Thursday Jazz

BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL, DAY 2

Chris Potter’s Underground plus Michael Formanek Quartet
Theatre at Meydenbauer Center [ Buy tickets ]

An extraordinary night with two of the hottest bands in jazz. A world-class soloist, accomplished composer and formidable bandleader, saxophonist Chris Potter has emerged as a leading light of his generation. The Michale Formenak quartet’s The Rub and Spare Change on ECM Records, shows four of today’s most respected creative artists at the top of their form … [ more ]

4:30pm: Overton Berry Duo (Lincoln Square 1st Floor)
6:00pm: Jay Thomas (Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge)
6:00pm: June Tonkin (El Gaucho Bellevue)
7:00pm: Murl Allen Sanders (John Howie Steak)
8:00pm: Dave Peterson (Grand Cru Mixologie Lounge)
8:00pm: Threat of Beauty featuring Evan Flory-Barnes (Twisted Cork Lounge at Hyatt Regency Bellevue )
9:00pm: Stephanie Porter Quartet (LOT No. 3)

For a complete schedule, click here.

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Greta Matassa workshop
2214 2nd Ave, 206-443-4221, 7:30pm

JAZZ ALLEY: David Benoit
2033 6th Ave, 206-441-9729, 7:30 & 10:00pm

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Jerry Zimmerman
1413 14th Ave, 206-325-7000, 7:30pm

NEW ORLEANS: Skelbred/Jackson Group
114 First Ave S, 206-622-2563, 7:00pm

THAIKU: Jon Alberts, Jeff Johnson, Tad Britton
5410 Ballard Ave NW, 8:30pm

LUCID: The Hang
5241 University Ave NE, 206-402-3042, 9:00pm

BOXLEY’S: Richard Cole and Jon Hamar
101 West North Bend Way, North Bend, WA, 425-292-9307, 7:00pm

BARCA: Clark Gibson
1510 11th Avenue, Seattle, (206) 325-8263, 9:00pm

VITO’S: Chris Jeffries
927 9th Ave, Seattle, 206-682-2695

DISTRICT LOUNGE: Cassia Demayo Quintet
4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, 206-634-2000, 9:00pm

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Jon Sheckler Trio
1707 NW Market Street, 206-789-1621, 7:00pm

FAIRE GALLERY CAFE: Steve O’Brien Quartet
1351 E Olive Way, Seattle, 206-652-0781, 8:00pm

Kansas governor eliminates state’s arts funding

from The Los Angeles Times:

While many Americans on Saturday were enjoying the start of the Memorial Day weekend, Kansans were gaining the dubious distinction of becoming the nation’s only citizens to live in a state without an arts agency.

Republican Gov. Sam Brownback took the major step of privatizing the arts in Kansas, turning back the clock to a pre-1960s era. The governor erased state funding for arts programs, leaving the Kansas Arts Commission with no budget, no staff and no offices.

The commission was founded in 1966, a year after Congress established the National Endowment for the Arts.

Federal and state arts funding has been a prime Republican target since the 1980s, when the Reagan Administration began to advocate for privatizing public services. In addition to state arts agencies, those services include the NEA, Social Security, Medicare, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Environmental Protection Agency. Brownback used his power to veto just a handful of individual budget items in the $13.8-billion spending bill, according to the Associated Press.

Continue reading at The Los Angeles Times.

Wednesday Jazz

BELLEVUE JAZZ FESTIVAL, DAY 1

7:30 PM: Regina Carter’s “Reverse Thread”
Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
[ Buy tickets ]
Preeminent violinist Regina Carter first came into the spotlight for her work in the all female pop-jazz quintet Straight Ahead in the 1990s. In 2006 Carter was awarded a MacArthur Fellows Program grant which armed her with the funds and the freedom to follow her muse and create the arrangements for her latest release Reverse Thread … [ more ]

For Jazz in the Clubs listings, click here.

For a complete schedule, click here.

JAZZ ALLEY: Allen Toussaint
2033 6th Ave, 206-441-9729, 7:30pm

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Smith/Staelens Big Band
2214 2nd Ave, 206-443-4221, 7:30pm

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Bonnie Birch
1413 14th Ave, 206-325-7000, 7:30pm

NEW ORLEANS: The Legacy Band with Clarence Acox
114 First Ave S, 206-622-2563, 7:00pm

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio
5410 Ballard Ave NW, 8:30pm

BOXLEY’S: Reuel Lubag invitational
101 West North Bend Way, North Bend, WA, 425-292-9307, 7:00pm

LUCID: Jazz & Poetry
5241 University Ave NE, Seattle, 206-402-3042, 8:30pm

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: 7pm: Michael Gullo and the Darin Dlendenin Trio
1707 NW Market Street, 206-789-1621

DISTRICT LOUNGE: Peter Daniel
4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, 206-634-2000

VITO’S: Honey Castro
927 9th Ave, Seattle, 206-682-2695, 7:00pm

COMET TAVERN: Goat
922 E Pike St, Seattle, 9:00pm