Seattle Jazz Scene

Johnaye Kendrick Quartet

Fri & Sat Jun 5-6, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

The Seattle jazz community recently received the news that Johnaye Kendrick would be leaving Seattle to head the jazz program at the University of Maryland- from one Washington to the other. That makes these two nights at Seattle Jazz Fellowship special as they likely represent the final chapters of the vocal artist’s tenure in the Seattle area. She will appear with Seattle musicians with whom she is well acquainted- pianist Eric Verlinde, bassist Chris Symer and drummer D’Vonne Lewis are close musical acquaintances that have had years of time to become vintage together. Kendricks has been celebrated during her time here as a performer and educator- she has earned three Grammys with the vocal supergroup, saje, and has released two solo albums on her own label. Her mastery of vocal improvisation is aided by perfect pitch and tremendous range. Through all of that, she has been a active member of the jazz community and raised a family that includes twin girls. For two final nights, we have the opportunity to not say good-bye, but to say thankyou and good luck moving forward. I’m guessing friends will drop by to contribute. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

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/

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

Andrew Friedrich Trio

featuring Steve Rodby & Chris Icasiano

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

The musical journey of guitarist Andrew Friedrich has taken him from Boston to Austin, Colorado and now here in Seattle. He makes his SJF debut in formidable fashion- a trio featuring legendary bassist and producer, Steve Rodby. Rodby’ career includes a decades-long run with another guitarist- the great Pat Metheny. Friedrich adds drummer Chris Icasiano to the mix, a perfect fit for this particular gathering of musicians. Friedrich’s style incorporates the traditional aspects of the jazz guitar lineage, while adding a modern component that is ultimately expressive and technically brilliant. Rodby doesn’t play out all that often, so this is a great opportunity to see him perform in a setting where he should have plenty of space in the musical conversation. Icasiano’s ability to articulate what his partners are engaged with and make them and the band as a whole sound better is renowned. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Milo Petersen Quintet

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

Guitarist Milo Petersen is a veteran presence on the Seattle jazz scene. A longtime first-call guitarist, Petersen’s influence on Seattle jazz is personified by the legion of local and national players he has mentored. For this performance, he turns to SRJO mates in veteran bassist Phil Sparks and trombonist Connor Eisenmenger, along with drummer Greg Campbell and saxophonist Steve Griggs, to form a quintet of Seattle vintage. The band will present original tunes and standards. There is a ton of common ground with these players, over decades of time, so it’s bound to be swinging. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Jun Iida Quartet

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

Trumpeter Jun Iida left Seattle for New York a short time ago. His return to perform at the Seattle Jazz Fellowship has Seattle written all over it however, with a new album, Bellflower set for a June 19 release on Seattle based OA2 / Origin Records label. Iida will celebrate with a Seattle based quartet featuring bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Sutton Marley. Bellevue’s Roman Goron joins on piano, a young, local sensation currently studying at Juilliard in NYC. Iida’s highly melodic and visual original tunes will be featured, including new selections from the upcoming album. A good opportunity to welcome a couple of good friends home as well. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Miles Electric Band

Thu Jun 18, 8 PM / Town Hall

Earshot jazz joins the Miles 100 celebration by presenting the Miles Electric Band at Town Hall. Organized by Davis nephew Vince Wilburn, the band convenes veterans of Miles Davis’ electric era. Bassist Daryl Jones, guitarist Jean Paul Bourelly, keyboardist Robert Irving III and Wilburn all collaborated directly with Davis. Trumpeter Keyon Harrold and saxophonist Antoine Roney are among the notable new generation players on the gig. This is essentially the same crew that played the Moore, in what now seems like a century ago in 2018, the notable exception being Harrold replacing Jeremy Pelt on trumpet. Harrold is undoubtedly up to the task. This should be a fun night, and an interesting test for the venerable Great Hall to handle a little volume! https://www.earshot.org/event/celebrating-the-miles-davis-centennial-with-meb-miles-electric-band/

Julian Priester Quartet

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

Over the span of a career that now amounts to seventy five years, there is little that trombone legend Julian Priester hasdn’t seen or heard in jazz. He has played a prominent role in the music’s history, as a leader, and through formidable contributions to the efforts of Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Abbey Lincoln, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, McCoy Tyner, Dave Holland and so on. He’ll be 91 by the time of this performance! Priester has played with different iterations of Seattle musicians this year on a monthly basis at SJF, this time around with piano virtuoso Eric Verlinde, electric bassist Dean Schmidt and the multi-talented percussionist, Jeff Busch on drums. What better way to spend a Saturday evening, than in beautiful Pioneer Square with a true jazz icon? http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Louis Hayes

Tue Jun 23 – Wed Jun 24, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

Hailing from Detroit, eighty-nine year old drummer , Louis Hayes, is jazz history in person. He began in the mid-1950s with fellow Detroiters Yusef Lateef and Curtis Fuller, and went on to play with a plethora of jazz icons. Hayes is noted for his time with Cannonball Adderly, Horace Silver and Oscar Peterson, but his dance card is full of names like Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Kenny Barron, Woody Shaw and Dexter Gordon…….phew!!! The legendary drummer will arrive at Jazz Alley with the great Steve Nelson on vibes, David Hazeltine on piano, Abraham Burton on saxophone and dynamic bassist, Dezron Douglas. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8788

Murl Allen Sanders Lucky Love Band

Thu Jun 25, 7:30 PM / Seattlle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Murl Allen Sanders is a veteran presence on the Seattle music scene, known as the area’s virtuoso of the acordion- but there is more to the story, as the versatile artist also is featured on piano, harmonica, organ and vocals. He makes his unique sound happen by way of a stellar band on this occasion, bringing in uber-talented guitarist Brian Monroney, tenor saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev, vibraphonist Susan Pascal, bassist Chris Symer and drummer Mark Ivester. All of these musicians have led bands and played prominent roles as side musicians at SJF and around the city and region. Sanders will present an eclectic mix of originals and standards in a variety of styles. Essentially, he lives in the world of music based in the blues, with jazz and Brazilian leanings. Considering the musical personalities involved, this evening can be nothing but fun! http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

World Cup Wonders: Thomas Marriott, Tim Kennedy, Michael Glynn, Matt Jorgensen & Rick Mandyck

Fri Jun 26, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

No matter how you feel about soccer, the World Cup’s presence in Seattle or the new traffic plan for Pioneer Square during the event, we can all agree on one thing- music is an essential human need. How better to culturally nourish ourselves during all this international attention than to attend this gig? After all, these are five of the finest musicians in town currently, and for that matter, historically. If you know, you know- but if you don’t? This would be a good time to discover the Seattle Jazz Fellowship and the vibrancy of the local scene. SJF has been assisting Pioneer Square in coming back to life since 2021, long before the current excitement, and will be here when the WC of Football is a distant memory. This amounts to a wondrous collision of culture where America’s most original art form meets the world’s biggest sporting event on common ground! http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Brian Monroney Quartet

Sat Jun 27, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Guitarist Brian Monroney is one of the most talented musicians on the Seattle jazz scene- if you have not seen him as a leader, or in a variety of prominent ensembles around town, now is the time to do so. A veteran of the road, Monroney has settled here and demonstrated a talent for virtually any musical environment he may find himself in. For this date, he convenes a quartet featuring drummer Tarik Abouzied, tenor saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev and electric bassist Dean Schmidt– all stalwarts of the PNW jazz and fusion scene. It is from that fusion realm that Monroney arrives, mixing in a few standards along the way. A master of gathering an orchestral palette of guitar sounds, this is one of those nights at First and Main that you do not want to miss. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org