Seattle Jazz Scene

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.

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.

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

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.

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Susan Carr Ensemble

JAZZ ALLEY: Larry Coryell B-3 Hammond Organ Trio with Alphonse Mouzon and Joe Bagg

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Hardcoretet

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Axiom, with Alexey Nikolaev (tenor sax), John Hansen (piano), Jon Hamar (bass) and Phil Parisot (drums)
9pm – Egan’s Vocal Jam, hosted by Shiri Zorn

WHISKEY BAR: Ronnie Pierce

JAZZ ALLEY: Larry Coryell B-3 Hammond Organ Trio with Joe Bagg and Alphonse Mouzon

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Leif Totusek and His 1-2-3 Trio

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Magnolia Big Band

NEW ORLEANS: Holotradband

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Jump Ensemble – “Originals and jazz standards with a twist”, with Gregg Robinson (piano), Mark Filler (drums) and Marty Hasegawa (bass)
9pm – New Bop Brigade, with Chris Stover (trombone), Travis Ranney (tenor sax), Matso Limtiaco (baritone sax), David Franklin (piano/composer), Steve Messick (bass/composer)

DEXTER AND HAYES: Tim Kennedy Trio

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita

MIX: Don Mock, Steve Kim & Charlie Nordstrom

JAZZ ALLEY: Chiwoniso
Zimbabwean Popular Music Star

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: JAZZ JAM with the Darin Clendenin Trio

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

TOST: Michael Shrieve Spellbinder

Friday night at Andy’s Jazz Club in Chicago, trumpeter Thomas Marriott and his band (featuring Jeff Johnson and John Bishop) joined with Chicago guitarist John McLean for a great night of music as part of the Origin Records Chicago Jazz Summit. The concert was a great example of the ongoing relationship with Chicago and Seattle artists, fostered by the Origin Records connection, and the standing-room-only crowd loved it. Tonight Matt Jorgensen will perform with guitarist Corey Christiansen, to celebrate the release of their new record “Roll With It.” The concert will also feature Chicago-based organist Pete Benson, and tenor saxophonist Scott Burns.

Be sure to check the Origin Records website for event updates, including podcasts, photo galleries and videos.

The Seasons Fall Music Festival, a weeklong celebration of classical, jazz and latin music will debut with a concert by saxophonist Eric Alexander and his New York-based Quartet on Friday, October 10 at 7:30 PM. This will be the first of nine straight evening concerts that make up the third Seasons Fall Festival. Stars to be included include: The Finisterra Trio, Bill Mays, Ernestine Anderson, Jovino Santos Neto, Jerry Gonzalez and the Fort Apache Band, and Tierney Sutton.

Pat Strosahl, President of the Seasons Music Festival (the non-profit organization that programs the festival), says, “This is by far the most important festival we’ve staged in our three years of operation. It has internationally recognized performers every single night, an astounding educational component, and the sense of collaboration and intermingling of musical ideas that characterize the best festivals worldwide.”

Strosahl says the each night will be an event in its own right which will include dinner/appetizers, winemaker-of-the-day, and often an “Afterglow” gathering for artists, donors and interested others.

Special events include a Red Carpet Opening Night Celebration, a Birthday Party with surprises (Monday, Oct 13 is the exact third anniversary of the first performance at The Seasons), and Latin Jazz night (Friday, Oct 17) to be opened by the YVCC Jazz Band!

The Festival includes two specially commissioned works:
“Cradle Song: A Love Story in One Scene” A Chamber Opera composed by international opera composer Daron Hagen to be debuted Sunday, October 12 at 4 PM and “Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite” arranged by Bill Mays for combined classical and jazz ensembles to be performed on Tuesday, October 14 at 7:00 PM.

The education component of the festival will reach middle and high school students from around the valley, tribal students, college students from YVCC and CWU, the general public, and a selected group of the best post graduate composition students from around the nation, who will seminar for an entire week with Composer-in-Residence Daron Hagen. The Yakima Symphony and The Finisterra Trio (Artists-in-Residence) will read and perform selected student works at various times during the festival.

The latest information can be found on their website at: www.seasonsmusicfestival.com

Wednesday September 24th, 5-7pm at Sole Repair on Capitol Hill

You are invited to the new Film, Music and Digital Media Happy Hour sponsored by the Seattle Mayor’s Office of Film + Music, WashingtonFilmWorks, the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy, and Washington Interactive Network.

Seattle has been a growing hub for film, music and digital media over the past several years, and it is vital for these three communities to interact for our city to continue to thrive. This Happy Hour offers just such an environment for people from these industries to socialize, network, and build a unified community.

These Happy Hour events are held on the last Wednesday of every month from 5 to 7pm, and are hosted at Sole Repair, located at 1001 East Pike Street on Capitol Hill (near the corner of 10th and Pike). Must be at least 21 or older to attend. We hope to see you there!

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: JAZZ JAM with the Darin Clendenin Trio

NEW ORLEANS: The New Orleans Quintet

TOST: Michael Shrieve Spellbinder

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Ruby Bishop

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Victor Noriega +2
CD Release Party!

JAZZ ALLEY: Earl Klugh

THE TRIPLE DOOR:
MAINSTAGE: The Headhunters
MUSICQUARIUM: How Now Brown Cow

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Katie King CD Release Party, with Bill Anschell (piano), Chris Symer (bass) and D’Vonne Lewis (drums)
9pm – Rochelle House
11pm – Blues To Do Post-TV show jam! – featuring Cold Note, funk/rock/soul with Caine (vocals), Dave Thomas (drums), Alex Bainbridge (bass), Graham Parsons (guitar), and James Redfern (guitar)

SERAFINA: Kiko de Freitas

GRAZIE: Michael Powers Group

HOTWIRE COFFEE: Marc Smason Trio
17551 15th NE, Shoreline, 7:30pm

HIROSHI’S JAZZ AND SUSHI: Greg Williamson Quartet

NORTH CITY BISTRO: David George Trio

from Brian Nova:

First, a BIG Thank you to all of you for a VERY Successful night for Buddy Catlett! With your help, we were able to raise $21,000 for Buddy! Buddy went in to U of W Hospital on Monday and had a very successful Heart Valve replacement surgery. The Doctors said he did great, and should be heading home on Thursday. The doctors also say that he might be up playing his bass by the end of the year! This is miraculous news as the doctors previously gave him 9 months. Your help, love and prayers have made all the difference. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

JAZZ ALLEY: Earl Klugh

TRIPLE DOOR MAINSTAGE: The Headhunters

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Lonnie Mardis and the SCCC Jazz Orchestra

NEW ORLEANS: The Ham Carson Quintet

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – Kim Rushing Quartet – Kim Rushing, vocalist formerly with John Hendricks (Lambert, Hendricks and Ross) featuring the songs of Billie Holiday. With Paul Sawyer (guitar), Dan O’Brien (bass) and Robert Rushing (drums)
9pm – Kristin Woodbury

THAIKU: Jon Alberts, Jeff Johnson, Tad Britton

PUYALLUP FAIR: Al Jarreau/Manhattan Transfer

MAY: Hans Teuber Trio

MARTIN’S ON MADISON: Karin Kajita

CAFE PALOMA: Sheryl Diane Shumsky

LO-FI: The Teaching

JAZZ ALLEY: Kyle Eastwood

TRIPLE DOOR:
MAINSTAGE: Sinatra at the Sands Show
MUSICQUARIUM: Leif Totusek; Infusionary

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Dorothy Rodes, John Hansen, Jeff Johnson, Robert Rushing

NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band w/ Clarence Acox

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
7pm – 2Me, “folk and roll” band from Sacramento, with Christopher Twomey (acoustic guitar/vocals), Reid Foster (drums/percussion/vocals), Ken Burnett (mandolin) and Mark Gonzales (bass)
9pm – Vocal jazz jam session, hosted by Katy Bourne, with Randy Halberstadt (piano)

WHISKEY BAR: Ronnie Pierce