Seattle Jazz Scene

Randy Halberstadt Trio

Fri Nov 21, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Veteran Seattle pianist Randy Halberstadt has touched a lot of the major elements of what adds up to Seattle jazz over the past forty years. Whether teaching at Cornish or privately, the best of the best have come through his studio. As a musician, he has led stellar trios, acted as a noted sideperson in many of the city’s finest combos and in general, just plain stood out. He has a composer’s mind as an improviser, never wasting notes and ideas frivilously–there is always melodic intent in his playing.

For this SJF hit, Halberstadt teams up with two familiar faces in bassist Chris Symer and drummer Adam Kessler. The pianist likes to arrange his trios into an equal partnership, so the sparks will fly for these two sets. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Trevor Ford Sextet

Sat Nov 22, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

It’s been quite a past few months for bassist Trevor Ford. He has performed throughout Thomas Marriott’s Earshot residency, and shared a stage with the likes of Orrin Evans, Ray Vega, Ingrid Jensen and Sean Jones. When stepping out on his own, Ford has leaned towards the piano trio format in the past–this time he ventures into a larger ensemble performing his original compositions and skillful arrangements of jazz standards. Ford mentions Avishai Cohen as an example of composers he admires and will no doubt serve up one or two of his comps.

Joining the bassist will be rhythm section mates in pianist Dylan Hayes and drummer Sutton Marley. Guitarist Martin Budde, saxophonist Alex Dugdale and trombonist Chris Shuttleworth complete this all-star gathering. A good night for Ford to step up to the front line at full speed! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/

Monday Night Jam at Seattle Jazz Fellowship

Monday Nights, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

The Monday night jam in Pioneer Square has been quite the thing since the third Monday in January 2025. The session has been a gathering spot for some of the best musicians in town, from seasoned professionals to ascending high school and college players. It has also become a focal point for gen z to gather socially outside of the shadow of technology and screen life. Each week the club is full, and a line ascends up the stairs, around the corner and down First Avenue. These young people arrived via a Tic Tok video with the idea of an all ages, cover free experience with new music performed honestly, in the moment. They became a jazz audience with much more reverence for the music than most sessions. They listen, applaud solos, cheer on their favorites and deeply enjoy the idea of musicians creating on the spot jam style. We long-time patrons of the art are right there alongside them and it is a true joy. The musicians, both in house band led by Thomas Marriott, and the jammers feel the vibe as well. The early start and end allows for those who have school and work the next day. If you are looking for a ray of hope in our city, this may be your gig. Show up by 7 PM and you should have a seat. Musicians enter at will as long as they sign up to play. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/

Tuesday Night Jam at the Owl

Tuesdays at 9:30 PM / Owl ‘n Thistle

The Tuesday night jam at the Owl is a Seattle tradition dating back to 1997, and a band known as Bebop and Destruction. It’s interesting, and often zany history includes wild antics, colorful characters and many a drop in from national touring musicians including Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Branford Marsalis, Emmett Cohen and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. Pianist Eric Verlinde guided the jam into more tranquil waters over his eighteen years directing the session, a tenure that recently ended. Pianist Matt Williams has now taken the reins, injecting a new found enthusiasm and freeing up Verlinde to come and hang and play! The 9:30 start enables musicians with gigs that evening to show up and play after the opening set that lasts forty five minutes or so.

The session is very important within the musical and social fabric of the Seattle jazz scene. The very interesting and often humorous history of the session is well documented in an article I wrote for All About Jazz a few years back. Link provided below.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tuesday-night-jams-at-the-owl-a-25-year-legacy-in-seattle

Jay Thomas / Phil Sparks Wednesdays

Wednesdays at 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Through the end of the year, Seattle Jazz Fellowship presents free shows on Wednesdays, featuring two Seattle jazz hall of famers leading bands in SJF’s basement club in Pioneer Square. Each perfoms every other week with a chosen group of musicians, giving generations of Seattle jazz fans the opportunity to see these two masters work with musical alliances formed over decades in Seattle.

The music is free, the level of musicianship is high and the fellowship makes the evening special. Jay Thomas is the rare bird that plays both trumpet and saxophone, while Phil Sparks is one of the great bassists the city has offered over the past thirty years. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Sidney Hauser Quartet

Fri Nov 28, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Saxophonist Sidney Hauser is known for her work with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. Here is an opportunity to see her perform outside of the big band environment, broken down to base elements leading a quartet. Hauser will be in good company in pianist Dylan Hayes and bassist Chris Symer. Drummer Joe Simpson is an on-the-rise presence on the Seattle scene.

Hauser is a versatile multi-reedist, performing on tenor, flute and clarinet. She is a trailblazing artist as the first female permanent hire with SRJO. The quartet will be debuting new originals, jazz standards and what she describes as “not so standards.” A cultural alternative and a little light on “Black Friday.” https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Ryan Burns Trio

Sat Nov 29, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Ryan Burns leads a trio performing new music from his 2025 release We Ditch Requests. The pianist is joined by bassist Geoff Harper and drummer Jacque Willis, the same personnel as the album. Burns is known for his versatility and comfort level with both piano and electronic keyboards. On this occasion, he dives into the traditional jazz piano trio with originals, standards and a comp from Harper.

Burns is a diverse artist at heart, leading the Burien School of Music and teaching guitar and bass in addition to keyboards. His interests include cartoon captioning (what?), which is somehow not surprising. The man has a fertile mind and imagination, resulting in interesting musical twists and turns incorporated into his spontaneous creativity. Applying this personality trait to an acoustic piano trio is an intriguing concept. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Brittany Davis – Black Thunder

Thu Dec 4, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

I will admit that the music of Brittany Davis has escaped me to this point, largely due to the fact that it had little to do with jazz, and was a narrative shrouded in produced music. Being a jazz writer, it never crossed my desk. Her new record, Black Thunder is an improvised, free flowing, one take affair between the pianist / vocalist with drummer D’Vonne Lewis and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes. The trio surrounds Davis’ poetry with a more grounded feel. In rhythmic terms, the music and narrative become one entity, with a vibe that is very much as if the three conversants were meeting and playing with each other for the first time. In Davis’ case, there is some truth to that and the recording benefits from that source of sponaneity. Lewis and Flory-Barnes have a long story together, from the time they were very young men, culminating in the Seattle powerhouse band, Industrial Revelation.

The music is rooted in Black and Afrocentric cultural influences. In stripping away the programmed nature of her previous work, and delving into a more organic environment, Davis’ work has reached a new level of expressionism. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8726

Mike Stern Band featuring Dennis Chambers, Janek Gwizdala, Bob Franceschini, and Leni Stern

Tue Dec 9 & Wed Dec 10, 7:30 PM

Guitarist Mike Stern has the unique ability to play with harmonic sensitivity of Jim Hall, then unleash a wholly different spectrum of sound more in the vein of John Abercrombie or Bill Connors. For we Seattleites, his first bout of recognition was in the early eighties with the Miles Davis band. Since then, he has been a regular at JA, always sporting an all-star collection of fusion players.

This begins quite a week of jazz guitar in Seattle, between Jazz Alley and Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Each performance presents a slightly different window into the art form. Stern seems to embody the entire tradition, from bebop to on the edge sonic research. Always a fun ride. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8713

Peter Bernstein Quartet

Thu Dec 11, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

This is one of those nights at SJF that features Seattle musicians playing with an international touring musician–in this case with one of the finest jazz guitarists you will ever care to see. Peter Bernstein has played Seattle quite a bit, most recently at Jazz Alley in his iconic trio with Bill Stewart and Larry Goldings. Bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Matt Jorgensen have been frequent partners with the guitarist, while pianist Tony Foster was added for the band’s last go-around at SJF. Foster’s presence frees the guitarist harmonically, allowing him to fully realize his presence. This is the high point of three straight nights featuring jazz guitarists at the basement room in Pioneer Square. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

John Stowell & David Friesen

Sat Dec 12, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

A remarkable reunion for this duo that began in 1976 in New York, and migrated to the Portland area. The partnership drew international acclaim both on record and in live performances. They went their separate ways, both gaining international standing on their own. Friesen has recorded and toured prolifically with the likes of Joe Henderson, Billy Harper, Mal Waldron, Paul Horn and others. Stowell has guested with Friesen’s trio over the years, but this Seattle appearance as a duo represents either a glorious look back or a new beginning….or both. Either way, this is two master players in conversation in a perfect setting. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Frank Kohl Quartet

Sat Dec 13, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

The capper of a week-long celebration of jazz guitar, Frank Kohl leads a quartet of top Seattle players. Kohl plays in the Jim Hall vein of the guitar tradition, essentially speaking. His vast understanding of harmony and deep melodic sense is evident from the first note. He shares the stage for this performance with one of the best read-and-react players on the planet in bassist Jeff Johnson. It will be interesting and fun to see how Kohl meshes harmonically with Bill Anshell, one of the finest pianists to ever do it in this city. Drummer Max Holmberg is just plain swingin’, his best attribute by far. His swing has an ease to it that allows the band to find it’s groove. A must three nights for jazz guitar aficionados with Kohl following Peter Bernstein and John Stowell on the calendar! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Kerry Politzer Trio

with George Colligan & Michael Glynn

Fri Dec 19, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Portland-based pianist Kerry Politzer returns to Seattle Jazz Fellowship performing music from her latest release on Whirlwind Recordings, Alternate Route. Teaming up with George Colligan on drums and Michael Glynn on bass, Politzer makes her first appearance in the new basement space in Pioneer Square. Saxophonist Steve Treseler will be a featured guest. Politzer’s music is introspective, intelligent and explorative in nature, augmented by her virtuosity and compositional strength. She works with great company here in Colligan and Glynn, opening up a wide range of musical possibilities. Things are winding down at SJF prior to the end-of-year holiday break, making this one of the last opportunities to hear live jazz in Seattle in 2025. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/

Dmitri Matheny Quintet

Sat Dec 20, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

In the last performance of the year at Seattle Jazz Fellowship, flugelhorn master Dmitri Matheny makes his first visit to the basement club in Pioneer Square. To clarify, the Monday night jam will continue during the brief SJF break, and Matheny has performed at the non-profit’s previous two pop-up sites.

As it turns out, the performance also celebrates Matheny’s 60th birthday. Saxophonist Michael Brockman, pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Phil Sparks and drummer Mark Ivester will be there for the occasion, all veterans of Matheny’s music. For his part, the flugelhornist plays straight ahead in the style of the great Art Farmer, and presents his music professionally with great musicians. Often his shows sport a theme, in this case the big 6-0 is the actual theme, hopefully including his favorite tunes on a day that demands to be celebrated! If you haven’t been to SJF in 2025, here’s your last chance. Break out the berets and head on down to Seattle’s original neighborhood for a pre-holiday jazz hit!