Randy Halberstadt Trio
Sat Jan 18, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
This must be piano trio month at 109 S. Main–and that’s a good thing. There is no better format to experience the music down to its core, with limitless possibilities in the wait. Veteran pianist Randy Halberstadt has been hugely influential as a jazz performer and educator around Seattle for decades. His private instruction has impacted a long list of jazz pianists to emerge from the area, his compositional and performative chops aside. His career as a performer and recording artist has upheld a standard of excellence and elegance, whether playing his own tunes, artful interpretations of standards or improvised takes on the legacy of Chopin.
In this trio, Halberstadt joins long-time mates in bassist Chris Symer and drummer Adam Kessler. The music will be straight ahead, modern jazz in a conversation mode.https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Monday Night Jam (all ages)
Mondays at 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
The Monday jam in Pioneer Square is open and all ages with a sign up sheet. The curation and presentation is done extremely well. It is also an opportunity to hang as a community, have a drink with friends and support the music. The jam has developed quite an audience as well, and a young audience at that. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Underground Sounds with Thomas Marriott, Rick Mandyck, Jeff Johnson & John Bishop
Tuesdays 8 PM / Underbelly- Jan 7, 21
Underbelly, the quaint cellar bar on First Avenue in Pioneer Square sits directly across the street from what was the New Orleans club, a former hub of local Seattle jazz. That vibe lives on every other Tuesday night in the former burlesque venue, with four of the city’s top jazz musicians colliding in an explosive chordless quartet that at times has been known as Free Fall. This is an opportunity to witness great jazz in an informal environment with no cover.
Trumpeter Thomas Marriott leads this band of long time mates with a strong intuitive connection. The author of fourteen albums as a leader and a recent inductee into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame is joined by the incomparable duo of bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop. Saxophonist Rick Mandyck has switched to alto, but bears the sound and approach of some of the great tenor players in jazz. The band plays originals from Marriott, Mandyck and Johnson, along with a few standards. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Tuesday Night Jam at the Owl ‘n Thistle
Tuesday Nights at 9:45 PM / Owl ‘n Thistle
The Tuesday night jam at the Owl has been a Seattle tradition since 1997, when nubop legends Bebop and Destruction started the late night session at this Pioneer Square Irish pub. Hosted by noted Seattle pianist Eric Verlinde, the house band plays a short set prior to opening up the session. With the Monday night jam at Seattle Jazz Fellowship being an all ages affair that begins at 7:30, the Owl jam accomodates musicians attending after gigs. For many years, it has been a social staple in the Seattle jazz community, an opportunity to reunite with friends both musically and socially. It has been a vital part of the mentorship cycle in Seattle for more than a generation, and now boasts a decent upright piano. It’s just plain fun for the audience, and no bar in town serves Guiness like The Owl.
Painting the Town Red: The Music of Billie Holiday
A Community Celebration for Martin Luther King Day
Mon Jan 20, 7:30 PM / The Royal Room
The South Hudson Music Project presents this Billie Holiday tribute in celebration of MLK day. Who better to interpret the singer’s complicated and transcendent legacy, than vocalist and multi-Grammy nominee, Johnaye Kendrick. The music will honor Holiday’s celebrated life as a jazz and civil rights icon. Kendrick will front a band featuring pianist Wayne Horvitz, bassist Geoff Harper, drummer D’Vonne Lewis, trumpeter Ray Larsen, trombonist Beserat Tafesse and multi-reedist Hans Teuber.
Be sure to follow this link to purchase tickets, but as well, make a dinner reservation at The Royal Room if you want a reserved seat. https://theroyalroomseattle.com/event/south-hudson-music-project-presents-painting-the-town-red-a-mlk-day-tribute-to-the-music-of-billie-holiday-2/
Highway 99 All-Stars
Tue & Wed Jan 21-22, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley
The demolition of the Highway 99 viaduct returned waterfront access to city residents and tourists alike, but it also elevated rents along the doomed roadway to the extent that long-time residents like the venerable Highway 99 Blues Club were forced to shutter. The Seattle blues scene losing the club was akin to the jazz scene losing Tula’s and The New Orleans over the past decade. It scattered the scene both northward and southward, making this gathering not only a celebration, but a gathering of the tribes of sorts.
Blues harmonica ace Bob Corritore, bassist/vocalist Lisa Mann, guitarists Ben Rice and Robin Moxey, and keyboardist Jeff Conlin form this year’s version of the all-stars. Drummer Steve Sarkowsky is the founder of the Highway 99 Blues Club, as well as the all-star band that soon came to be after the opening in 2004. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=7628
Photo Credit: Jim Levitt
Free Fall: Jeff Johnson, Rick Mandyck, John Bishop & Thomas Marriott
Wed Jan 22, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Free Fall is a chordless quartet whose history dates back decades, when saxophonist Rick Mandyck, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop first collided musically at the Old Towne in Ballard. Since then, trumpeter Thomas Marriott has joined the ranks and created a quartet free of chordal constraints, free to move directionally at will.
With bassist Johnson as the fulcrum, and drummer Bishop as the orchestral underlying presence, Mandyck and Marriott are set loose to create melodically in the moment. All the while, both Johnson and Bishop emerge as soloists frequently as well. As the band’s moniker contends, the quartet is ultimately about freedom, with four of the city’s finest musicians front and center. This may be the best jazz group operating in the city currently- no lie. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Nelda Swiggett’s Megabopolis
Thu Jan 23, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Pianist/composer/arranger Nelda Swigett leads a sextet with perhaps the best band name this side of “Bebop and Destruction”–Megabopolis. The band plays Swiggett’s very visual compositions as well as her skillful arrangements of jazz standards. As a pianist, she swings in a very easy way whether playing up tempo or caressing a ballad in beatific harmonic terms. She has a way of comping sparingly, then bringing the fire while soloing.
With Megabopolis, Swiggett has the tools to arrange and compose at will, with specific players in mind. The band is full of familiar faces for Seattle jazz fans, starting with Swiggett’s rhythm section mates in bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Max Wood. The front line features trombonist Cliff Swiggett, tenor saxophonist Travis Ranney and trumpeter Michael Van Bebber. The band has spent many sets together over a number of years, a bit of a rarity these days.https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Machado Mijiga Trio with special guest Lucas Winter
Fri Jan 24, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Colorful drummer / composer Machado Mijiga returns to 109 S. Main with his Portland based trio featuring bassist Andrew Jones and drummer Paul Moyer. The trio will perform Mijiga originals, pieces that center on interpretation and a conversational bent between three musicians that have logged a considerable amount of time together on stage. The performance continues the solid vibe between the jazz communities of Seattle and Portland united in PNW pride.
Seattle born and raised guitarist Lucas Winter joins the trio for the second set, adding a multi-faceted voice to the collective. Winter has not been seen a lot on city stages recently, making his appearance a hopeful sight. There’s a lot to dig into with these four new generation players, adding their voices to the deep jazz history of Seattle’s Pioneer Square. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Elnah Jordan with Josh Rawlings
Fri Jan 24, 7 PM / Egan’s Ballard Jam House
Vocalist Elnah Jordan is steeped in the blues, and all about soul. She is an engaging personality as well, which should play well in this intimate space in Ballard. Accompanied by pianist Josh Rawlings, this gig has a living room vibe to it. Jordan has a way of letting us know that HAVING the blues is very different from playing or SINGING the blues. Her performances are always a celebration of the roots of jazz, channeled into modern times. I recommend the cornbread delight on the menu. Cornbread and ice cream, who could have imagined? https://www.ballardjamhouse.com/schedule.html
Roman Goron Trio with special guest Jay Thomas
Sat Jan 25, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Young pianist Roman Goron is on the crest of the new wave of Gen Z jazz musicians to enter the Seattle jazz scene. A largely self-taught player, Goron’s artistry truly exceeds his tender years. He has a pure sense of melody in his playing, and his contributions harmonically when comping are sensitive and supportive, again, well beyond his age. His trio includes bassist Trevor Ford and drummer Max Holmberg, constituting the same unit that played under Ford’s name this past year at SJF. The inherent rhythmic makeup of the trio should be swingin.’
Seattle and international jazz legend Jay Thomas will guest, a wonderful and interesting cross- generational tie. Thomas, a rare bird in being equally virtuosic on reeds and trumpet, just turned seventy five and is hitting on all cylinders. He is a trumpet legend, of course, but his sound on tenor encapsulates that tradition like nobody else in town. This collision of talent highlights the utter lack of age discrimination in jazz, the antithesis of any kind of generation gap. The language spoken is all that matters. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Tim Armacost Quintet- matinee performance
Sun Jan 26, 2 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St
Saxophonist Tim Armacost arrives in town from New York and hits SJF with a Sunday matinee perfornance. Armacost may have the most impressive resume for a jazz musician you may know nothing about. His journey has taken him to three continents from his native Los Angeles, to its end point in New York City. The Grammy winning musician has produced seventeen albums as a leader and appears on sixty more as a sideman. His deep tenor sound has been heard around the world, but has as well forged him a place on the Gotham scene as a noted improviser. He has worked professionally with the likes of Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell, Reggie Workman and Billy Hart among others. His music leans towards the avant-garde, with a firm foundation in straight ahead modern jazz.
For this performance, he leans into his connections with Seattle, leading a quintet that features long-time collaborator, saxophonist Chris Fagan. The rhythm section is a swingin’ lot, perhaps the best indicator of what a listener can expect on this gig. First call bassist Michael Glynn, stalward pianist John Hansen and veteran drummer Greg Williamson answer the call for this one, which creates an interesting balance of musical interest in the band. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/event
Frank Vignola and Pasquale Grasso
Tue Jan 28 & Wed Jan 29, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley
Two great jazz guitarists joined together for their first tour, this pairing should produce a head-spinning performance between two virtuosos. Frank Vignola has produced more than thirty albums as a leader, through a variety of musical landscapes. He can sound like Django on some projects, while braving a more Metheny-esque sound and approach on others. Pasquale Grasso has been compared more to pianists than guitarists seemingly, with a chordal harmonic genius akin to the great Bud Powell. Sounds crazy? In a way, it is, as two of the finest guitarists in modern jazz collide into presenting an open-ended journey into the jazz guitar legacy.
The thirty year old, Italian born Grasso has been highly visible on the festival circuit as of late, helping to revive interest in jazz guitar, by approaching it from every angle. While his jazz playing is rooted in the Black American music tradition, he is also adept with European classical technique, adding that voice to his approach. Vignola is pure fire at times, exhibiting stunning speed and articulation to his chordal genius. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=7613
Francesco Crosara Quartet
Thu Jan 30, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Italian-born pianist / composer Francesco Crosara is all Seattle these days, performing on the heels of his latest album, Circular Motion, on the highly regarded Seattle-based Origin Records label. He hits the stage at 109 S. Main with a Seattle quartet that features drummer Mark Ivester, bassist Clipper Anderson and tenor saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev.
Crosera brings four decades of composing to the table, in this case focusing on the new album as well as his 2000 release, Colors with the late, great Von Freeman. The pianist plays with a delicate and deft touch, reminiscent in many ways of Bill Evans. In Anderson and Nilolaev, he has surrounded himself with notable soloists that provide a variety of colors to decorate his ornate originals. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Sidney Hauser Quintet
Fri Jan 31, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Saxophonist Sidney Hauser is an artist of multiple dimensions, known for her design and visual art as much as her role as a rising star alto saxophonist on the Seattle scene. She became a historic footnote in the history of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra as the first full time female member. It is on that stage where Hauser has truly acquired visibility into her skills as an alto saxophonist, in the process receiving the opportunity to perform with major out of town guests. Her time spent with SRJO veterans has provided her mentorship as well, while she explored balance in her artistic world.
Hauser makes her debut as a leader at SJF with a quintet that includes SRJO bandmate Milo Petersen on guitar. Eclectic electric bass master Farko Dosumov, trumpeter Ray Larsen, and drummer Adam Kessler round out the band. Hauser will be performing original tunes, as well as interpretations of standards both classic and obscure. The altoist has a classic alto sound, and a penchant for melodic interpretation. She has not played a lot of jazz gigs outside of SRJO in recent times, so this is a good opportunity to see her perform with a notable group of Seattle musicians in a room dedicated to jazz, with an audience looking for the same. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Greta Matassa Quintet
Sat Feb 1, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
One of Seattle’s most treasured performers, and the most acclaimed jazz singer from Seattle this side of Ernestine Anderson, Greta Matassa hits Pioneer Square with her long-tenured band. Matassa continues to dig into new material, much of it challenging instrumental material re-interpreted vocally with her marvelous instrument as the music’s voice. Her original tunes and imaginative takes on jazz standards decorate her sets as well, all delivered with precision and grace.
Bassist Clipper Anderson, drummer Mark Ivester and saxophonist Alexy Nikolaev are long-time associates of Matassa, while pianist David Joyner is a more recent arrival. As a bandleader, Matassa lets this fine band stretch out, occasionally accepting requests along the way. For her part, the execution, range and rhythmic sensibility is impeccable, as it has been for a number of decades now. Matassa is a natural, self taught vocalist who has put in the hard work to be a master of her craft. That hands on grit has been passed on to a legion of enthusiastic singers who have benefited from her mentorship. In short, the woman is a legend, and a must see live jazz performer in Seattle. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
There was a time, when Pioneer Square was the center of the Seattle jazz scene, with three jazz clubs beckoning music fans with local and touring talent. Parnell’s (now Davidson Gallery), The Pioneer Banque (now Magic Mouse Toys) and the New Orleans Creole Restaurant (Now Darn the Weather) are gone, but the Fellowship’s now year old jazz room on Main St. is dedicated to live jazz four nights a week near Occidental. Pioneer Square in the 1990’s featured a slew of clubs up and down First Avenue where partrons for the price of one cover, could hit ten clubs and see ten bands in a single evening. For this one Tuesday night in February, thirteen sites will deliver thirteen bands to jazz fans free of charge, reviving the spirit of Seattle’s original community.
Recent data shows that nationwide, socialization is at an all time low, while isolated activities are at an all time high. The pandemic, inflation and the polarization of our times are all contributing factors. The price of going out and experiencing live music can be an expensive endeavor nowadays. Between the Fellowship’s membership driven model and this special night of free jazz music, the non-profit puts its best foot forward in lowering those barriers of access to the music. It puts the ideals of community and the fellowship it creates front and center.
The end of the evening’s activities takes place at the traditional Tuesday night jam session at the Owl ‘n Thistle, for what could be an epic episode of this community uniting jam that began in 1998. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Joe Farnsworth Quartet with Sarah Hanahan
Tue & Wed Feb 4-5, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
The Seattle Jazz Fellowship presents mostly resident Seattle jazz artists, bringing in the occassional out-of-town pearl – this being a pearl of great beauty and significance. Drummer Joe Farnsworth is one of the most respected and in-demand drummers in jazz today. His resume includes recording and performance credits with many of the great names of modern jazz, including Mc Coy Tyner, Harold Maybern, Pharoah Sanders and Diana Krall. His penchant for intricate interpretation and pure swing is renowned to jazz audiences and musicians alike. In recent times, he has formed an inseparable alliance with alto saxophonist Sarah Hanahan, a young player who has burst onto the scene on the heels of her acclaimed debut recording, Among Giants. The album received a five star review from Downbeat, something quite remarkable for an artist’s first offering.
Farnsworth has authored six albums as a leader and has appeared on many more as a sideman. His most recent release, In What Direction Are You Headed, features Immanuel Wilkins and Kurt Rosenwinkle. His appearance along with Hanahan at the intimate confines of 109 S. Main St. should prove to be one of the highlights of the jazz calendar in Seattle for 2025. Get there early, as seating is first come, first served. The quartet will be anchored by a local rhythm section, featuring first-call bassist Michael Glynn and young pianist, Roman Goron. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Jacqueline Tabor
Thu Feb 6, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Seattle jazz vocalis Jacqueline Tabor has a keen understanding of who she is as artist. That understanding is all about the blues, that core element that is the essential base of jazz music. Tabor will venture from blues drenched jazz standards to blues classics effortlessly, with an originality that breathes new life into tunes she chooses to interpret. Having a firm grasp on her musical identity is evident in her efforts as a bandleader as well, confidently putting together bands that project the same strength and artistic integrity as its leader. Tabor is an important member of the jazz community as well, always showing up in support of fellow musicians. Her date at SJF will bring a vibrant and unique quality in her performance that ventures off the beaten trail of most jazz programming in the city. Band TBA https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Bill Anschell Standards Trio
Fri Feb 7, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
The veritable “standard” for piano trios in Seattle, this threesome gathers for impromptu performances of standards called on the bandstand, unrehearsed, with in-the-moment interpretation being the premise. Three of the finest musicians in the city, each member of the trio brings something to the table in terms of imagination and artistic excellence. Bill Anschell has recorded ten albums as a leader or co-leader on the Origin Records label, including the highly acclaimed 2024 offering, Improbable Solutions. The trio released Shifting Standards in 2018, a perfect blueprint for understanding the band’s ultimate goal of artistic freedom.
Veteran bassist Jeff Johnson has a long and impressive recording and performance resume that includes sizeable impact in the trio format. Johnson has graced the trios of such notables as Jessica Williams and Chano Dominguez, while being a huge element in the groundbreaking rubato trio of piano genius, Hal Galper. Drummer D’Vonne Lewis is a fourth generation Seattle musician, and the grandson of the great Seattle innovator, Dave Lewis. His style is a perfect match for this trio, never overplaying while adding precise and articulate magic to the proceedings. His imagination is spontaneous and untethered. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Nick Biello Quartet
Thu Feb 13, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Alto saxophonist Nick Biello is a stand out player from the vibrant scene in New York City. He comes to Seattle to team up with local standouts in pianist John Hansen, bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Julian MacDonough for a two setter in Pioneer Square.
Biello has an aggressive approach that is nonetheless highly melodic, with the chops to back it up. The chosen Seattle rhythm section is swinging and has logged many sets together over time. If you’re looking for modern straight ahead jazz that can cruise out on the steely edge with agility, then this is your gig. Biello hovers around the top echelon of modern altoists, and doesn’t visit Seattle often enough. This is his Fellowship debut, and a must date on the Seattle jazz calendar. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Josh Rawlings Trio
Fri Feb 14, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Pianist Josh Rawlings leads a trio performing music with St. Valentine’s Day in mind. Rawlings is joined by his usual mates in bassist Nate Omdal and drummer Adam Kessler. A nice opportunity to celebrate love with a nice cabernet and trio music leaning towards romance. But don’t be intimidated by the alleged ties between the date and the burden of cupid’s arrows- in the end, it’s a piano trio performance, the most intimate of jazz assemblages. Rawlings has roots in jazz and the beyond, and brings an eclectic vision to the bandstand. Remember though, the music is always about love, every darn night! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events
Skyler Floe Sextet
Sat Feb 15, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 109 S. Main St.
Trumpeter Skyler Floe returns to his home digs in the Seattle area, bringing with him his New York based band to perform at 109 S. Main. Floe will debut tunes from his 2021 release, Abstraction, as well as new material and introspective dives into traditional material. Yet another Seattle born and bred jazz musician who is giving New York City a fair shot, Floe’s musical journey has seen him develop a sound and considerable virtuosity on his instrument of choice. He is joined on the front line by shapeshifting tenor saxophonsit Chris Bittner and top shelf guitarist, Aaron Matson. Bassist Stanley Ruvinov is another Seattle product who is a solid fulcrum for this band to lean on. Vocalist Samantha Louise has Seattle roots as a Cornish College of the Arts grad under the tutelage of vocalist Johnaye Kendrick. Drummer Zach Adleman is a New Jersey native and an active member of the New York local scene.
All of the band members contribute compositions, while Louise composes lyrics to the band’s offerings. This is a band of considerable talent, that to this point has performed at the Owl and at Boxleys, making this date at SJF a welcome sight. The band can settle into an intimate space, in front of an appreciative listening audience. This should be a fine evening of jazz on a Saturday night in Pioneer Square.