Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Beat: A Weekly Look at the Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Beat is a weekly column from Jazz Journalist Association writer, Paul Rauch. It is a narrative covering news and events, providing musician profiles, reviews and gathering community resources in support of jazz music in Seattle. To read and subscribe, follow this link-https://substack.com/@seattlejazzbeat

Monday Night Jam Session

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/

The poster says it all in terms of the tunes to be played, but the personnel listing is reason enough to not miss this exceptional lineup. Trumpeter Charlie Porter, alto saxophonist Nick Biello and pianist George Colligan are top tier talents on an international scale. Drummer Alan Jones is a Portland jazz icon, while bassist Garrett Baxter is a new generation player who seems to end up on every top end gig heading out of the Rose City. Columbia City is lite rail ready, so no reason to ditch this Tuesday night event. It may turn out to be one of the highlights of the Seattle jazz summer. https://thestranger.boldtypetickets.com/events/183380091/charlie-porter-quintet

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, Emmet 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

Clipper Anderson Quintet

Fri July 24, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Bassist Clipper Anderson is known for his fleet soloing, finely tuned compositional skills and an occasional transformation into a vocalist performing jazz standards. Truth be told, it is not all that common to see Anderson leading a band without his partner, the great jazz vocal artist, Greta Matassa. For this engagement at SJF, the bassist appears with musicians with whom he is well acqainted. Joined in the rhythm section by pianist David Lee Joyner and drummer Mark Ivester, this band is built for playing things out, with guitarist Brian Monroney and saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev staking out the front line. Of course, this is the same five that have played in Matassa’s band for many years. In other words, there is some serious familiarity and the resulting chemistry here to witness. This is one you can count on. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Susan Pascal Quartet

Sat July 25, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Before the pandemic, vibraphonist Susan Pascal was a highly visible performer, a regular at the scene’s Belltown mainstage at Tula’s. Lately, she’s been out more and more, and that’s good news for Seattle jazz fans. For this gig, she reunites with two of her Tula’s mainstays in drummer Mark Ivester and a true Seattle jazz legend in pianist Bill Anschell. Jeff Johnson appears on bass, himself an iconic and highly influential player in the city’s jazz history. Pascal is a practicioner of the four mallet approach to the vibraphone, adding chordal harmonic emphasis to her single note work. She and Anschell have a great chemistry between them that adds an orchestral quality to the band’s overall sound. http://seattlejazzfellowship.or

Mike DiRubbo Quartet

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

New York saxophonist Mike DiRubbo settles in to the basement club at SJF as part of promoting his 11th album as a leader, Way Out Northwest, on the Vancouver BC based Cellar Records label. DiRubbo will be appearing with a Seattle rhythm section featuring drummer John Bishop, bassist Michael Glynn and pianist Matt Williams. The quartet will feature DiRubbo originals including tunes from the new release. This is a great opportunity to see three of Seattle’s nationally acclaimed players alongside a strong New York presence. The sparks should fly! The Thursday-Friday hit between DiRubbo and Free Fall at SJF is something to make plans around! http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Free Fall

featuring Rick Mandyck, Thomas Marriott, Jeff Johnson & John Bishop

Fri July 31, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Free Fall is a chord-less quartet that plays original compositions tailored to feature free improvisation within an open harmonic structure. The foursome is a true collective, with each member an equal part of the conversation. All four players have a historic imprint on the Seattle jazz scene. Trumpeter Thomas Marriott is the author of fifteen albums as a leader, and is acclaimed on an international scale. He is the founder of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Drummer John Bishop was part of Hal Galper’s historic rubato trio and has performed with a wide range of jazz greats, including Jessica Williams and Chano Dominguez. He is the founder of Origin Records. Bassist Jeff Johnson was Bishop’s partner in the Galper trio, and has over a fifty year career, performed with the likes of Philly Joe Jones, Jessica Williams and Scenes. He has released over a dozen albums as a leader or co-leader, including the collectives Scenes and Wellstone Conspiracy. Alto saxophonist Rick Mandyck is an iconic presence in the history of jazz in Seattle, standing out as one of the most expressive and technically brilliant jazz musicians the city has had to offer. He has performed prominently with Michael Bisio, the band Scenes with Johnson, Bishop and guitarist John Stowell, and many others.

Free Fall is a must see, must hear experience on the live jazz scene in the city. They represent four of the best musicians in Seattle, in a format that allows for their total sense of personal and collective expression. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Phinehas M Nyang’oro

Sat Aug 1, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Most of us on the Seattle jazz scene have witnessed the high-level vocal skill set of Phinehas, but for the most part that exposure has come at jam sessions, or sets where he appears as a guest. Featured as a leader at the city’s prime stage for local jazz talent, we have a real opportunity to see him perform not only as a singer, but as a jazz artist and bandleader. His improv skills are through the roof, accompanied by a wonderful imagination and ear for abstract melodies within a given harmonic structure. Details are still being gathered, band TBA http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Adam Chmaj Quartet

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

Tenor saxophonist Adam Chmaj might be the best kept secret on the Seattle jazz scene. This is likely because of his nose-to-the-grindstone attitude about his teaching practice, and his dedication in terms of time. But Chmaj posseses a large tenor sound that is old school around the edges, but pushing forward in terms of what he chooses to play. The sound is what calls your attention first, a bit of a Coleman Hawkins / Lester Young sound and approach that drifts between raw intensity and stark romanticism. For this date, he finds himself in familiar company with his standard quartet of Chris Schindele (piano), Trevor Pelletier (bass), and Luca Cartner (drums). This allows the saxophonist to feature his original compositions as vehicles for the band’s spontaneous composition. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Randy Halberstadt Trio

featuring Phil Sparks and Bob Meyer

Sat Aug 8, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Pianist Randy Halberstadt has put together a formidable trio for this date- bassist Phil Sparks is a Seattle legend, and the pianist’s bandmate in SRJO for decades. Former Seattle, and now New York state resident Bob Meyer pays us a visit on drums. Meyer is an avid curator of the music of saxophone legend Bert Wilson, something the trio will take on in part. The possibilities are endless here, with three veteran, master musicians joining together in explore mode. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Roman Goron Quartet

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

Young pianist Roman Goron returns home from his new residence in New York, along with two other local talents who are making a go of it in Gotham as well. Goron is at Juilliard these days, but his later days in Seattle were already showing strong signs that he has what it takes to have success in this music. Saxophonist Aiden Sieman has come a long way from his Garfield days, while drummer Josh Setala has settled into a refined style aided by time spent at SF Jazz and now in New York. The quartet is completed with the grounding influence of Seattle first call bassist, Michael Glynn. Goron will arrange his original music for the band, and may add some electronic material.

Summer always bring the city’s young players who are studying and living abroad, home to perform and return to the hive, so to speak. This should be one of the most satisfying dates on the SJF dates this summer. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org