Seattle Jazz Scene

Pat Metheny Side-Eye III+

Thu, Apr 23 – Sun, Apr 26, 2026, 7:30 & 9:30 PM / Jazz Alley

There is so much to unpack here as a jazz fan, much less a Pat Metheny fan. Seeing the guitar legend in the intimate confines of Jazz Alley is an experience every Metheny aficionado would want to have, but what of jazz fans with a more casual relationship with the artist’s music? The pricetag of $138 may seem steep, but it pales in comparison with the Live Nation approach to taking every dime they can take from you for an argueably inferior product. It is a bit of a head scratcher as to why Metheny doesn’t just play the Moore once or twice, where he could make the same dough, while not digging quite so deeply into the pockets of his fans while playing club dates. There is no doubt however, that seeing the guitarist performing with a band of this pedigree in a 400 seat room will be thrilling, a one of a kind evening. Amazing score for John Dimitriou to host the event, a testament to his talent in booking top acts- something he has done now for close to fifty years in Seattle.

Metheny is joined by ace drummer Joe Dyson, pianist Chris Fishman, bassist Jermaine Paul and percussionist / vocalist Leonard Patton. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8739

Rocky Martin Quartet

Thu Apr 23, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Drummer / composerRocky Martin performs twelve new original compositions with a formidable cast in support. Bassist Jonti Siman, multi-reedist Jory Tindall and guitarist Martin Budde are there to respond to Martin’s comps, that will no doubt lean to the eclectic side of things. You have to like the space that is available here for all. Another step for Martin expanding from his Forager band. I believe this is his debut in the basement club as a leader. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Naomi Moon Siegel New Quintet

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

Trombonist / composer Naomi Moon Siegel returns to Seattle from Montana, and reunites with some of finest players in town. The rhythm section is guitar-based, featuring Andy Coe, bassist Geoff Harper and drummer Chris Icasiano– an eclectic lot that can move the music in multiple directions. Siegel is joined on the front line by trumpeter Ray Larsen, another adventurous sort, with a highly original sound. Siegel is an acclaimed composer and accomplished trombonist who always manages to introduce music that perfectly suits the players that are performing it. Her music touches the edges of jazz, while bearing the traits of classical and folk traditions. As an improviser, her connection with the blues comes clearly into view. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Julian Priester Quintet

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

Legendary trombonist Julian Priester continues his amazing resurgence as a live performer at the club wear he bears the title of artist-in-residence. Priester has been changing lineups for his monthly appearance, on this occasion joining with a vocal artist in Seattle’s Kelley Johnson. Pianist John Hansen, drummer Byron Vannoy and bassist Geoff Harper are familiar faces to Priester as well. It will be interesting to hear Priester’s perfect pitch and sonically balanced sound interfaced with the human voice. Every month has seen a great performance and a tremendous audience response- expect the same and be sure to get there early to get a seat. 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

Dylan Hayes Quartet

featuring Adriana Giordano, Dean Schmidt & Jeff Busch

Thu Apr 30, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Pianist / composer Dylan Hayes exposes yet another side to his artistry, with this SJF date featuring a quartet that presents many possibilities. He teams with Brazilian vocalist Adriana Giordano and rhythm section mates in bassist Dean Schmidt and drummer / percussionist Jeff Busch. The music featured will be a blend of Brazilian tunes and Hayes’ original compositions. Hayes and Giordano will debut a co-written piece as part of the performance. The ensemble will play as a full quartet, as an instrumental trio and as a duo with Hayes and Giordano providing some of the more intimate moments of the evening.

Hayes has gained recognition for his piano trio, as the co-leader of the Jim Knapp Orchestra and the Pico Trio. He is a member of the jazz collective Meridian Odyssey, who have authored two albums for Origin Records. The Dylan Hayes Electric Band is another recorded quantity on his resume. With this gathering we get to see a different style of music from him, yet only revealing his penchant for exploring new forms that has always been evident.

Tim Kennedy Quartet

Fri May 1, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Pianist Tim Kennedy breaks out some new tunes for a quartet performance featuring some of Seattle’s best. Nobody has played the keys at SJF more than Kennedy, simply one of the finest and most versatile musicians in the city. For this evening, he is joined by two bandmates from the SJF house band in trumpeter Thomas Marriott and bassist Trevor Ford. Drummer Brad Boal is an intuitive and probing force behnd the kit. What it amounts to is four musicians with great trust in each other in such a way that only time can achieve. The beginning of a stellar month of May in Pioneer Square. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Gail Pettis

Sat May 2, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Origin Records recording artist, Gail Pettis, has not been performing with the frequency one can recall pre-pandemic. That’s one reason to be sure to be in attendance at this date in Pioneer Square. Pettis is a natural stylist, able to deliver a lyric with delicate clarity and a blues tinged sense of urgency. The word on the street is that she is planning a third album. I’m still researching the personnel for the occasion, but Pettis always has a great band, and more importantly, allows them to stretch things out. The vocalist is part of the band, not the total center of attention. She leads the band, and vibes with her audience in a very personal and accessible way. Her voice seems to float on air, the notes accentuated by a delicate vibrato at the very end of each line. True jazz vocal artists are a rare commodity in the music- Pettis certainly is one of the main contributors on the scene in the Pacific NW. Band TBA http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Thomas Marriott Quartet

Wed May 6, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott is certainly one of the most influential musicians in the modern history of Seattle jazz, but his musical legacy has gained international acclaim. The author of fifteen albums as a leader and the founder of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship has been a busy man as of late, including his short weekly set preceding the jam session at SJF. But aside from his Earshot Jazz Festival residency, we haven’t seen him performing complete sets with his quartet all that often, making this date one of note. Marriott is joined by longtime associates in bassist Jeff Johnson and pianist Tim Kennedy. Philly based drummer Byron Landham will visit to complete the foursome. This promises to be music that challenges the cutting edge and is swingin.’ One not to miss. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Marc Seales Band

Fri May 8, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Seattle jazz icon Marc Seales seems to have found a home at the basement club in Pioneer Square. A master jazz pianist and electric keyboard adventurer, Seales’ performances are always on the spot and delivered with genuine passion. Band TBA, more to come. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Brushes & Bass: Greg Williamson, Heather Chriscaden, Jay Thomas, Brent Jensen & Jamie Findlay

Sat May 9, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Drummer Greg Williamson and bassist Heather Chriscaden explore the lighter side of jazz texture, featuring new arrangements of music with lots of solid bass walking and brushes tipping. They bring in Seattle jazz icon Jay Thomas on trumpet and reeds, saxophonist Brent Jensen and guitarist Jamie Findlay to join in the fun, performing music from a soon to be released album, Brushes & Bass: Vol 1- In a Mellow Tone. Both Williamson and Chriscaden tend to live in the groove of swing, and in this case have adeptly summoned three musicians that thrive in that environment of sound. Expect expert playing that is spontaneous and melodically creative, presented in an energetic and professional manner. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Jennifer Mellish

with special guest Kareem Kandi

Wed May 13, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Vocalist Jennifer Mellish makes her debut at SJF, bringing in Tacoma based saxophonist Kareem Kandi as special guest instrumentalist. The rhythm section is a veteran group featuring pianist Dan Kramlich, bassist Osama Afifi and drummer Jacques Willis. It’s always a good sign when a vocal artist /bandleader brings in personnel to facilitate the instrumental side of things- in other words, it indicates she let’s the cats play, acting as a part of a band rather than standing in front of one. To be honest, my only exposure to her singing has been at the Monday night jam at SJF, where she has sounded great and performed very professionally. Mellish plays piano as well, with a focus on weaving classical figures into jazz. Kramlich has a reputation as a great accompanist for vocalists, with a great feel for vibe and harmony aspects of a tune. It will be good to see Kandi on a gig where he can just play, and not lead the band. His tenor should be a perfect counterpoint to the vocal stylings of Mellish. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

David Weiss Sextet

Thu May 14, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Trumpeter David Weiss is so well known as the leader of the jazz supergroup, The Cookers, that perhaps his own prowess as a jazz trumpeter is less known. With his latest release on the Seattle based Origin Records label, Auteur, Weiss performs as more of the central focus. For this date in the Emerald City, the New York based Weiss teams up with saxophonists Myron Walden (Alto) and Ben Solomon (Tenor) on the front line. Pianist David Bryant, bassist Eric Wheeler and drummer EJ Strickland complete this formidable, hard-hitting sextet that plays the full spectrum, including the outer edges in the straight-ahead idiom. These are major east coast players in the intimate space at SJF- one not to miss. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Nick Biello Flexitarian Trio

with Jerry Steinhilber & Alex Tremblay

Fri May 15, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

New York based alto saxophonist Nick Biello is simply one of the best out there these days, a true virtuoso who has a dynamic flow to his playing that is both melodic and adventurous. We have grown accustomed to seeing him in Seattle in a quintet setting, but for this date will opt for a trio setting with two very familiar partners. Biello has a storied history with Brooklyn based bassist Alex Tremblay. Bellingham drummer Jerry Steinhilber adds the west coast aspect to the sound. A seasoned trio player, Steinhilber originally hails from Chicago and has that vibe to his playing. This trio will play with precision and open mindedness, possessing a poweful explorative sense- it should prove to be an exceptional evening. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Conner Eisenmenger Quartet

Sat May 16, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Trombonist Conner Eisenmenger brings a quartet to the Fellowship that features two Seattle top shelf players and a guest from out of town. Bassist Michael Glynn and drummer D’Vonne Lewis are well known quantities in their home town of Seattle and beyond. Pianist Cat Toren arrives from Brooklyn, New York to join in the fun, bringing with her a sound that is classically trained and launched into the world of free jazz. Toren, like Eisenmenger has a penchant for composition. Her playing has a lot of space to it, in some ways reminiscent of and inspired by artists such as Alice Coltrane. In any case, her presence should be of interest to the Seattle Jazz audience.

Eisenmenger will feature newer compositions inspired by his time here in the Emerald City, as well as reimaginations of some standards, including a Heart tune. Eisenmenger doubles on trumpet in this format as well. This should be a fun gathering of talent in an intimate setting. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto

Tue & Wed May 19-20, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

As close to a sure thing as you’re going to find on a Seattle stage. Jovino brings his brand of Brazilian jazz influenced strongly by the master Hermeto Pascoal, to the city’s jazz mainstage. The master pianist is complimented perfectly by vibraphonist Ben Thomas. Drummer Mark Ivester and percussionist Jeff Busch have developed a chemistry over years of time, a true identifier of the group sound. Electric bassist Tim Carey carries the load on the bottom end. The band always brings an ardent sense of positivity and celebration of spirit. Kudos to Jazz Alley for continuing to support the local scene in Seattle by hiring resident talent. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8796

200 Trio

Thu May 21, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

There was a time when the 200 Trio was everywhere. Since that pre-pandemic heyday, the three members of the trio have been extremely active, but the trio has been on hiatus. Bassist Greg Feingold and drummer Max Holmberg have appeared at Seattle Jazz Fellowship since the move to the basement club, but not as leaders. Guitarist Cole Shuster on the other hand, has yet to appear. Long one of the best six-string artists in the area, it will be good to see him teaming up with his longtime mates in a revival of the Trio. Shuster is a versatile player within the jazz idiom, allowing the threesome to stretch out in a variety of directions. Feingold and Holmberg are a great matched pair that can swing with the best of them. This will be a fun night, and an opportunity to catch up with this innovative trio. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org