Monday Jazz
TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: VOCAL JAM with Greta Matassa
NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet
LA SPIGA: Ray Baldwin’s Version Of Cool 7
SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL: Jim Knapp Orchestra
12510 15th Ave, NE, 8:00pm
TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder
Seasons’ Fall Side-by-Side Music Festival is world-class
From Doug Ramsey’s preview for The Yakima Herald
A weeklong festival of this quality would make a splash in any major city, including New York and Los Angeles. The Seasons has managed to put it together in a high-desert town of 85,000 people in the upper left corner of the nation.
Eric Alexander Quartet
Alexander is a tenor saxophonist with facility, a generous tone and a commitment to swinging. He grew up In Olympia, went to college in the Midwest and East, established himself in Chicago and has lived in New York since 1991. He travels the world and has recorded a couple of dozen CDs.
His work is informed by John Coltrane and Joe Henderson, and he has an encyclopedic knowledge of the tradition that stems from Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and other innovators who changed jazz in the 40s and 50s. Alexander just turned 40, but he still qualifies as one of the leading young lions in jazz. His pianist and bassist are New Yorkers David Hazeltine and John Webber. Seattle’s Matt Jorgensen will substitute for Alexander’s regular drummer, Joe Farnsworth.
Friday, Oct. 10. Wine-Tasting Gala and Red Carpet at 6:30 p.m.; concert at 7:30 p.m.
Yakima Symphony Orchestra
At the Capitol Theatre, the YSO and the Finisterra Piano Trio will perform Daron Hagen’s Triple Concerto, “Orpheus and Eurydice.” I haven’t heard the piece, but Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein has. From his review: Hagen’s “Triple Concerto is music that’s easy to apate at first hearing, but not because its tonal grammar talks down to the listener. Like his teacher Ned Rorem (to whose elegant craftsmanship Hagen’s music owes a clear debt), the latter reimagines traditional melodic and harmonic contexts in all sorts of fresh, charming and even surprising ways.” Mendelssohn, Bizet and two works by new young composers are also on the program.
Saturday, Oct. 11, 7:30 p.m. at the Capitol Theatre.
Daron Hagen’s ‘Cradle Song, A Love Story’
The composer will be present for the world premiere of his chamber opera in one scene. Soprano Gilda Lyons and tenor Robert Frankenberry star. One of the highlights of last year’s festival was the world premiere of Hagen’s “Piano Trio No. 4, Angel Band,” by The Seasons’ resident chamber group, the Finisterra Trio. Finisterra’s members — violinist Kwan Bin Park, cellist Kevin Krentz and pianist Tanya Stambuck — are integral to this new Hagen work.
Sunday, Oct. 12, 4 p.m.
Bill Mays Trio
The Mays group gave The Seasons its inauert exactly three years ago this night. One of the most versatile and sought-after pianists in jazz, Mays is noted for his harmonic depth, hard swing, humor and engaging manner with an audience.
Martin Wind is a classically-trained German who has become a master of jazz bass. Admired among other bassists for his formidable bowing technique, Wind will be appearing at his third Fall Festival with this trio. Mays’ customary drummer, Matt Wilson, has another commitment. The versatile Matt Jorgenson will occupy the drum chair.
Monday, Oct. 13. Doors open and birthday cake at 6 p.m.; concert at 7 p.m.
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Friday Jazz
TRIPLE DOOR:
MAINSTAGE: Robert Cray
MUSICQUARIUM: Tor Dietrichson/Leif Totusek Duo; Tor Dietrichson Blues Machine
TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Susan Pascal Quartet w/ Dave Peterson
EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Just the Girls, with Mercedes Nicole (vocals), Sylvia Rollins (bass), Sandy Walker (drums) and Beth Wulff (piano)
9pm – Passarim
11pm – Daniel Lanetti
SERAFINA: Kelly Ash Trio
HIROSHI’S JAZZ AND SUSHI: HB Radke Trio
LATONA PUB: Phil Sparks Trio
PAMPAS ROOM: Brian Nova Quartet w/ Fred Radke
This week on Jazz Northwest
2008 Jazz Port Townsend Festival All Star Big Band directed by Kim Richmond (photo by Doug Young)
The late composer, arranger, pianist and band leader Bob Florence was honored at Jazz Port Townsend in July. He was a much-loved regular member of the Jazz Workshop faculty which precedes the Festival and was scheduled to lead the Festival All Star Big Band in concert again this year, but died two months prior to the festival. Kim Richmond, who played lead alto in Bob Florence concerts and twelve albums, took over the conducting role for this tribute concert. With solo quality musicians in every chair this is truly an All-star band, playing brilliant compositions and arrangements by Bob Florence.
The concert will air on Jazz Northwest this Sunday afternoon (10/5) at 1 PM PDT on 88-5, KPLU, Tacoma-Seattle.
The concert will also stream simultaneously via the internet to an international audience from kplu.org and a podcast will be available after the airdate from kplu.org. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by Jim Wilke exclusively for KPLU
Listen to the audio preview below.
Seattle Times: Alaska Airlines rescues Portland Jazz Festival
From The Seattle Times:
Money was tight. Organizers had already canceled the Portland Jazz Festival, and now staffers were ready to cut off the office phone when “The Call” came.
Seattle-based Alaska Airlines was on the phone. The company wanted to help save the festival at the eleventh hour.
“It was my all-time favorite cold call,” said Sarah Bailen Smith, co-founder of the jazz festival.
Bailen Smith announced Wednesday that the sixth-annual Portland Jazz Festival is back on for Feb. 13-22, after Alaska Airlines donated $100,000 over the next two years.
Continue reading at The Seattle Times.
Thursday Jazz
THE NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band
JAZZ ALLEY: Average White Band
TRIPLE DOOR:
MUSICQUARIUM: PGM Trio
MAINSTAGE: Robert Cray
TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Sue Bell Quartet
THAIKU: Jon Alberts, Jeff Johnson, Tad Britton
EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Helen Chance
9pm – Black Math Quartet
ASTEROID CAFE: Tim Kennedy Jam Session
MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita
LO-FI: The Teaching
PDX Jazz Back On
Alaska Airlines has agreed to a multi-year title sponsorship of the Portland Jazz Festival, providing the financial support necessary to revive the world-class festival, which had announced in early September that it was ceasing operations after five years. The corporate and organizational support ensures that the 6th Annual Alaska Airlines Portland Jazz Festival presented by The Oregonian A&E will take place, as scheduled, February 13-22, 2009. The festival will be dedicated to the 70 anniversary of Blue Note Records, as previously announced.