Thursday Jazz

January 3, 2008 / / No Comments

JAZZ ALLEY: Pearl Django

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Isabella DuGraf Quartet

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Django’s Cadillac

THE NEW ORLEANS: The Ham Carson Quintet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
6pm – Ben Roseth (sax) and Julian Lage (guitar).
7pm and 9pm – Expansion Team, with Dylan Heaney and Chris Johansen (sax), John Hansen (piano), John Hamar (bass) and Phil Parisot (drums).

THE ASTEROID: Tim Kennedy Jam Session

THAIKU: Tad Britton Trio 

WASABI BISTRO: Brazilian Jazz

Anything else happening tonight? Post a gig notice in the Comments section.

CD Release Party: Richard Cole’s ‘Shade’

January 2, 2008 / / No Comments

This Friday, January 4th, saxophonist Richard Cole celebrates the release of his new CD, Shade, at Tula’s Jazz Club. Joining Rich will be Bill Anschell (piano), Chuck Deardorf (bass), Gary Hobbs (drums) and Thomas Marriott (trumpet). John Hansen, Dr. Ronald Cole and John Bishop will be sitting in as well. It should be good!

This new release showcases the versatile saxophonist in like-minded and stellar company. With trumpeter Randy Brecker again making an appearance, Shade is instantly compelling. Both rollicking and serene, Shade varies the program, from the fusion-informed “Red Hat” to the modern impressions of “Beautiful Love” and “I Could Write a Book” while showcasing several dynamic originals including the opening track “A Shade for Joe,” a nod to the great Joe Henderson. Shade also features pianists Randy Porter, Marc Seales and John Hansen, bassists Chuck Deardorf, Jeff Johnson, and Chuck Bergeron, drummers Gary Hobbs and John Bishop, among others.

(Click here to listen to sound clips from Shade and also purchase the CD from Origin Records)

SJS: What is the story on putting this recording together?
Richard Cole: Actually the songs were recorded over a period of about seven years! We had one left over from the The Forgotten recording sessions from 2000. That song was “A Shade of Joe.” The next session was in May of 2005. We did a few then with the intention of finishing up soon. Unfortunately I had to table the project because of the death of my parents, and then the opening of an art gallery (Cole Gallery in Edmonds, WA) with my wife, Denise. I was able to get back to it May of 2007. Whew!

How did you decide on this collection of musicians?
The songs themselves recommend certain musical personalities. It’s kind of a deliberate but organic decision making process for me.

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Wednesday: Night of the Trumpets

January 2, 2008 / / No Comments

Trumpeters Chad McCullough (Seattle) and Nathan Eklund (New York) join with an all-star rhythm section to bring you a great night of music in downtown Ballard.

featuring:
Nathan Eklund – trumpet
Chad McCullough – trumpet
Dan Kramlich – piano
Jon Hamar – bass
Matt Jorgensen – drums

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2; 8:00pm
RESOLUTION AUDIO & VIDEO
5459 Leary Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107 {map it}
Free Admission

For more information, call 206-784-4434

Wednesday jazz

January 2, 2008 / / No Comments

Lots of great local jazz happening tonight …

JAZZ ALLEY: Pearl Django with Special Guest Andreas Öberg
from Earshot Jazz: The ‘gypsy jazz’ favorites, Pearl Django, appear with special guest Andreas Öberg, for 5 nights at Jazz Alley; cover $21.50. Pearl Django is comprised of Neil Andersson and Ryan Hoffman on guitars, Rick Leppanen on bass, Michael Gray on violin, and David Lange on accordion. Joining them as they perform in the style made famous before WWII by guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist Stephane Grappelli is Swedish guitarist Öberg. A versatile musician, he plays mainstream jazz, modern jazz and gypsy swing. Öberg recently won the Audience Prize at the Gibson International Guitar Competition in Montreux 2006. Set times Wednesday and Thursday are at 7:30pm; Friday and Saturday 7:30pm & 9:30pm; Sunday 7:30pm.

RESOLUTION AUDIO: Night of the Trumpets featuring Nathan Eklund (New York) and Chad McCullough (Seattle)
5459 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, 8:00pm, Free

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: Tor Dietrichson Blues Machine Live Recording with special guests The Neil Welch Group

NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band w/ Clarence Acox

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: BCC Jazz Orchestra w/ Hal Sherman

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
6pm – Mike Gullo and Friends, with Mike Gullo (vocals), Scotty Bemis (piano), Colleen Gilligan (bass)and Brian Greggs (drums)
8pm – Vocal Jam with Carrie Wicks

VICTORY LOUNGE: Joe Doria Trio

TUTTA BELLA: Michael Gotz

SERAFINA: Passarim, bossa nova

WHISKEY BAR: Eric Verlinde & Friends (10pm)

Up-Coming: Pearl Django at Jazz Alley

January 1, 2008 / / No Comments

JANUARY 2-6, 2008
JAZZ ALLEY
(Jan 5 SOLD OUT)
Call for reservations: 206-441-9729

KBCS 91.3FM and the Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley present Pearl Django with special guest Andreas Öberg to ring in the first week of 2008! Band members include Neil Andersson, and Ryan Hoffman (guitars), Rick Leppanen (bass) Michael Gray (violin), David Lange (accordion) and very special guest Andreas Öberg (guitar). Set times on Tuesday – Thursday are at 7:30pm. Set times on Friday at 7:30 and 9:30 and Sunday at 7:30pm. Both sets on Saturday are sold out.

Born in Stockholm, by the age of 18 Andreas Öberg made a name for himself on the vibrant Swedish scene performing with many of Swedens top jazz artists while also attending the Royal Music Academy in Stockholm. He has performed with a wide array of artists including Les Paul, Larry Coreyll, Barbara Hendricks, John Pisano, Frank Vignola, Bucky Pizzarelli, Howard Alden, Dorado Schmitt and Angelo Debarre just to name a few. A versatile guitarist, Andreas Öberg plays mainstream jazz, modern jazz and gypsy swing. Most recently Öberg was the winner of the Audience Prize at the Gibson International Guitar Competition in Montreux 2006.

The music pioneered by Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt and his partner in swing, violinist Stephane Grappelli, is still utter bliss in the esteemed hands of Pearl Django, now celebrating their fourteenth year of performing and recording. With a continuously fresh and entrancing sound, bands like Pearl Django rejuvenate a love and talent for “Gypsy swing,” a style that was once the height of sophistication. With urbanity, romance, and a sense of urgency, the music of Pearl Django reaches out to the sophisticates of a new millennium as something joyful and timeless. Gypsy jazz and “hot club” music has been enjoying a major resurgence across the United States and Pearl Django continues to be one of the busiest proponents of that style. Pearl Django’s followers include Reinhardt and Grappelli fans, guitarists and guitar enthusiasts who relish nimble and intricate picking, world music fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, plus jazz buffs and aficionados of the swing scene.

By inviting Andreas Öberg to join them this year, Pearl Django is continuing their January tradition of having the best of Gypsy and mainstream jazz artists to begin the year. Prior guest artists have included Howard Alden, Robin Nolan, Frank Vignola, Patrick Saussois and Ken Peplowski.

Bake’s Place Launches Visiting Singer Series

January 1, 2008 / / No Comments

Grammy Award nominee Nancy King, Downbeat readers’ poll winner Nancy Kelly and world-renowned Rebecca Parris are among several jazz vocalists who will perform at Issaquah’s Bake’s Place as part of the club’s Visiting Songbirds series that launches in January and runs through summer.

Portland’s King will perform Jan. 19 and May 24, New York’s Kelly will perform May 9-10 and Boston-based Parris will have a return engagement Feb. 14-16.

Other singers in the series include pianist/vocalist Jennifer Scott and saxophonist Kirsten Strom (Crossing Borders) from Canada/San Francisco (Jan. 25); “Singers’ singer” Madeline Eastman (Jan. 26), Latin songbird Kat Parra (March 28), and rising star Jackie Ryan (April 11-12), all from San Francisco; versatile Linda Ciofalo from New York, (April 18-19); Karin Plato from Vancouver, Canada; (March 29, June 14), Bassist/vocalist Belinda Underwood and Master Pianist Benny Green from Portland/New York (May 3); Jeni Fleming from Montana (July 5); and Amandah Jantzen (August 23) and Denise Perrier, both from San Francisco (TBD).

“We’re thrilled to be able to bring in these wonderful singers.” says Craig Baker, who owns and operates Bake’s Place. “For some of them, it will be their first time performing in the Seattle area.”

Baker and his wife Laura recently completed extensive remodeling of the club — located near to Interstate 90 in Issaquah – by expanding the stage and increasing seating capacity to 74. New leather chairs and upgraded lighting and sound systems have transformed Bake’s into the Seattle area’s premier spot for an intimate evening of dining and some of the best jazz in the nation.

Longtime Seattle Times jazz critic Paul de Barros has called Bake’s “a sweet little Issaquah supper club” and Bake’s was included in DownBeat’s list of 100 Best Jazz Clubs.

“We wanted to live up to our listing in DownBeat,” explains Baker with a smile, “and now we can accommodate out of town artists who need this size audience to make it financially worthwhile to play here.”

Thanks to an 180-degree view of the mountains and Lake Sammamish, gourmet food and excellent wines, a living-room atmosphere and thrilling music like the Visiting Songbird series, Bake’s will soon lose its reputation as the “best kept secret” of music venues.

“I’ve performed all over the world,” says esteemed pianist Benny Green, “and Bake’s Place is by far one of my favorite places.” This sentiment is echoed by other international artists who’ve played at Bake’s, such as pianist/singer Freddy Cole and Parris, among others.