas Marriott’s WILLIE NELSON PROJECT
Thomas Marriott – trumpet; Mark Taylor – saxophone; Ryan Burns – keyboards; Geoff Harper – bass; Matt Jorgensen – drums

The award winning trumpeter Thomas Marriott presents reworkings of classic songs by the great american singer-songwriter Willie Nelson.

Taking material from many of Nelson’s hit songs and some lesser known tunes as well, Marriott has reinvented the material to create new and unique forms for improvisation and interplay.

MORE ZERO
Chris Stover – trombone; Stuart McDonald – saxophone; Ben Thomas – vibes; Jeff Norwood – bass; Matt Jorgensen – drums

More Zero is Chris Stover’s latest project, an exciting mix of modern jazz, drum-n-bass, and funk all within the framework of Chris’s unique compositional style. Favorably compared to Dave Holland’s band and John Hollenbeck’s Claudia Quartet, MORE ZERO features an eclectic mix of some truly world class improvising musicians.

The LAB at Seattle Drum School
12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815

Review: Jon Hamar Trio / Mark Taylor Quartet

October 17, 2007 / / No Comments

Review by Bill Barton

The second night of The Seattle Jazz Showcase had a relaxed, intimate feeling.

Bassist Jon Hamar led a wonderful trio with Dawn Clement at the piano and Matt Jorgensen on drums. Hamar’s composition “Oblivion” was a particular standout and featured a rhythmically ingenious and driving piano solo. Another brilliant performance was Dawn Clement’s lovely, melancholy arrangement of John Lennon’s “Julia.” Hamar’s solo had the resonant depth, melodic imagination and subtle power of Charlie Haden at his best: an impressive solo. The blend of this piece, original compositions by Hamar and one by Astor Piazzolla provided plenty of variety.

Mark Taylor’s quartet featuring Los Angeles-based pianist Gary Fukushima (making a one-night-only appearance in Seattle) plus bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Byron Vannoy presented a multi-faceted set with Taylor on alto saxophone for a majority of the time and on soprano for one tune. His composition “After Hours” was particularly exciting. Each of the players had eloquent solo moments throughout the set.

All in all it was a delightful evening of music.