Ballard Jazz Walk this Friday

The Ballard Jazz Walk returns this Friday, November 30, with 16 groups performing in 11 venues all for a single ticket price ($15 advance / $20 day of event).

Coinciding with 10th anniversary of Origin Records, nearly all the artists performing have recent or up-coming releases within the next year.

Some of the featured artists include:

Northwest saxophone legend Hadley Caliman recently finished his debut recording for Origin Records featuring Joe Locke on vibes. He will perform at the NY Fashion Academy with Thomas Marriott on trumpet, Doug Miller on bass and Byron Vannoy on drums.

Chicago guitarist John McLean leads a group in Seattle for the first time performing music from his new CD “Better Angels“. He is joined by Mark Taylor on saxophone, Ryan Burns on keyboards, Phil Sparks on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums.

Greta Matassa will perform music from her new CD “The Smiling Hour” at Bad Albert’s.

New to the Jazz Walk this year, Egan’s Ballard Jam House, will host an early dinner set at 6:30pm, Portland’s Upper Left Trio at 8:30pm performing music from their new CD “Three“, at at 11:00pm Chad McCullough will host an after-hours Jam Session where all musicians are welcome to come and sit in.

Other performers include: Sonando, Thomas Marriott’s Willie Nelson Project, Ben Thomas Trio, Collier and Dean, Brent Jensen, John Stowell, Randy Halberstadt Trio, Tad Britton / Marc Seales / Jeff Johnson, and more!

DATE: Friday, November 30th
TICKETS: $15 advance; $20 day of event
WEBSITE: http://ballardjazzfestival.com

Seattle Times preview: click here

Nancy King performing at Cornish College

CORNISH COLLEGE OF THE ARTS WELCOMES RENOWNED JAZZ VOCALIST NANCY KING

SEATTLE, WA – As one of the few improvisers in vocal jazz to master the vocabulary, Nancy King has “indefatigable scat chops and a remarkably elastic range,” (The Oregonian) and has been called everything from a “Cult figure” and an “uncompromising artist,” (Earshot Jazz) to “the greatest living jazz singer.” (Herb Ellis) The Cornish Music Series is pleased to present this internationally renowned jazz vocalist in concert with Steve Christofferson, piano; Chuck Deardorf, bass; and Mark Ivester, drums.

Cornish Music Series presents
Nancy King
Friday, November 30, 8 pm
PONCHO Concert Hall

710 East Roy Street, Seattle
Tickets: $15 general, $7.50 students, seniors & Cornish College alumni.
Tickets can be purchased through Ticket Window at 206.325.6500 or at www.ticketwindowonline.com or at Ticket Window box offices located at Broadway Market, Pacific Place, Pike Place Market, Bellevue’s Meydenbauer Center.

BIOGRAPHY
Nancy came into the San Francisco jazz scene of the early 1960’s from Springfield, Oregon. It was at the legendary Jazz Workshop that she met Sonny King, her future mate, and joined his band. They headlined Monday nights at the Workshop for two years. Others she worked with in San Francisco included Vince Guaraldi, John Handy, Sonny Donaldson, and Flip Nunez. Another major influence was meeting and studying with Jon Hendricks.
Read More

The Jazz Hang: Monday Night Vocal Jams @ Tula’s

by Katy Bourne

Singers looking for something to do on a Monday night might want to check out the regular Monday night vocal jam at Tula’s. The process is simple: Show up. Sign up. Sing. Each singer gets to perform 2 tunes. Different musicians from the local jazz scene host each session. There is always a pianist to accompany, and in the case of Darin Clendenin’s jams, there is even a full rhythm section. Singers have the opportunity to sing with some of the top jazz musicians in Seattle. Vocalists with all levels of experience are welcome. The vibe is very relaxed and supportive, and the scene is wonderfully fun hang. It is a great chance to try out new material, work out a tricky song or just have a good time. The musicians are the best in town, and you couldn’t ask for friendlier or more expert support. Many local singers have honed their chops at these very sessions. It’s a great place to learn, gain experience and meet other singers. In addition to all those positives, Tula’s has great food and a full-service bar, for those who enjoy a martini with their favorite jazz standard. The hosts for each week are as follows:

First Mondays: Greta Matassa with Randy Halberstadt
Second and Fourth Mondays: Darin Clendenin Trio
Third Mondays: Kelley Johnson with John Hansen

Vocal jams start at 8:00pm. Tula’s is located at 2214 Second Ave., Seattle, WA 98121. Phone is 206-443-42221. For more information about vocal jams and other events at Tula’s, check out www.tulas.com

Origin Records’ Deep Blue Organ Trio at #2 on JazzWeek Airplay Charts

Origin Records’ October release “Folk Music” by the Deep Blue Organ Trio (Origin 82489) was just announced to be at #2 in the JazzWeek National airplay charts. They’re just 5 spins behind #1! This is the highest any Origin Release has ever charted.

The Deep Blue Organ Trio is based in Chicago. Celebrating the classic jazz combo configuration of the Hammond B3 organ, guitar and drums, as well as the Black-American experience through music, Chris Foreman, Greg Rockingham and Bobby Broom bring a modern edge to a musical timepiece.

The Deep Blue Organ Trio began its journey in 1992 playing engagements at Chicago ‘s Cotton Club and Back Room. At the Cotton Club, a weekly gig which lasted for two years, the group began to develop its sound and musical connection. A connection which in large part began in the 1970s, when as teenagers Chris, Greg and Bobby were studying the organ jazz sounds which would soon become classic.

Other Origin releases that have been in the Top 10 for National Airplay include:
Thomas Marriott, Both Sides of the Fence
Joe Locke / Geoffrey Keezer Group, Live In Seattle
New Stories, Hope Is In The Air

New Review of Richard Cole’s SHADE

By John Barron, AllAboutJazz.com

Shade, Saxophonist Richard Cole’s third release for Origin Records, is a stellar production compiled from various sessions featuring trumpet legend Randy Brecker and a bevy of heavy hitters from the Pacific Northwest. The disc is chock-full of inspired solos, edgy compositions and inventive arranging.

Cole is an aggressive soloist who, much like his saxophone heroes John Coltrane and Joe Henderson, challenges the harmonic boundaries of each tune in search of new and unblemished ideas. The tenor saxophone is Cole’s horn of choice on Shade, however, his soprano playing on “Don’t Breath on Me”— a lyrical waltz written by brother Ronald—is equally brawny and engaging.

Brecker’s trumpet shines on four tracks: “A Shade of Joe,” (Cole’s tribute to Henderson) the Gene DePaul/ Don Raye standard “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “P.C. Wannabe,” (a variation on Coltrane’s “Mr. P.C.”) and the funky “Red Suit.” His lines are characteristically soulful and inventive.

Bill Anschell handles the bulk of the disc’s piano duties with energetic vigor. The commanding pianist swings aggressively through “Moxy,” his angular compositional take on the Sonny Rollins classic “Doxy.” John Hansen, Randy Porter and Marc Seales each take over the keyboard chair for one tune apiece. Seales’ Fender Rhodes workout on “Red Suit” is one of the stand-out solos on the disc.

The disc contains numerous appearances by top-notch bassists and drummers. Some of the more memorable rhythm section moments come from drummer Gary Hobbs who is explosive on “A Shade of Joe,” and bassist Jeff Johnson who plays an extended solo intro on “Beautiful Love.”

For those unfamiliar with Cole, this disc should leave no doubt as to the magnitude of his musical strength. The brazen display of emotional range emanating from the man’s horn is overwhelming. Shade is a sonic delight from start to finish.

Tuesday Jazz

JAZZ ALLEY: Chick Corea
{read our preview here}

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Lonnie Mardis and the SCCC Jazz Orchestra

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM LOUNGE: Tor Dietrichson Blues Machine

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Jump Ensemble

DEXTER AND HAYES: Tim Kennedy Trio

OWL ‘N THISTLE: Bebop and Destruction Jam Session

Preview: Chick Corea at Jazz Alley

By Cynthia Mullis

PREVIEW
CHICK COREA AT JAZZ ALLEY

November 27-December 2, 2007
$32.50 – $35.50
Reservations: 206-441-9729

Fri. 11/30 and Sun 12/02 – 7:30 pm shows are currently FULL . A non- reservation line will be available.
Sat. December 1st, 7:30pm and 9:30pm shows are currently full.

As a teenager beginning to explore the world of jazz around 1980, I was hungry for any little bit of music or jazz ephemera I could find. This was no easy feat growing up in New Mexico during that time. In my quest for anything jazz related, I often would wake up to Navajo music on the local Indian affairs program that lead into the early morning jazz show, stay up late to catch whatever jazz was on KUNM, and beg my mom to chaperone me and a few friends on expeditions to any jazz concert that came into town. The other part of this equation were the few dusty bins of jazz records in the back of the small local record stores—no iTunes or Amazon.com here. (Did I mention I had to walk three miles through the snow to get to these stores?)

While my teenage peers had posters of Styx and Led Zeppelin on their walls, my treasure was a large poster of Chick Corea’s Tap Step given to me by a sympathetic record store clerk. Rounding out this collection was a cassette tape of Light as a Feather and an eight-track of Corea’s Friends. This was followed over the years by explorations of more Return to Forever, duets with Gary Burton and Herbie Hancock, Bitches Brew, recordings with Dave Holland, the Three Quartets recordings, an Elektric Band concert at NYC’s Blue Note, and endless jam session versions of Sea Journey, Windows and Armando’s Rhumba.

The course of listening I set out on as a teenager with Chick Corea has been paralleled and interwoven with a similar exploration of Miles Davis—eventually all modern paths lead back to Miles and Chick Corea is no exception. From the wellspring of late-sixties Miles, most notably Bitches Brew, came Corea’s group Return to Forever, which produced a number of great recordings through the 1970’s and early ‘80s. Included in the various permutations of Corea’s RTF-related groups are percussionist Airto Moreira, bassist Eddie Gomez and Hubert Laws on flute. Since his recording debut as a leader with Tones for Joan’s Bones in 1966, Corea has enjoyed a prolific career of over 40 years. He is still going strong and continues to create and produce adventurous award-winning music, including two Grammys for the excellent 2006 release The Ultimate Adventure. For a full biography and discography of Chick Corea, visit www.chickcorea.com.

Chick Corea will be at Jazz Alley this week from Tuesday through Sunday and a number of shows are already sold out. This super-band will include Airto, Eddie Gomez and Hubert Laws who were mainstays in his groups up to the mid-eighties formation of the Elektric Band. In addition to being an all-star group, this will be a chance to hear an excellent confluence of musicians that produced some of the best music in the seventies (not to mention the eighties to the present!). To avoid looking too far back though, according to the Jazz Alley website, this group will be performing music from the CD The Ultimate Adventure which is “an exotic blend of passionate flamenco melodies, North African and Middle Eastern grooves and adventurous improvisation.” Don’t miss this opportunity to hear the legendary Chick Corea performing with the equally legendary Airto, Gomez and Laws.

Monday … a day for drummers

Two drummers better known for their work in rock circles are headlining jazz-influenced groups tonight.

LAST MONDAYS with Geoff Harper, Ryan Burns and Matt Cameron
THE SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL

12510 15th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98125 {map it}
Tel: (206)364-8815
8:00pm; $10

MICHAEL SHRIEVE’S SPELLBINDER
ToST

513 N. 36th St. #E, {map it}
Seattle, WA, 98103
9:30pm; $5

Michael Shrieve is featured on the cover of the current Earshot Jazz Magazine which you can download here.

Other events happening tonight …

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Jazz Jam with the Darin Clendenin Trio

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

Sunday Jazz

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB:
Fairly Honest Jazz Band (3 – 7pm)
Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra (8:00pm)

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Sunday Night Salsa: Supersones

SERAFINA:
Jazz Brunch with the Conlin Roser Duo (11am – 1:30pm)
Jerry Frank, solo jazz piano (6:30 – 9:00pm)

JAZZ ALLEY: Taj Mahal

Jazz Hang: Bake’s Place at Providence Point

THE JAZZ HANG with Katy Bourne

The other day, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with Craig Baker, the heart and soul behind the Eastside’s beautiful jazz spot, Bake’s Place. Baker and his wife and partner, Laura, are on a simple mission, which is to “preach the gospel of jazz”. If the Bakers are preaching, then Bake’s is certainly their church. Downbeat magazine voted Bake’s as one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the world, and there is a reason for that.

Baker is enthusiastic, altruistic and focused. Bake’s initially began nine years ago as a private jazz club in Baker’s home in Redmond. After difficulties with local zoning ordinances, Baker moved the club to its present residence, Providence Point in Issaquah, where it has been for four years. The room, with its lush interiors and pristine sound, is like a combination of a living room and a meditation hall. This is very much in keeping with Baker’s intention. “This is a place of meditation. The meditation is music.” Craig and Laura have created a space, which is an extension of their own living room, where guests can relax, unwind, forget the stress of busy lives and truly listen to great jazz performances. In Baker’s words, “The intention is you are here for the music.” The programming at Bake’s is excellent, regularly offering a line-up of some of the nation’s top, touring jazz musicians as well as providing a home stage for some of the region’s brightest jazz luminaries. The majority of Bake’s performers are vocalists. This is in keeping with his goal of bringing new fans to jazz music. Baker is looking for new converts, people not previously exposed to jazz. In that vein, Baker believes that vocal jazz, in particular, is an accessible introduction to the “non-jazz public”. Bake’s regular rotation includes top-notch singers such as Greta Matassa, Karin Plato, Rebecca Parris and Gail Pettis. Instrumental acts include Seattle vibraphonist, Ben Thomas, and Brazilian-born pianist, Jovino Santos Neto.

One thing that strikes me about Bake’s, is that it truly is a “family affair”. Bake’s recently underwent a fairly ambitious remodel, which involved removing the fireplace, which sat squarely in the middle of the room, moving the stage and upgrading the sound system. Everyone in the family pitched in: Craig, Laura and their children did the demolition. Laura and Craig did all the painting. Their son did the dry walling. Their daughter’s boyfriend helped with new construction. Along with Rick Chen, Craig helped design the new sound system. It is interesting to note that the remodel did not interrupt performances. Craig and crew worked hard on remodeling on the weekdays and then put things back together each week so the room would be suitable for weekend performances. In addition, the family also manages the day-to-day operations of the club. When you arrive, you will more than likely be greeted and seated by Craig. Laura or their daughter will also welcome you and serve your dinner. The only non-family member is executive chef, Joy Lund, who, it should be noted, creates an outstanding three- course meal for each performance. Bake’s place really is an extension of the Baker family living room. “This is our life,” says Baker.

For 2008, Baker will be bringing in vocalists from all across the country. For many, this will be their first time to perform in the Seattle area. Bake’s will also continue to present performances from local favorites (Greta Matassa will be there this weekend.) and will also be showcasing some new local talent. Baker is true to his mission. Clearly the gospel is spreading. Bake’s is located at 4135 Providence Point Drive SE, Issaquah, WA 98029. The phone is 425-391-3335. They have a wonderful website. Check it out at www.bakesplace.org.

Jazz and Porn: What Would You Do?

A few days ago, I checked my website statistics and discovered that last Saturday, I’d received 131 hits. For me, this was a huge jump from the daily average of about 25-30. This, of course, was pretty exciting. What hard-working musician doesn’t want lots of visitors to his/her website? This is good, right? However, as I investigated a little further, I discovered that the majority of the hits were generated from an Italian porn site, which had linked my website to theirs. Huh? How did this happen? This was one, fat Cyber mystery.

My initial reaction to being linked to a porn sight was negative. Being a vocalist has enough challenges already. Having my website linked to a porn site didn’t seem like it would be in any way helpful. Any credibility I’ve managed to garner these past few years could be destroyed in a single click. God knows what other links are on this site. How will anyone take me seriously when my website shares the same page as links for sites selling Love Dolls or bondage accessories? And what weirdos were visiting my website anyway? My mind raced. However, before I spun into complete histrionics, I caught myself. “Wait a minute”, I thought. “Aren’t you being a little too uptight? Porn is just, well, porn. What’s the big problem?” OK, maybe it wasn’t such a big deal. Isn’t the saying something like “any publicity is good publicity?” Is it really so bad to reach such an unlikely audience? Does it really matter way back here in Seattle? Anyway, it’s not like jazz fans and porn aficionados are always mutually exclusive, right? And truth be told, I have received 2 emails from Italians who have followed the link to my website. Both were respectful, said nice things about the music and raved about the musicians. No creepy come-ons or unsettling sexual innuendos. Is this really worth getting my drawers in a bunch over? I just don’t know.

For the past few days, I’ve spent some time on this particular website, trying to figure out exactly which page links to my website and also the context of the link. It’s been a bit of a challenge. There are multiple pages on this site, with loads of content. And of course the biggest challenge is that I don’t speak Italian. Sorry to say, despite my efforts, I still don’t have much information as to how my website ended up linked to an Italian porn site. And even more, I still don’t know how I feel about it.

It would be interesting to know how other musicians would feel if they found themselves in my situation. I know a lot of working musicians read the seattlejazzscene.com website, and I’d love to hear your input. What if you discovered that your website was linked to a porn site? Would you care? What if it tripled your daily visits? Do you think this would have any impact on your musical situation? Am I being too prissy even pondering these things? Jazz fans, feel free to weigh in too. Should I be more alarmed? Should I relax? What would you do?

Saturday Night

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Kelley Johnson Quartet

JAZZ ALLEY: Taj Mahal Trio

TRIPLE DOOR: M-Pact Holiday Show

BAKE’S PLACE: Greta Matassa – A Tribute To Cole Porter

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Susan Carr Ensemble
9pm – Steve Alboucq Quartet
11pm – Mike Owcharuk Trio

TUTTA BELLA: The Tarantellas

Friday night jazz!

There is a lot of music happening tonight … but we have the night planned for you.

Here are a couple of ideas:

First, grab dinner at Jai Thai on Capitol Hill. Great Thai food and great jazz.

JAI THAI (Capitol Hill) – The Matt Jorgensen Trio with Stuart McDonald and Geoff Harper
235 Broadway Ave. East
6:00 – 9:00pm
No Cover!

Then head down to Tula’s to be a part of the live of Thomas Marriott’s live recording.

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB – Thomas Marriott Quartet Live Recording
2214 2nd Ave
Call for reservations: 206-443-4221

Here are some other other events.

BAKE’S PLACE: Karen Shivers Quintet

JAZZ ALLEY: Taj Mahal

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Ty Baille

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Tom Boros
9pm – Martine Bron (vocals), with Josh Rawlings (piano), Evan Flory-Barnes (bass), Jeremy Jones (drums), Cameron Peace (guitar)
11pm – Floss and Russell – Monktail Creative Music Concern

SERAFINA: Fred Hoadley Trio

Seattle Times: Origin Records celebrates 10 years with jaunty Walk

By Paul de Barros
Seattle Times jazz critic

When asked to reflect on the 10th anniversary of Origin Records, label co-chief Matt Jorgensen had a deadpan reply.

“We’re still here,” he said.

A triumph of lowered expectations?

Perhaps. But people in the jazz world know just how wildly optimistic it was to hope that two Seattle drummers, Jorgensen and Origin founder John Bishop, could actually survive — no, not just survive, prosper — in a crumbling industry where jazz accounted for less than 3 percent of sales.

“This is a huge thing for any kind of label, but more importantly a jazz label,” said Jorgensen. “I think we’re stronger and more relevant now than we ever have been.”

No arguments there. The label has so far released 200 CDs, mostly by Northwest artists, four of which have won Grammy nominations. According to the JazzWeek National Airplay Chart, more Origin albums were played on the radio this week than those of any other label, including giants like Blue Note and Concord. Generally, said Jorgensen, Origin ranks in the top five for radio play every year.

Click here to read the entire article at The Seattle Times

Mayor’s Office Happy Hour

The Mayor’s Office of Film + Music if proud to present the final Happy Hour of the year at Moe Bar (925 E. Pike St.) from 5 to 7 pm on Wednesday, December 5th. Come down and celebrate the holidays, meet new people in our music and film industries and discuss current issues spanning film and music in Seattle. We have received a lot of great feedback regarding new business opportunities that have come from these events, so don’t miss out.

http://seattle.gov/filmandmusic/happyhour/

Wednesday Night Jazz

If you are out-and-about this evening … catch some live jazz before Thanksgiving!

THE HENDRIX LOUNGE:
Conversations featuring Thomas Marriott (trumpet), Stuart McDonald (saxophone), Geoff Harper (bass) and Matt Jorgensen (drums)

4916 Rainier Avenue South, Seattle, WA {map it}
(206) 723-0088
Music starts at 8:00pm
Admission: $5.00

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Beth Winter / Dawn Clement Quartet

VICTORY LOUNGE: Joe Doria Trio

JAZZ ALLEY: Taj Mahal

NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band featuring Clarence Acox

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Vocal Jam with Carrie Wicks

TUTTA BELLA: Steve Mason

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

Thomas Marriott Live Recording Friday

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott will be recording live this Friday, November 23, at Tula’s Jazz Club. The group will feature Marriott on trumpet, Marc Seales on piano, Jeff Johnson on bass and John Bishop on drums.

Marriott’s most recent recording, Both Sides of the Fence, is still going strong on national jazz radio currently #28 for the entire year in total spins.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23
THOMAS MARRIOTT QUARTET

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB
2214 2nd Ave
Seattle, WA

8:30pm
$15

Call for reservations: 206-443-4221
http://tulas.com

LISTEN TO AN INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS ON THE ORIGIN RECORDS PODCAST (below)

What is happening tonight?

Lots of great events happening tonight. Go out and hear live music!

TUTTA BELLA (Stone Way): Katy Bourne with Randy Halberstadt and Doug Miller

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Emerald City Jazz Orchestra

JAZZ ALLEY: Taj Mahal

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

DEXTER AND HAYES: Tim Kennedy Trio

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Miss Rose & Her Rhythm Percolators