Seattle Jazz Scene

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Thomas Marriott & Ray Vega with New Stories ** SJS Recommended

BENAROYA HALL: Crossover Concerto w/ Yuri Bashmet & Igor Butman

CAFE HARLEQUIN: Finn Hill Jazz Quartet w/ Kay Bailey
107 Lake Street, Kirkland

JAZZ ALLEY: Jane Monheit

PAMPAS ROOM: Brian Nova Quartet

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Hardcoretet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – MJ Bishop Tour Sendoff Show!
9pm – Aria Prame (vocals), with Josh Rawlings (piano), Nate Omdal (bass) and Jeremy Jones (drums)
11pm – JL Stiles

LOCAL COLOR: Fathia Atallah

LUCID: Change Runners

GRAZIE: Michael Matthews Trio

EL GAUCHO BELLEVUE: Trish Hatley Trio

CHAPEL PERFORMANCE SPACE: Seattle Improvised Music Festival

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TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Sonando

JAZZ ALLEY: Jane Monheit

LO-FI: The Teaching

MAY: Hans Teuber Trio

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Chris Morton Trio featuring Siobhan Brugger, two-time soloist winner at the Lionel Hampton Jazz festival and the 2008 Seattle-Kobe Sister City Jazz Competition winner!
9pm – Kevin McCarthy Quartet

NEW ORLEANS: The Ham Carson Quintet

THAIKU: Jeff Alberts, Jeff Johnson & Tad Britton

MOXIE: Dennis Moss
530 1st Ave North, Seattle, 8-10pm

Judy and I took the train on Friday and went to the Joe Lovano conversation with Doug Ramsey at the Art Bar, had dinner there and went to the main event of the opening night – the first public performance with full orchestra of Terence Blanchard’s “A Tale of God’s Will” (Requiem for Katrina). The CD won a Grammy last year. It is very moving music, a lament for New Orleans, and very stirring. Sound was a bit of a problem, the strings were miced, the second violins were louder than the firsts and the sound was grainy, to boot. Wish they had played it entirely acoustically – in Schnitzer Hall it would have sounded better, but we were glad to be able to hear it live. Terence’s introductions added a lot to the program. An opening set with Gonzalo Rubalcaba Quintet was not very satisfying for us, but after the concert, Devin Phillips (a New Orleans refugee now living in Portland) was leading his very swinging quintet at the Art Bar across the street…. a great nightcap. Sometimes the local cats outshine the visitors.

Joe Lovano’s Us5 is a new group I hadn’t heard and was curious about. They played Saturday afternoon at the Portland Art Museum Ballroom which seemed acoustically friendly to jazz. Walking in we immediately noticed two drumsets on stage and thought “Oh-oh…” but about half way through the first tune, we were looking at each other and saying “Wow!” Gerry Hemmingway and Francisco Mela were the drummers, both energetic and imaginative and very complimentary. They didn’t have a drum battle, they didn’t both play all the time, and when they switched from one to the other it was seamless. They traded back and forth with Joe, pianist James Weidman and bassist Michael Formanek. It was one of the highlights of the weekend. Jacky Terrasson Trio opened, with a lot of sizzle but seemingly lacking much substance.

We passed on the Dianne Reeves concert, but look forward to seeing her at Bellevue with Russell Malone. We had a nice dinner at Jake’s Grill and went to the late set Saturday night with John Scofield Trio at the Art Museum Ballroom again. Sco’ played with Matt Penman on bass and Bill Stewart (another great drummer!). Joe Lovano introduced them, and Sco’ said he’d be back. After several trio tunes, Lovano joined them and they played like they were still a working group (Joe was in the band in the early 90s). The crowd included a lot of younger listeners and they were really into it. We sat next to a couple of kids, one a guitarist, the other a drummer and they were in heaven! Great concert!
We wrapped up the night at the Art Bar again, with Dave Frishberg, John Gross and Charlie Doggett Trio doing some rare tunes (Dave doesn’t sing with this group, they have a different repertoire.) Nice hang with Lovano, Doug Ramsey, Michael Cuscuna, Ashley Kahn, et al. We closed the joint.

Some of the audiences were disappointingly small – the Terence Blanchard concert especially, and nothing appeared close to selling out. Probably the biggest crowd we saw was at the Scofield concert. They have now cancelled next Friday night’s main event with Cassandra Wilson and Jason Moran due to poor advance sales, but all other concerts and events are going on.

from The Seattle Times:

Although he was born and raised in the former Soviet Union, Igor Butman’s life was destined to have an American flavor to it.

His father was, of all things, a drummer in a Dixieland jazz band, the best in all of Leningrad. The opportunities to listen to and play jazz were few, but the young Butman found them.

He studied the clarinet, then the saxophone, growing up to become perhaps the most famous jazz musician in all of Russia. He is often called the Russian Wynton Marsalis and was a favorite of President Clinton.

Butman, 47, is a true celebrity in Russia, a one-person entertainment enterprise. He is a cultural ambassador, bandleader, owner of a jazz club, television host and celebrity in his homeland. He is the face of jazz in Russia.

Continue reading at The Seattle Times.

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Al Keith Group

JAZZ ALLEY: Jane Monheit

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: John Jorgenson Quintet

NEW ORLEANS: The Legacy Band w/Clarence Acox

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Cindy Phillips (vocals) and Darin Clendenin (piano)
9pm – Vocal Jam, hosted by Fathia Atallah, with the Bruce Barnard Trio

TUTTA BELLA: Djangomatics

WHISKEY BAR: Ronnie Pierce

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: McTUFF presents THE DAVE LEWIS REVUE

JAZZ ALLEY: Jane Monheit

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Roadside Attraction

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

OWL ‘N THISTLE: Jam Session

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Jump Ensemble
9pm – Axiom

DEXTER AND HAYES: Tim Kennedy Trio

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita

MIX: Don Mock, Steve Kim & Charlie Nordstrom

SEATTLE DRUM SCHOOL: Jim Knapp Orchestra

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Jazz Jam with Darin Clendenin

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder

LA SPIGA: Rodger Pegues Duo

from The Buffalo News:

Two members of Chuck Mangione’s band, Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellett, were among the passengers killed on Flight 3407, Publicist Sanford Brokaw said today.

They were en route to Buffalo for tonight’s performance with the Buffalo Philharmonic, which has been postponed.

In a statement to the Associated Press, Mangione said: “I’m in shock over the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy.”

BPO spokesman Mike Lazzaro said a new date for the concert would be announced at a later date.

##

From Matt Jorgensen: Coleman Mellett and I played in The Delegates together from 1998 – 2001. He was married to vocalist Jeannie Bryson and they performed in the Northwest in recent years at Bake’s Place and the Anacortes Jazz Festival. They vacationed every summer in the San Juan Islands and we would play gigs together when they were here. My thoughts go out to Jeannie.

While all jazz is improvised music, not all improvised music is jazz. And that is about as good a place to start a discussion about the experimental art form collectively called “improvised music.”

Starting tonight and continuing for two consecutive weekends, the Seattle Improvised Music Festival will feature a dozen musicians in various combinations, performing one of the most- difficult-to describe forms of modern music. There are several saxophone players (Wilson Shook, Wally Shoup, Kelvin Pittman), keyboard players (Gust Burns and Jonathan Zorn — not to be confused with avant-garde composer John Zorn), a trumpet player (Greg Kelley), even a singer (Liz Tonne) — many of whom perform with sophisticated, electronic effects.

“I see it as a tangled core of different strands of music that developed out of jazz and free jazz in the ’60s and ’70s,” said Burns, director of the festival, whose history goes back 24 years.

“It’s also heavily experimental, electronic music that has nothing to do with jazz. It doesn’t have swing; it doesn’t have a groove. Then, there’s a post-rock, post- Sonic Youth spirit, noise music. It’s kind of a tangled mess that has an improvisational and experimental core.”

Continue reading at The Seattle Times

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Hadley Caliman Quartete

JAZZ ALLEY: Mindi Abair

BAKE’S PLACE: Lorraine Feather – Shelly Berg

LATONA PUB: Phil Sparks Trio (5-7pm)

TRIPLE DOOR:
MAINSTAGE: Joan Rivers
MUSICQUARIUM: Kiko Freitas, Soul Kata

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Susan Carr Ensemble
9pm – Far Corner
11pm – Menagerie of Extravagance

GRAZIE: Sue Bell Trio

LOCAL COLOR: Rebekka Goldsmith

CAFE HARLEQUIN: Finn Hill Jazz Quartet w/ Kay Bailey
107 Lake Street, Kirkland, 8:00pm

NORTH CITY BISTRO: Fred Hoadley Trio
1520 NE 177th, Shoreline

PAMPAS ROOM: Brian Nova Quartet

A bit of controversy has erupted in advance of the Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival which takes place later this month in Edmonds.

The Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra (SWOJO) had been contacted by Executive Producer Joe DeMiero in mid-January to back up vocalist Carmen Bradford on Saturday, February 28. According to members of SWOJO, a fee had been negotiated and preparations were underway for the evenings music. Doug Reid had been hired to direct the band, replacing Daniel Barry who had a scheduling conflict, and DeMiero had promised to send a contract. As late as Tuesday, February 10, SWOJO was advertised on the Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival’s website.

On February 8, SWOJO Executive Director Carolyn Caster emailed band members that she was notified by DeMiero that he had continued to look for cheaper groups and had found one that was willing to perform all three nights of the festival for the same price SWOJO was getting paid for a single concert. Caster expressed her dismay that DeMiero would continue to search for another group when he had already hired one, but in the end DeMiero informed SWOJO that the festival would be going with the other band.

Contacted by Seattle Jazz Scene, DeMiero said in an email, “It is the policy of our organization not to discuss artist negotiations with anyone but the artists and their management. We have tremendous respect for the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra and its members, and we hope to have the opportunity to work together in the future.”

On Wednesday, February 11, the Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival’s website was updated replacing SWOJO with the Mach One Jazz Orchestra.

All of this adds a cloud over what otherwise is a stellar line-up of headliners. The festival’s focus is on providing a non-competitive educational environment for 40+ school ensembles from around the Pacific Northwest. One of the headliners, Sara Gazarek, previously performed at the festival when she was a student at Roosevelt High School in Seattle.

Said one member of SWOJO, “It devalues the work we do and ruins it for everybody. Since DeMieiro now knows that he can get a band to work for this little money, it will never be what is was: a decent paying gig for good musicians. In the end, that festival will get what they pay for and the music will suffer. ”

For more information:
http://www.frankdemierojazzfestival.com

SEATTLE ART MUSEUM: Steve Korn Group
1st and Union, 5:30pm, Free with museum admission

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Nelda Swiggett Trio

THAIKU: Jon Alberts / Jeff Johnson / Tad Britton

JAZZ ALLEY: Mindi Abair

NEW ORLEANS: The Ham Carson Quintet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Elspeth Savani Quintet, with Chris Stover (trombone), Julio Jauregui (piano), Jeff Norwood (bass), Jeff Busch (percussion) and Elspeth Savani (vocals/hand percussion)
9pm – Amir Beso (guitar), presenting an acoustic blend of Flamenco, Gypsy, Jazz and traditional Balkan music

LUCID: Hochiwichi

LO-FI: The Teaching

MAY: Hans Teuber Trio

Pony Boy Recording Artist and el-primo pianist LARRY FULLER will be appearing tonight, February 11, on “LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN” with guitarist/vocalist JOHN PIZZARELLI. Fuller has been a member of Pizzarelli’s New York–based group for several years. It’s a very swinging and exciting ensemble.

“Late Night” can be seen on NBC-TV at 12:35am (11:35 Central Time)
You can also watch full episodes the next day at NBC’s Late Night web site.

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Hal Sherman and the BCC Jazz Orchestra

JAZZ ALLEY: Mose Allison

NEW ORLEANS: The Legacy Band w/Clarence Acox

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Jessica Stenson, with Darin Clendenin (piano)
9pm – Vocal Jam hosted by Marti MacEwan, with Darin Clendenin (piano) and Robert Rushing (drums)

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

WHISKEY BAR: Ronnie Pierce

JAZZ ALLEY: Mose Allison

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Emerald City Jazz Orchestra

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Ben Fisher
9pm – Eric Elven and Dust Free High, with Eric Elven (vocals/guitar), Scott Becker (guitar), Doug Pierson (bass) and Thane Michell (drums)

DEXTER AND HAYES: Tim Kennedy Trio

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita

MIX: Don Mock, Steve Kim & Charlie Nordstrom

Dorothy Rodes with at Tula’s this Wednesday night.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Dorothy Rodes – vocals
Dave Peterson – guitar
Jeff Johnson – bass
Byron Vannoy– drums

Tula’s Jazz Club
2214 Second Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
(206) 443-422
tulas.com

7:30 to 11:30 pm
$10 cover charge

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Clark Gibson Quartet

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

LA SPIGA: Eli Rosenblatt

TOST: Michael Shrieve’s Spellbinder

from The Seattle Times:

Reborn for its sixth season as the Alaska Airline/Horizon Air Portland Jazz Festival, the 10-day event opens Friday and runs through Feb. 22, presenting many of jazz’s most-celebrated artists within a square mile of downtown. The program, dubbed “Somethin’ Else” this year, celebrates the 70th birthday of Blue Note, the definitive modern jazz label.

Among the artists featured over the first weekend are New Orleans trumpeter Terence Blanchard, presenting “A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina)”; Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba; tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano; vocalist Dianne Reeves; guitarist John Scofield; pianist McCoy Tyner; and clarinetist Don Byron. All those artists have recorded extensively for Blue Note. The festival also features numerous onstage artist interviews, panel discussions, jam sessions and gigs by resident stars such as vocalist Nancy King, pianist/songwriter Dave Frishberg and drummer Mel Brown.

A majority of the Grammy Awards will be given out this afternoon starting at 1:00pm during the pre-telecast. This includes all of the jazz and classical awards.

Excerpt from The Seattle Times preview …

The Northwest has always been a hotbed of jazz. This year, there are two jazz nominees from the area. Seattle guitarist Bill Frisell is up for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for “History, Mystery.” (In 2005, he won Best Contemporary Jazz Album for his album “Unspeakable.”) Also, Chris Walden — on Seattle-based jazz and classical label Origin Records — is nominated for Best Orchestral Performance and Best Classical Contemporary Composition for “Symphony No. 1: The Four Elements.”