Seattle Jazz Scene

Northwest Jazz Musicians, 86; saxophonist, clarinetist and composer whose career included big bands and minimalist trios (April 24)

Art Foxall, saxophonist who performed with Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughn, Artie Shaw, Roy Eldridge, Little Richard, Ivory Joe Hunter.

Norm Bobrow, a well-known Seattle impresario and champion of Seattle jazz.

from the LA Times:

Bob Popescu, 77; co-owner of Catalina Bar & Grill, turned the Los Angeles club into one of the top jazz venues in the country (Jan. 5)

Lew Spence, 87; composed “Nice ‘n’ Easy,” the Grammy-nominated Frank Sinatra song (Jan. 9)

Pete Candoli, 84; leading high-register jazz trumpet player (Jan. 11)

Andy Palacio, 47; singer and guitarist who championed the language and culture of the Garifuna people of Belize (Jan. 19)

Teo Macero, 82; a producer of jazz albums for Miles Davis and other leading artists in the 1960s and ’70s (Feb. 19)

Buddy Miles, 60; rock and R&B drummer and singer whose eclectic career included stints working as a sideman for Jimi Hendrix (Feb. 26)

Israel “Cachao” Lopez, 89; Cuban bassist and composer credited with pioneering the mambo style of music (March 22)

William F. Ludwig II, 91; son of the founder of Ludwig Drum Co. who built a special kit for the Beatles’ Ringo Starr (March 22)

Ozzie Cadena, 83; record producer recorded jazz giants for the Savoy label (April 9)

Humphrey Lyttelton, 86; jazz trumpeter who hosted the BBC radio game show “I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue” (April 25)

Bob Florence, 75; bandleader and composer won Grammys and Emmys (May 15)

Bill Finegan, 91; an architect of the big band sounds of Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller who later traded in commercial success to co-create the Sauter-Finegan Orchestra (June 4)

Esbjorn Svensson, 44; Swedish jazz pianist whose fusion of lyrical melodies and rock-inspired electronics broke fresh ground in modern jazz (June 14)

Bobby Durham, 71; a jazz drummer who teamed with Oscar Peterson and Ella Fitzgerald (July 7)

Gerald Wiggins, 86; jazz pianist played with his trio and accompanied many great singers (July 13)

Joe Beck, 62; jazz guitarist who played with Miles Davis, Frank Sinatra and James Brown (July 22)

Johnny Griffin, 80; a jazz musician who was once billed as the “world’s fastest saxophonist” (July 25)

Lee Young, 94; jazz drummer who played with Nat King Cole and was one of the first African Americans to integrate a studio orchestra (July 31)

Isaac Hayes, 65; seminal figure in R & B and soul music who wrote theme from “Shaft” (Aug. 10)

Earl Palmer, 83; legendary session drummer played on rock classics including “Tutti Frutti” and “La Bamba” (Sept. 19)

Mitch Mitchell, 61; drummer for the legendary Jimi Hendrix Experience of the 1960s (Nov. 12)

Freddie Hubbard, 70; jazz trumpeter won a Grammy for the “First Light” album (Dec. 29)

… we would also like to add …

Dennis Irwin, 56, first-call New York bassist.

SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL: Jim Knapp Orchestra
12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle, WA, 8:00pm

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: VOCAL JAM with Greta Matassa

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

LA SPIGA: Ray Baldwin’s Version of Cool

TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder

Saxophonist and bandleader Bill Ramsay has been a fixture on the Northwest Jazz Scene for over 50 years, and he’s celebrating his 80th birthday this month. The occasion is marked by a special Jazz Northwest this Sunday including Bill with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, his own big band back in 1961, The Ramsay-Kleeb Band, and the Birth of the Cool Nonet. Join us for the celebration Sunday afternoon at 1 on Jazz Northwest from 88-5, KPLU.

Jazz Northwest is produced by Jim Wilke exclusively for KPLU. It is also streamed to the internet at www.kplu.org and available as a podcast following the airdate.

Experimental Music Festival – Seattle January 2009

All shows at the Chapel Performance Space
4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Seattle
$15 suggested donation
all ages

Thursday, January 8, 2009, 8:00 PM

Christian Asplund, Provo
Christian will be playing viola for this set, exploring works from his recent CD of solo viola compositions and improvisations. It is stunning music, and his style and presence are worth the price of admission. BONUS: All full-price ticket-holders will also receive a free copy of Christian’s new CD.

Cipher, Seattle and Brooklyn
This improvising quartet has been on a long hiatus since violinist Tom Swafford relocated to Brooklyn. But he is back for this festival and Cipher is reappearing. Tom Swafford on violin, Jesse Canterbury on clarinet, Tari Nelson-Zagar on violin, Greg Sinibaldi on bass clarinet. Some of the finest improvisors this fair city has to offer.

Thursday, January 15, 2009, 8:00 PM

Krispen Hartun, Boise
During the last year, Krispen has been focusing on the tonal character of the guitar as a basis for random electro-acoustic manipulation via Reaktor, a wide variety of VST effects, and Cycling 74’s MAX/msp. For this performance, he will be playing a new custom instrument built by luthier Bobby Warren from San Juan Island. The instrument is one-of-a-kind miniature jazz arch top guitar, only 29 inches long, but full of amazing tone and punch.

RadioSonde, Seattle
This company of 5 dancers and 4 improvising musicians premiered their first work INVERT to rave reviews last January at the Chapel. Dancer Beth Graczyk and composer Tom Baker have constructed a new score for this event, a structured dance/music improvisation to enliven the visual, sonic and physical space of the Chapel.

Thursday, January 22, 2009, 8:00 PM

Elliott Sharp, New York City
Is That Jazz? is very happy to welcome Elliott Sharp to Seattle for this rare Pacific Northwest solo show. For the past 10 years Elliott has been one of New York’s most influential and prolific musicians. His performances are visceral and powerful, raw and full of urban energy. Don’t miss this chance to see a true genius and pioneer of 21st century experimentalism in an exquisite listening environment.

Triptet, Seattle and New York City
After first playing all together in a Sun Ra Tribute band earlier this year, these three musicians each bring a strong sense of compositional form as well as organic structure to their improvisations. Saxophonist Michael Monhart recently re-located to New York City from Seattle, but he will return for this performance with guitarist Tom Baker and percussionist Greg Campbell. Grungy, groovy and free…

Pony Boy Records Presents
JAZZ and SUSHI
FRIDAY NIGHTS at Hiroshi’s

Happy New Year! Shake off old man 2008, and welcome 2009 with the fresh, clean and tasty sounds and flavors of Jazz & Sushi. Travis’ penchant for a happy Bossa Nova will be your good luck mantra for the New Year. Add one of Hiro-san’s Ranier Mt. Rolls and some comforting Miso Soup, and you’ll be getting off the year on a good foot.

Friday, January 2, 2009
7:30 – 10:00pm
JAZZ and SUSHI
Travis Ranney with Kistler & Williamson
Travis Ranney, saxophone
Chuck Kistler, bass
Greg Williamson, drums

Hiroshi’s Restaurant
2501 Eastlake Avenue East, Seattle, WA
ph: (206)726-4966
no cover

Pearl Django with Special Guest Darol Anger
JAZZ ALLEY
January 2-4, 2009

Make a reservation for this show.

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents Pearl Django with special guest Darol Anger to ring in the first weekend of 2009! Band members include Neil Andersson and Ryan Hoffman (guitars), Rick Leppanen (bass) Michael Gray (violin), David Lange (accordion) and very special guest Darol Anger (fiddle). Set times Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Set time Sunday at 7:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm on Friday and 5:30pm Saturday and Sunday.

Seattle-based Pearl Django swings in 2009 for three nights at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley with special guest, modern fiddler, Darol Anger! Exceptional among modern fiddlers for his versatility and depth, Darol Anger has helped drive the evolution of the contemporary string band through his involvement with numerous pathbreaking ensembles such as his Republic Of Strings, the Turtle Island String Quartet, the David Grisman Quintet, Montreux, the Duo and other ensembles. Today Darol can be heard on NPR’s “Car Talk” theme every week, along with Earl Scruggs, David Grisman and Tony Rice. He has recorded and produced scores of important recordings since 1977, is a MacDowell and UCross Fellow, and has received numerous composers’ residencies and grants. He is a featured soloist on dozens of recordings and motion picture soundtracks. Violinist, fiddler, composer, producer and educator, Darol Anger is at home in a number of musical genres, some of which he helped to invent.

JAZZ ALLEY: Pearl Django with Special Guest Darol Anger

THE TRIPLE DOOR: THE TEACHING – CD RELEASE SHOW!

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Richard Cole Quartet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – John Cheadle Group, with John Cheadle (tenor sax), Zach Para (drums), Devin Lowe (bass), Gus Carns (piano), and Colin Pulkrabek (trombone)
9pm – Paul Green’s Blues, featuring Straight Shot, with Gary Ballard (guitar), Howard Hooper (bass), and Les Merrihew (drums)
11pm – Reid/Yackshaw Quartet, featuring guest vocalist Kaela Kahn, with Sam Reid (alto sax), Jackson Kellok (piano), Jacob Yackshaw (bass), David Zimmer (drums)

LATONA PUB: Phil Sparks Trio

LOCAL COLOR: Whisper De Corvo

GRAZIE: Andre Thomas and Quietfire

EL GAUCHO BELLEVUE: Trish Hatley Trio
555 110th Ave NE, Bellevue, 425-455-2734

PAMPAS ROOM: Brian Nova Quartet

THE TEACHING – CD RELEASE SHOW!
The Triple Door Mainstage
Friday, January 2, 2009
7:30pm {more info}

The Teaching has been dazzling Seattle listeners for one and a half years at “The Hang”, their weekly Thursday night performance at Lo-Fi Performance Gallery. This concert may indeed reveal the “secret”. Performances at the Earshot Jazz Festival, in Georgia and Colorado, and their debut studio album are revealing what listeners at The Hang have experienced – these guys are tapping into something magical.

The musical cohesion and camaraderie in this trio leaves audiences spellbound. In one continuous set, The Teaching delivers irresistible grooves, explosive swing, melodious singing, devotional chanting, and titanic builds that boil to the breaking point and then burst over. You’ll hear enthusiastic vocal outbursts from the band members and see tears of joy welling up. A spirit of celebration, joy, and devotion for life permeates their music. You cannot help but experience the inspiration. At this CD release concert they’ll release their debut self-titled CD The Teaching, which features all original music played from the heart.

Josh Rawlings – Fender Rhodes
Evan Flory-Barnes – Acoustic Bass
Jeremy Jones – Drums

STG presents Blue Note Records 70th Anniversary on Tour
The Moore Theatre
Thursday, January 8, 2009
7:30pm {more info}

Bill Charlap – musical director, and piano
Peter Bernstein – guitar
Ravi Coltrane – tenor saxophone
Nicholas Payton – trumpet
Steve Wilson – alto saxophone
Peter Washington – bass
Lewis Nash – drums

Alfred Lion launched BLUE NOTE Records, the premier label in the history of jazz, in 1939. At the end of that year, Lion’s childhood friend Francis Wolff caught the last boat out of Nazi-controlled Germany bound for America. He found employment at a photographic studio and joined forces with Lion at night to continue Blue Note and together, for almost the next 30 years, they recorded the greatest artists in jazz – Fats Navarro, Bud Powell, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Eric Dolphy, Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Wayne Shorter, Horace Silver, Joe Henderson, Lou Donaldson, Kenny Dorham, Cannonball Adderley, and many others.

Blue Note’s catalog of music features an impressive array of legendary performances and a core list of “must-have” releases that indelibly marked the history of jazz.

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Blue Note legacy, an all-star band featuring some of the finest jazz musicians today will travel the world throughout 2009. A new CD will be recorded in the spring of 2008 and released in conjunction with the commencement of the tour in January 2009.