On the Scene: Live Jazz Previews for October- The Earshot Jazz Festival and Beyond

With summer gone and a long winter ahead, October is always one of the most beautiful months of the year in the Pacific Northwest. To add to the mix, the Earshot Jazz Festival has plenty of things to share to keep us all busy and interested. Between the annual festival, the Seattle Jazz Fellowship and Jazz Alley, we have things about covered. More than ever, please understand that these are gigs that I can personally recommend–I’m not taking a bow to popularity, what is trending, or any other element to distract from the music itself. Many nights this month, there are multiple gigs that are engaging- a nice problem to have. We’ll start with the Fellowship, then the festival, followed by fine performances outside the format of either. See you out there!

Seattle Jazz Fellowship: Fellowship Wednesdays at Vermillion

Photo Credit” Steve Korn

KJS featuring Steve Korn, Jeff Johnson & Marc Seales

Wed Oct 4, 7:30 PM/ Vermillion

Three of Seattle’s historical best explore the freedom of the jazz trio. Pianist Marc Seales, Bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Steve Korn all have a reputation for listening and participating in group mind, and compose their original works accordingly. Johnson is a transcendent figure on an international scale as a bassist in this format, having anchored the trios of Hal Galper, Jessica Williams, Chano Dominguez and many others. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Photo Credit: Paul Towndrow

Atlantic Road Trip with Chad McCullough

Wed Oct 11, 7:30 PM/ Vermillion

Atlantic Road Trip is an international project featuring artists from Europe and America, that create a fusion of traditional indigenous folk musics from Scotland, Ireland and Slovakia, imagined through the lens of American jazz and improvised music. Seattle’s own Chad McCullough, now based in Chicago, is featured on trumpet. Paul Towndrow is the interface with folk forms of the British Isles, playing whistles, flutes and saxophone. Vibraphonist Miro Herak adds a unique timbre to the band’s sound. Bassist Lawrence Kohut and drummer Jon Deitemyer are the ties that bind. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Photo Credit: Jim Levitt

Naomi Moon Siegel Septet

Wed Oct 18, 7:30 PM/ Vermillion

Trombonist/composer Naomi Siegel left Seattle a while back, relocating to Montana. When she comes back to visit, it is always an occasion for her to put together a killing band to perform her original tunes that speak to jazz with folk and classical elements in the mix. The real objective is spontaneous composition with this band of stellar improvisors. Siegel is joined on the frontline by trumpeter Ray Larsen and guitarist Andy Coe. The back three is sensational, with pianist Marina Albero, bassist Kelsey Mines and drummer Christopher Icasianohttps://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Photo Credit: Lisa Hagen Glynn

Matt Jorgensen Quintet

Wed Oct 25, 7:30 PM/ Vermillion

Drummer/composer Matt Jorgensen has been laying low in terms of live performance the past few years, and is dedicated to playing more going forward. That’s good news for the Seattle jazz scene. One of the most innovative drummers and imaginative composers in the PNW, Jorgensen teams up with longtime mate in alto saxophonist Mark Taylor, half of a two saxophone front with young tenorist Jackson Cotugno. Pianist Dylan Hayes brings a composer’s mind to the keyboard, teaming with bassist Kelsey Mines in a rhythm section with the leader Jorgensen. This lineup just seems like a good match–the sparks should fly. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Earshot Jazz Festival 2023: We Recommend

Photo Credit: Jim Levitt

Alex Dugdale Funk Band

Fri Oct 6, 7:30 PM/ Town Hall Forum

Seattle jazz fans are accustomed to seeing saxophonist Alex Dugdale in swing mode, playing his brand of hard bop. Here, he explores his funk persona with a large band big on horns and deep in the rhythm. The opening set of the 2023 Earshot Jazz Festival features Seattle headliners D’Vonne Lewis (drums), Kelsey Mines (bass), Jun Iida (trumpet), Freddy Fuego (trombone) and lead trumpet Walter Cano. The Forum may be an odd fit, unless it’s set up for dancing. https://www.earshot.org/event/alex-dugdale-funk-band/

Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke

Wed Oct 11, 7:30 PM/ Triple Door

The culmination of twenty years of friendship, vocalist Gretchen Parlato and guitarist Lionel Loueke forge their longtime association into an intimate, explorative musical conversation. The two met as part of the Thelonious Monk Institute, with Parlato winning the jazz vocal competition there. Loueke has gone on to work extensively with Herbie Hancock, Dave Holland and Terence Blanchard. They will perform music from their duo project, Lean In. The music bears the weight of the events of the past three years The sonic connection that binds this duo is bound to create something dynamic for the audience. https://www.earshot.org/event/gretchen-parlato-lionel-loueke/

Photo Credit: Lisa hagen Glynn

Thomas Marriott Special Quartet

Thu Oct 12, 7:30 PM/ Town Hall Forum

Good to see Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott back on the festival bill, this time headlining an all-star quartet performing his original music. Marriott has produced fourteen albums as a leader and is the driving force behind the Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Frankly, he is one of the best trumpeters walking on two legs, and perhaps one of the most under-appreciated. The quartet chosen for this Earshot hit is emblematic of the work he has been doing over the past several years. 

Drummer Roy McCurdy has played with the masters, and at eighty six years of age, he has played with many of the best in jazz history. His credits include long tenures in the bands of Sonny Rollins and Cannonball Adderly. Remarkably, he is still the same force behind the kit that he has always been, one of the great spirits of jazz music. Pianist George Colligan has an extensive recording catalog as a leader, and as a member of several prominent ensembles, including those of Jack DeJohnette. Bassist Eric Revis is a prominent leader and composer and the bassist of the vaunted Branford Marsalis Quartet. It is quite the convergence for a great set of modern, post-bop jazz. 

This amounts to a celebration of Marriott’s extensive work as a jazz artist. The name Earshot came to be, meaning, “within earshot of Seattle.” Marriott is a historic musician within earshot of this town, and this gig is one not to miss. https://www.earshot.org/event/thomas-marriott-all-star-quartet/

Photo Credit: Jose Perez

Tina Raymond Trio

Fri Oct 13, 7:30 PM/ Royal Room

Drummer Tina Raymond has been a known quantity for a little while now, but her work with the Esthesis Quartet opened my eyes a bit wider to her skills. Having to bob and weave through the band’s intricate passages, both ghostly quiet and hurricane fierce, Raymond was the grounding force of her three atmospheric partners. Working in the intimate Columbia City digs at The Royal Room, Raymond brings a guitar trio to town featuring guitarist Andrew Renfroe and bassist Karl McComas- Reicht. They will perform music from their upcoming release titled Divinations for Imani Records. https://www.earshot.org/event/tina-raymond-trio/

Photo Credit: Jim Levitt

Jun Iida Sextet

Thu Oct 19, 8:30 pm/ Clock-Out Lounge

Trumpeter Jun Iida emerged as the city began to bounce back from the pandemic. He had recently moved here from Los Angeles, and was in active search mode to connect with the scene here in Seattle. He has done that nicely. Iida will be releasing his debut album on the highly regarded Origin Records label in January, and celebrates just that with this Earshot neighborhood hit at the Clock Out. 

First of all, as a Beacon Hill resident, it is wonderful to see the music performed in this great south end neighborhood. While the Clockout lacks a suitable piano. and has seldom if ever hosted live jazz, it has a sizeable south end vibe that is unique and special. Marina Albero joins on keyboards, with bassist Kelsey Mines and drummer Xavier Lecouturier rounding out the rhythm section. Guitarist Masami Kuroki makes his way up from LA to join and essentially join the front line. Iida has a refined sound gained from his original quest as a classical player. As a jazz player, he always seems to play a bit behind the beat and then gain on it dynamically. He has a natural feel for melody in his lines, something that also speaks to his original tunes. https://www.earshot.org/event/jun-iida-sextet/

Photo Credit:  johnrogersnyc.com

 Todd Sickafoose’s Bear Proof

Fri Oct 20, 7:30 PM/ Town Hall Forum

To be perfectly honest, what caught my eye about this gig was that Seattle native and NYC resident Carmen Staaf is touring with the band as its pianist. Staaf has had remarkable success since leaving her hometown, including her duo with Allison Miller and as music director/pianist with Dee Dee Bridgewater. This is not to take anything away from Grammy and Tony winning artist Todd Sickafoose

Producer, arranger, orchestrator, bandleader and double bassist Sickafoose leads his band dubbed Tiny Resistors here, an odd contraption of folk, indie rock, jazz and chamber music. The large ensemble is brilliant both orchestrally, and in terms of soloing, on a case by case basis. With Staaf on piano, drummer Allison Miller joins her duo partner with Sickafoose on the back line, with an orchestral mix of violinist Jenny Scheinman, guitarist Adam Levy, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, cornetist Kirk Knuffe and accordionist Rob Reich. They will perform music from their new album, Bearproof. https://www.earshot.org/event/todd-sickafooses-bear-proof/

Elsa Nilsson: Band of Pulses

Sat Oct 21, 7:30 PM/ Town Hall Forum

Flutist Elsa Nilsson has Seattle ties, as a student at Cornish College of the Arts. Originally from Sweden, Seattle area fans knew her as a frequent guest of the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto. After a move to New York, she has slowly worked her way into being considered one of the most innovative practitioners of her instrument, involving herself in a number of eye opening projects. 

Nilsson performed at last year’s festival as a member of the Esthesis Quartet with Dawn Clement. With this band, dubbed Band of Pulses, she explores the works of Maya Angelou utilizing Angelou’s actual voice in the mix. The set list is all inspired by the iconic poet, and includes a musical interpretation of her poem, “On The Pulse of Morning.” Nilsson won a grant through the Chamber Music America New Works program, and includes the right to enhance the performance with Anjelou’s voice. The ensemble includes pianist Santiago Liebson, drummer Rodrigo Recabarren, and bassist Marty Kenney.  https://www.earshot.org/event/elsa-nilsson-band-of-pulses-jahnvi-madan/

Photo Credit: NPR

Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan

Sun Oct 22, 7:30 PM/ Town Hall Forum

Bassist/composer Linda May Han Oh and pianist Fabian Almazan have been on a musical journey together for more than a decade, along the way gaining acclaim as both innovative instrumentalists and groundbreaking composers. Their music is explorative and modern, without the slightest hint of pretension. While both can swing with authority, or play original compositions with an abundance of harmonic space, each plays with an almost tidal sense of time. The object is more about beauty and spiritual refinement than a blaring demonstration of instrumental prowess–but yes, they can do that too. Drummer Christian McGhee is a remarkable musician who is so much more than a traditional timekeeper. He is pursuing melodic notions just as much as Oh and Almazan, with alto saxophonist Greg Ward being the fortunate recipient of license to play off the edge a bit. The intimate Forum at Town Hall is a perfect launching pad for this music. https://www.earshot.org/event/linda-may-han-oh-and-fabian-almazan/

Celebrating Mary Lou Williams, An Evening of Live Performance and Film

Wed Oct 25, 7:30 PM/ Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute

Pianist Ann Reynolds has been focused on playing in tribute to some of the great female performers in jazz history over the past two years, both in performance and in the studio. She has been writing her own music inspired by these icons, with none being more important than the great Mary Lou Williams. For Earshot, Reynolds teams with producer and director Kay D. Ray in creating a multi-media homage to Williams, which includes live performance and film. 
The live performances will be mixed with archival film segments that include interviews and rare live performance footage. Reynolds will share the piano bench with Alex Guilbert, Kent Stevenson and Nelda Swiggett. Heather Chriscaden holds on to the groove on bass, and drummer Maria Wulf shares time behind the drum kit with Steven Banks. Freddy Fuego provides color on trombone and flute, while Reggie Garrett supplies the vocals. This program is an excellent match with Langston both in terms of programming and the building itself. https://www.earshot.org/event/celebrating-mary-lou-williams-an-evening-of-live-performance-and-film/

Photo Credit: Jim Levitt

Monday Night Jam at the Royal Room with Thomas Marriott

Mondays at 9 PM/ Royal Room

The Monday night jam is back at The Royal Room, beginning at 9 PM with Thomas Marriott as host. It gives Seattle a one-two punch with the Owl ‘n Thistle jam following on Tuesday night. Marriott’s Monday tilt has the advantage of being all ages, not to mention a legit piano and back line. Working off a sign up sheet, Marriott has done a fine job getting everyone on stage in a workable environment. Bring your chops, as this session attracts a lot of good players, both young and older. Check out what Wayne Horvitz has cookin’ prior to the jam at 7 PM. New Music Mondays is offered by the South Hudson Music Project. Don’t forget to support the night with your donation. https://theroyalroomseattle.com/event/royal-room-jazz-jam-session-hosted-by-thomas-marriott/?instance_id=3135


In Photos: Maria Schneider Orchestra at Town Hall Seattle

Photo Credit: Jim Levitt

When the Covid-10 pandemic shut down the world as we know it in the spring of 2020, the jazz scene in Seattle retreated into isolation, including dates that would have seen top touring bands appear in the city. Perhaps most notable of these missing dates was the Earshot Jazz presentation of the seven time Grammy winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, slated to appear in the Great Hall at Town Hall Seattle. It served then, as a large measure of social healing when the orchestra at last appeared in the historic hall on February 28, 2023, some three years delayed by the hundred year pandemic. An enthusiastic house of seven hundred patrons greeted the full New York ensemble, led by NEA Jazz Master, Maria Schneider, herself.

While hosting jazz legend is not a foreign entity to the city of Seattle, the receivership of the entirety of an eighteen member ensemble such as this is a rarity indeed. The price tag for a national tour of a large ensemble of this magnitude is indeed high, making such a phenomena practically non-existent. With Earshot picking up the tab, the Seattle audience needed to do its share by purchasing tickets, which in fact, it did. The stage was set for a historic evening that seemed to arrive at the perfect time, hastening our recovery from post-pandemic lethargy.

Schneider led the band through her highly visual compositions, including those on her Pulitzer nominated most recent release, Data Lords, and her pastoral masterpiece, The Thompson Fields. The band roster was full of some of the genre’s most notable stars, most of whom have been constants in Schneider’s band for more than a decade. The band in full: Saxophones: Rich Perry (tenor), Dave Pietro (alto), Steve Wilson (alto), Donny McCaslin (tenor), Scott Robinson (bari); Trombones: Ryan Keberle, Keigth O’Quinn, Marshall Gilges, George Flynn (bass); Trumpets: Mike Rodriguez, Greg Gisbert, Michael Dudley, Nadje Noordhuis; Accordion: Julien Labro; Guitar: Ben Monder; Piano: Gary Versace; Bass: Jay Anderson; Drums: Johnathan Blake; Sound Engineer: Fred Vogler.

Captured vividly by ace stage photogs Jim Levitt and Lisa Hagen Glynn, one can almost hear Schneider’s highly visual melodies emanating from the images. Many thanks to Jim and Lisa for generously and graciously lending us their time and talents. While many decades of Seattle’s vibrant jazz history is shrouded in mystery in lacking photographic documentation, the current era of Seattle jazz bears no such distinction. Jim and Lisa seem to be everywhere, and at the same time, respectfully hidden in the shadows of a performance. They have perfected the art of non-intrusion as far as the audience is concerned. Their colorful and emotive images add a dimension to written documentation of the scene that brings the events and characters of subject to vivid life. If you attended the concert, allow these images to refresh your memory. If unable to attend, witness some of the energy and beauty that filled the Great Hall on this one, very special evening.

Drummer Jonathan Blake (Jim Levitt)
Steve Wilson (Clarinet), Donny McCaslin (tenor saxophone)- (Jim Levitt)
Guitarist Ben Monder (Jim Levitt)
Baritone Saxophonist Scott Robinson (Jim Levitt)
Saxophonist Steve Wilson on soprano (Jim Levitt)
Photo Credit: Jim Levitt
Rich Perry tenor solo (Jim Levitt)
The rhythm section- Julien Labro (acordion), Ben Monder (guitar), Johnathan Blake (drums), Jay Anderson (bass). (Jim Levitt)
The Maria Schneider Orchestra (Jim Levitt)
Maria Schneider (Jim Levitt)
Trumpeter  Nadje Noordhuis (Jim Levitt)
Steve Wilson soprano solo (Jim Levitt)
Donny McCaslin and Maria Schneider (Jim Levitt)
Pianist Gary Versace (Jim Levitt)
Maria Schneider (Jim Levitt)
Trombonist Ryan Keberle (Jim Levitt)
Ryan Keberle solo (Jim Levitt)
Trombonist Marshall Gilges (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Acordionist Julien Labro (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Maria Schneider (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Saxophone section: L to R- Dave Pietro, Steve Wilson, Donny McCaslin, Scott Robinson (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
All eyes on the director (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Alto saxophonist Dave Pietro (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Maria Schneider (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
The Maria Schneider Orchestra at Town Hall. Best shot of the lot! (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Alto saxophone master, Steve Wilson (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Drummer Johnathan Blake (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Pianist Gary Versace (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Guitarist Ben Monder (Lisa Hagen Glynn)
Maria Schneider and Earshot director, John Gilbreath (Jim Levitt)

Jazz Returns to Seattle’s Central District: Two Evenings of Black Brilliance

Giveton Gelin                                                          Lisa Hagen Glynn photo

There is a miracle on the corner of 12th Avenue and Jackson St. in what is now Seattle’s “Little Saigon.” In what was a traditional African American and Jewish community before the influx of Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian immigrants after the war in Southeast Asia in the early 1980’s, this urban crossroads was the main pulse of an integrated nightclub scene in the 1930’s, ’40s and ’50s that featured dozens of late-night jazz clubs that not only housed the city’s thriving African American musicians, but attracted many musicians after hours from their respective gigs Downtown that featured only white audiences. 

A fully integrated jazz nightclub scene was a rarity on a national scale, perhaps only fully realized along Jackson Street in Seattle, and Central Avenue in Los Angeles. The respective scenes attracted Black musicians from the Jim Crow south, in search of work and the ability to achieve artistry untethered by the tyranny experienced in southern music cities such as Atlanta, Memphis and New Orleans. Even Jelly Roll Morton lived a spell in Seattle, as early as 1919. Neither prohibition, nor the Great Depression could cap the enthusiasm of the city’s bottle clubs along Jackson Street, many of which were operated by Black entrepreneurs. The most notable of these club owners was E. Russell “Noodles” Smith, who along with partner Burr “Blackie” Williams would operate the legendary Black and Tan nightclub in the basement of the aforementioned “miracle” on the corner of 12th and Jackson. In 1920, they opened The Entertainers Club in the upstairs portion of the building, and the late night Alhambra club in the basement. The downstairs nightspot then was renamed the Black and Tan, noted for its integrated, black and white clientele. Smith had arrived in Seattle in 1909, and had a sharp eye for business. With the town rife with cash from the shipyards and lumber mills following the Great War, Jackson Street was able to withstand the onslaught of prohibition, and later as mentioned, the Great Depression. To continue reading, click this link
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-returns-to-seattles-central-district-two-evenings-of-black-brilliance-immanuel-wilkins




Earshot Jazz previews The Ballard Jazz Festival

Ballard Jazz Festival

May 6-9
Various venues

View Ballard Jazz Festival WebsiteBuy Tickets

Thirteen is a lucky number for local jazz fans: The 13th annual Ballard Jazz Festival is just around the corner. Hitting on multiple stages from May 6-9, Seattle’s uniquely homegrown jazz fest has developed into an eagerly anticipated annual event that hasn’t lost touch with the intimate and collaborative atmosphere that made it special in the first place. Since its early days as the Ballard Jazz Walk, the reputation and reach of the festival have grown while the vibe has remained welcoming and accessible.

“I want to make sure it’s a local festival, so it sounds like Seattle,” says festival organizer and Seattle jazz impresario John Bishop. “It will be a celebration of that.”

Rather than putting the focus solely on individual marquee gigs, Bishop’s approach is to bring in carefully selected out-of-town talent and pair them up with local musicians for a variety of performances. This gives everyone a chance to mix and mingle, to have a good time over a period of a few days. As Bishop says, invoking a sage perception of what makes a jazz scene vital, “It’s about the hang.”

I want to make sure it’s a local festival, so it sounds like Seattle
– JOHN BISHOP
Another key piece of Bishop’s goal is to present the full range of jazz-related activity in town, mixing old and new, traditional and cutting-edge. To achieve your balanced jazz diet, for example, you could sample some renegade experimentalism at the Table & Chairs showcase and then drop in for classic jazz trio sounds from legendary pianist Overton Berry – “Two massively different experiences within a half block of each other,” says Bishop.

Bishop has also wisely retained festival elements that have proven popular over the years, including the opening night’s Brotherhood of the Drum and night two’s Guitar Summit concerts (both at Conor Byrne Pub), as well as the Ballard Jazz Walk, where you can take in 17 artists in eight venues for the price of a single ticket.

Every minute of the Ballard Jazz Festival is packed with great music, so selecting highlights can be an exercise in frustration. Just a few to consider: Brotherhood of the Drum will no doubt be special, as this year’s edition features Michael Shrieve, Gene Coye, and Julian MacDonough each leading their own bands. Shrieve is well-known to audiences locally and around the world as the original drummer for Santana. He has a staggering resume, which includes a wide range of music in many genres from rock and jazz to electronic and global experimentalism. Coincidentally, one of Los Angeles-based Gene Coye’s first gigs after high school was also with Santana, and he has since toured with guitarists Larry Carlton and Robben Ford. Julian MacDonough is a fixture on the West Coast scene, well-known for his work with saxophonist Mike Allen’s quartet and pianist Aaron Parks.

This is an especially notable year for guitar fans, with three legendary axe men taking the stage at the Guitar Summit. Peter Bernstein is internationally acclaimed for his mastery and taste as a thoughtful straight-ahead maestro. The NYC stalwart has toured with Diana Krall and Joshua Redman, and the legendary icon Jim Hall sang his praises. John Stowell is also revered as a guitarist’s guitarist, an original voice with a uniquely cliché-free take on the jazz tradition, informed by a modern harmonic sense. Jerry Hahn was one of the first to occupy the guitar chair in Gary Burton’s pivotal groups starting at the close of the 60s, and was a key figure in laying the groundwork and establishing a musical vocabulary for later eclectic innovators such as Pat Metheny.

This is only scratching the surface: Other appearances include bassist David Friesen, saxophonists Eric Alexander and Lucas Pino, plus a cross-section of supremely talented local luminaries that will make you glad to call the Pacific Northwest home. Don’t miss it!

Tickets and information available at ballardjazzfestival.com.

Andrew Luthringer

Ballard Jazz Fest Schedule

Wednesday, May 6
Conor Byrne Pub, 5140 Ballard Avenue NW
Brotherhood of the Drum, 8pm
Michael Shrieve, Gene Coye, and Julian MacDonough
Tickets $15 / $13 advance. Ages 21+.

Thursday, May 7
Conor Byrne Pub, 5140 Ballard Avenue NW
Guitar Summit, 8pm
Peter Bernstein, John Stowell, and Jerry Hahn
Tickets $15 / $13 advance. Ages 21+.

Friday, May 8
Various venues, downtown Ballard
Ballard Jazz Walk, 6:30pm
17 groups in eight venues for a single ticket price
Jazz Walk Only, $30 / $26 advance. Tickets available day-of at New York Fashion Academy, 5201 Ballard Ave NW. Most venues all ages, with some 21+.

Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St
Friday Night Concert, 7:30pm
The Peter Bernstein Trio and David Friesen Circle 3 Trio
Friday Night Concert + Jazz Walk, $30 / $26 advance. All ages.

Saturday, May 9
Nordic Heritage Museum, 3014 NW 67th St
Swedish Pancake Jazz Brunch, 11am & 12:30pm
Thomas Marriott Quartet
Tickets $15 non-museum members, $12 museum members, $40 families of four. All ages.

Mainstage Concert, 7:30pm
Eric Alexander w/ the Peter Bernstein Trio
Lucas Pino No Net Nonet
Tickets $35 general, $55 reserved, $18 students. All ages.

Earshot Jazz Presents a Concert of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Music

SRJO_by_Daniel SheehanThe holiday concert of “Sacred Music by Duke Ellington,” will be presented at 7:30pm on Saturday, December 28nd, 2013, at Town Hall Seattle (1119 Eighth Avenue, Seattle). This very special event, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, features the all-star Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra with guest vocalists Everett Greene and Nichol Venee Eskridge, the 30-voice Northwest Chamber Chorus, and tap-dancer Alex Dugdale.

The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra is directed by Ellington scholar Michael Brockman, professor of saxophone at the University of Washington, and Clarence Acox, drummer and award-winning band director at Seattle’s Garfield high school. Many of Seattle’s favorite jazz artists are to be featured, including trumpeter Thomas Marriott, pianist Bill Anschell, saxophonists Mark Taylor, Bill Ramsay and Travis Ranney, bassist Phil Sparks, and many more.  The SRJO’s double-album “Sacred Music of Duke Ellington” continues to be widely praised by the national media, including recognition as one of the “Best Recordings of 2006” by audiophileaudition.com.

For the fifth time, vocalist Everett Greene, a renowned Emmy Award winning vocalist and touring veteran with the Count Basie Orchestra, joins the cast. Returning for this year’s concert is vocalist Nichol Venee Eskridge (who is also featured on the SRJO’s Sacred Music of Duke Ellington CD), tap-dancer Alex Dugdale (a graduate of Roosevelt High School and the Eastman School of Music), and the Northwest Chamber Chorus under the direction of Mark Kloepper.

Duke Ellington is one of the great composers in American history. His engaging “Sacred Music,” both serious and swinging, premiered at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco in 1965 and was performed in programs around the world until his death in 1974. Embracing jazz heritage and diverse faiths, the concert celebrates Ellington’s Universalist philosophy that “Every man prays in his own language. There is no language God does not understand.” Full production includes big band, jazz vocals, choir, and tap dancer.
The Sacred Concerts are a long-standing holiday tradition presented by Earshot Jazz, Seattle’s nonprofit jazz organization.

Tickets for the concert are $28 general admission. Discounts available for Earshot members, senior citizens and students.  Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets at brownpapertickets.com or 1-800-838-3006.

For more information, contact Earshot Jazz at 206-547-6763 or go online at earshot.org.

Photos: Industrial Revelation at Tula’s

From EyeShotJazz.com

The 2013 Earshot Jazz Festival kicked off with two shows, Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette at BENAROYA HALL and Industrial Revelation at TULA’S. They were both formidable performances. Here are pictures from Industrial Revelation since Keith Jarrett is camera shy.

Widely regarded as the best drummer in Seattle, D’Vonne Lewis proppeled Seattle’s homegrown, hard-hitting post-genre quartet – with bassist Evan Flory-Barnes, Rhodes pianist Josh Rawlings and trumpeter Aham Oluo.

See more photos from this event and other Earshot shows at EyeShotJazz.com.

Photos: Jon Hamar Quintet at Tula’s

Photos by Daniel Sheehan, EyeShotJazz.com

My final set of the evening on Sunday I ended up at Tula’s and got to enjoy the Jon Hamar Quintet.the top-flight Seattle bassist Jon Hamar explored new music with tenor-sax titan Rich Perry, virtuoso multi-reedist Todd DelGiudice , pianist John Hansen and drummer Julian MacDonough.

Photos: Human Spirit and Bettye LaVette

Last night at the Earshot Jazz Festival.
Photos by Daniel Sheehan, EyeShotJazz.com


Trumpeter Thomas Marriott, saxophonist Mark Taylor and drummer Matt Jorgensen joined pianist Orrin Evans (Bobby Watson’s former pianist) and bassist Essiet Essiet (Art Blakey’s last bassist) under the Human Spirit banner for two nights of sold-out performances at the 2011 Earshot Jazz Festival.


Another evening of wonderful performances. Bettye LaVette at the Triple Door put on a very amazing show. Her voice has to be experienced.

Photos: Danilo Perez Trio at Earshot Jazz Festival

Photos by Daniel Sheehan, EyeShotJazz.com

On Saturday the 2012 Earshot Jazz Festival continued with the wonderful Panama-born piano virtuoso Danilo Perez who has established himself as one of the preeminent jazz musicians of his generation. Writing in the New York Times, music critic Ben Ratliff praised him as “a bold example of the musicological rethinking of jazz.”

In The Country – Friday at Tula’s

Friday, June 24, 7:30 pm
In the Country (Roger Arntzen, Pål Hausken, and Morten Qvenild)

Tula’s Restaurant and Jazz Club
2214 2nd Avenue (Belltown), Seattle

For Reservations call 206-443-4221
Cover Charge: $14 general; $12 Earshot members;
$7 Students w/ ID

It has been said that Norway produces exceptional jazz artists, and the trio In the Country is further proof of this assertion. Featuring pianist Morten Qvenild (formerly of Jaga Jazzist), bass player Roger Arntzen, and drummer Pål Hausken, the group’s third album, Whiteout, released in 2009, is a soaring, progressive work, reminiscent of The Bad Plus. This month, the band releases a live album. They are quick to point out: “We are not just making a CD from one of our concerts, we thought we just as well would make a full-length concert video, slash artfilm, slash film noir out of the whole project.”

Qvenild is probably best known (in his native Norway, at least) for being “the orchestra” in Susanna and the Magical Orchestra. He has also been a member of both Shining and Jaga Jazzist. Qvenild formed In the Country with Arntzen and Hausken at the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo in 2003. Since then, they have been selected best young jazz artists in Norway, played concerts throughout Europe and the United States, and released three albums to date on the prestigious Rune Grammofon label to much critical acclaim. DownBeat called their debut album “one of the finest and most arresting albums to come out of Europe” that year, and All About Jazz selected Whiteout for their “Best of 2009” list.

In a live review of the group’s 2010 performance at Scandanavia House in Manhattan, Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of the New York Press wrote: “In person the trio does a great job of absorbing the audience into its dreamy bubble of sound. When all three members start chanting out of no where, for example, the show veers into uplifting, other-worldly realms, and the band’s discreet touch and soft pace might have you too busy enjoying the show to notice how progressive Qvenild’s writing truly is … In the Country provides yet another compelling glimpse into what appears to be a vital jazz scene brewing in that part of the world. If you harbor any doubts about the ability of Danes, Swedes, Fins, or Norwegians to capture jazz with the right feel or inventiveness, here’s the last chance you’re going to get for a while to prove yourself wrong.”

Continue reading at Earshot.org

Jason Parker Quartet at the U-District/Lucid Jazz Walk

photos by Jim Levitt

Saturday was a big day for jazz in the U-District: LUCID Jazz Club celebrated it’s one year anniversary by hosting the 2nd Annual U-District Jazz Walk. Jazz groups were featured in venues up and down “the Ave.”

These photos are from the performance at the Historic University Theater of the Jason Parker Quartet, with Jason Parker (trumpet), Josh Rawlings (piano), Even Flory-Barnes (bass), D’Vonne Lewis (drums) and special guest Cynthia Mullis (sax). The group performed a number of tunes from the group’s new recording “No More, No Less.”

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Earshot Golden Ear Award Nominees Announced

Each year the Golden Ear Awards program provides an opportunity for Seattle jazz fans and performers to celebrate the region’s jazz accomplishments of the previous year. Earshot Jazz initiated the Golden Ear Awards in 1990 to recognize the accomplishments of Seattle jazz artists over the previous year, and to induct significant members of the jazz community into the local Jazz Hall of Fame.

Nominees have been announced for the 2008 awards. To cast your vote, visit the Earshot website at:
http://earshot.org/Events/golden.html?&event_id=399

2008 NW Recording of the Year:
Hadley Caliman – Gratitude
Byron Vannoy – Meridian
Thomas Marriott – Crazy: Music of Willie Nelson
Matt Jorgensen +451 – Another Morning
Jeff Johnson – Tall Stranger

2008 NW Acoustic Jazz Ensemble:
Hadley Caliman Quartet/Quintet
Jim Knapp Orchestra
Ziggurat
Hans Teuber/Geoffrey Harper/Byron Vannoy

2008 NW “Outside” Jazz Group:
Jeff Johnson Trio
More Zero
Thomas Marriott’s Willie Nelson Project
Speak

2008 NW Jazz Instrumentalist:
Mark Taylor
Hadley Caliman
Hans Teuber
Thomas Marriott
Jeff Johnson

Emerging Artist of 2008:
Neil Welch
Byron Vannoy
The Teaching
Evan Flory-Barnes

NW Vocalist of the Year:
Kelly Harland
Kelley Johnson
Greta Matassa
Gail Pettis

2008 NW Concert of the Year:
Hadley Caliman at Ballard Jazz Festival
Hadley Caliman CD release party at Tula’s
Lee Konitz at Ballard Jazz Festival
Wayne Horvitz Retrospective at Earshot Festival

Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame Nominees:
Jack Perciful
KBCS 91.3
Phil Sparks
Bob Nixon

Tonight at The Seattle Art Museum

Orchestra Zarabanda w/ Elspeth Savani
Seattle Art Museum Downtown
1300 First Avenue, Seattle

Performances held at 5:30 PM on the 2nd Thursday
of every month. Free with museum admission.

from Earshot Jazz: This month’s installment of the Art of Jazz series, sponsored by Earshot and the Seattle Art Museum, features Orchestra Zarabanda with Elspeth Savani. Zarabanda presents big-band-salsa music inspired by Cuban orquestras and son groups as well as classic New York salsa. Their trademark sound features sensual melodies juxtaposed with driving, syncopated dance rhythms. Tonight singer and co-bandleader Elspeth Savani headlines the group. Originally trained as a classical vocalist, Savani describes her first encounters with Cuban music as an epiphany, after which she put aside her classical training to focus on congas, Cuban dance, Cuban son, and the Spanish language. She has performed with Zarabanda for the past decade, and in 2007 she received an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear nomination for “Best Emerging Artist.” This after-work concert takes place in the Brotman Forum of the Seattle Art Museum, 1300 1st Ave. Music begins at 5:30 pm; admission to the concert is free with museum admission.

Sounds Outside 2008

The Monktail Creative Music Concern is proud to lead a growing coalition of community sponsors and volunteers to bring you Sounds Outside 2008. The City of Seattle recently renovated Cal Anderson Park and we want to ensure the park is a place of positive use, where we continue to build Seattle’s community. This year’s festival will take place on July 19 and August 23. Seattle leads the nation in creative and jazz music development. Concert series such as Sounds Outside keep our vibrant music scene on the cutting edge, while celebrating our creative community at large.

JULY 19 SCHEDULE
1:00 Paul Harding & the Juju Detective Agency
2:30 The Owcharuk Sextet
4:00 Bill Horist
5:30 Cuong Vu featuring SPEAK
7:00 Blue Cranes

Cal Anderson Park
1635 11th Ave
(bet. East Denny Way and East Pine St.)
http://www.soundsoutside.com/

Earshot Presents: Ken Vandermark & Paal Nilssen-Love Duo

FRIDAY, JUNE 13 – 8:00pm
Ken Vandermark & Paal Nilssen-Love Duo

Ken Vandermark, reeds
Paal Nilssen-Love, drums

Vandermark stretches the tenor, baritone saxophone and clarinet in a continuous flow of tones and timbres, while the Stavanger-drummer Nilssen-Love proves his reputation of being the avant-garde jazz’ most powerful mallet and stick wizard. (more info)

Seattle Asian Art Museum, Volunteer Park, 1430 Prospect Ave, Seattle
$15 general ($13 for Earshot members, seniors, and students)
Tickets available through Earshot Jazz (206) 547-6763 and online

Norm Bobrow Memorial Gathering

Sunday, June 8, 4 pm
Norm Bobrow Memorial Gathering

A memorial gathering will be held at the Seattle Betsuin Buddhist Temple, 1427 South Main Street (between 14th and 16th Ave). Please share your personal memories of the illustrious, 60-year career of Seattle promoter, radio personality, journalist and all-around jazz advocate Norm Bobrow, who died April 13. Music and refreshments will be on hand.

RSVP requested: [email protected]

Jazz on a Steamboat!

A Summer Solstice Cruise on the steamship Virginia V with live jazz at sunset and a moonlit return is set for June 21.

We’re cruisin’ on the steamship Virginia V again, an early evening Summer Solstice cruise on Lake Union and Lake Washington at sunset and returning under a full moon. Live jazz by the Clarence Acox Quintet, light hors d’oeuvres and deserts included, cash bar, Saturday night June 21, 8-11 pm.

Co-presented by Earshot Jazz, Jazz After Hours and the Virginia V Foundation. Don’t miss this great night of jazz on the water aboard an historic steamship! For more information, see www.virginiav.org or call 206-624-9119.
$49 singles, $90 couples – Reservations are required.