Seattle Jazz Fellowship | Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Scene: Live Jazz Previews for Seattle

March 19, 2024 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

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

Manazma Sheen

Thu July 9, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

The trio, Manazma Sheen, has a new album out titled, Strictly Everything, which may be the best way to describe this improvisation based threesome. They describe their approach on the band’s website like this: “We are an instrumental group of musicians based in Seattle, Washington seeking to groove and swing and rock and everything in between. We focus on playing original compositions and arrangements of music by people we admire. Sometimes surreal, sometimes focused, the trio explores the full depth of consciousness within our repertoire which spans ‘strictly everything.”

The band consists of drummer Davy Nefos, vibraphonist Alfred Marra and bassist Trevor Pelletier. This is the second appearance by the band at SJF, the first in the newer basement space. There is a lot of space in the music, meaning the results vary in accordance with the vibe. There is a fearless component to what they do. Good bunch of guys, which should attract a good bunch of folks to see them. After all, the hang is the thing! http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Greta Matassa

Fri July 10, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St

Master jazz vocal artist Greta Matassa is one of the true greats in the history of jazz music in our city. Her performances around town are remarkably excellent, not to mention consistent- I can’t recall ever being disappointed with one of her shows, and I have attended dozens. In terms of range, dynamics, improvisational chops and all around jazz sensibility, she is without peer in Seattle. Her impact on the jazz vocal community as a mentor is immeasurable. Witness this for yourself, as the SJF space is the hottest place in town to see any of the luminaries on the Seattle scene. Band TBA, but I am assuming she will be with her long-time band featuring bassist Clipper Anderson, pianist David Lee Joyner, drummer Mark Ivester and saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev. Guitarist Brian Monroney is frequently with the band. Updates soon. 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

Jazz in the Square with Julio Jauregui

Wed July 8, 7 PM / Occidental Square

The first of this free outdoor series presented by the Seattle Jazz Fellowship, brilliant pianist Julio Jauregui performs in the shade under the London plane trees in Occidental. The stage is just outside of Darkalinos, who will be open to serve food and drinks. Jauregui is the city’s premier Latin Jazz pianist, with the skill set to play any style. I’m still researching band members, TBA. This is a great opportunity to socialize with your community surrounded by the unique vibe of the square in Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Jazz in the Square with Jay Thomas

Wed July 15, 7 PM / Occidental Square

Seattle Jazz Fellowship is staging this free concert outdoors in beautiful Occidental Square underneath the shade of the London plane trees. Seattle jazz icon Jay Thomas is one of the few players in jazz history to master both the trumpet and saxophone. His performances always include some of the top musicians in the city. For this special performance, he is joined by Matt Williams on Hammond B-3 organ, Oliver Groenewald on trumpet- drummer TBA. This is an excellent opportunity to enjoy the city’s first neighborhood, in all its summer splendor, with world class music in the air. Darkalinos will be open for food and drinks. Sounds like a party! I hope to see the community turn out for this one. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Elnah Jordan

Thu July 16, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Vocalist Elnah Jordan was literally discovered performing on the streets of San Francisco by jazz vocal giant, Jon Hendricks. He saw in her the perfect voice, presence and persona to portray the legendary Bessie Smith in the stage production of The Evolution of the Blues. Her booming blues drenched vocal style and commanding stage presence were her ticket to jump starting her career. She can slow things down to an intimate level and treat ballads with tenderness and grace as well. I’m liking the makeup of this band, with pianist Josh Rawlings, bassist Jonti Siman and drummer Adam Kessler as the perfect rhythm section for a lyrical singer like Jordan. Tenor saxophonist Cliff Colon has some bite to go along with his bark, and a healthy portion of soulful blues in his sound. The thought of him going toe to toe with Elnah trading fours puts a smile on my face! A good night to uplift your spirits. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Reuel Lubag Trio

Fri July 17, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Veteran pianist Reuel Lubag has been a veteran presence on the Seattle scene, while he hasn’t been traveling the world performing. He makes his debut in the basement club in Pioneer Square with his usual trio that features Seattle first call bassist Michael Glynn. Drummer Edward Littlefield rounds out this trio, diving into an evening of standards and originals. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Steve Treseler Quartet

Sat July 18, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Woodwind artist Steve Treseler’s main interest is the tenor saxophone, but versatility is also a strength, something he can put in motion here with this formidable foursome. Pianist Dawn Clement and drummer John Bishop are two of the finest this city has produced, while bassist Jonti Siman, a relative newcomer to town, has been building a strong presence across a variety of projects. Tresler will be revisiting tunes he recorded with Clement on his first two albums, playing a few standards and exploring new music he recorded as a solo project at Fremont Abbey titled, Source (available early 2027). As I stated, he is a tenor player that can also be featured on a variety of woodwind instruments, on this occasion, including bass clarinet and shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute).

The last time Treseler performed at SJF, he was sitting in with Ingrid Jensen–he’s been keeping good company lately! This should be a fun night, both musically and socially. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

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.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

Opinion/Editorial: The Time to Act is Now to Support Local Seattle Jazz

November 24, 2023 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

“Our mission is to build community, provide access to the mentorship cycle, incentivize excellence and to lower the barriers to access jazz for both performers and listeners.”

This quote from the original mission statement of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship states in no uncertain terms, the focus of the Seattle 401(c) 3 non-profit that has guided its journey from its point of inception in October 2021. This was when the fellowship initiated its “Fellowship Wednesdays” weekly affair at Vermillion Art Bar on Capitol Hill. While the non-profit has engaged in a variety of special events, the Wednesday series has presented live jazz featuring Seattle resident musicians with occasional out of town guests now for more than two years. It has provided a stage for Seattle jazz musicians to perform original music for an appreciative listening audience and be paid respectfully. While only one night a week, it has been a beacon of hope for the Seattle jazz scene that has lost its collective mainstages largely due to gentrification. The business model that guided jazz dinner clubs like the New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Pioneer Square and the iconic Tula’s Jazz Club in Belltown became obsolete. The price tag for the consumer became sky high, while the numbers needed to manage a successful business became impossible. An alternative was needed if the resident jazz scene in Seattle was to survive.

On Tuesday November 21, SJF founder Thomas Marriott announced that the December 6 edition of Fellowship Wednesdays would be the last staged at Vermillion, as the fellowship would be moving into its own space in Pioneer Square beginning in late January of 2024. The venue will be a pop-up affair in the historic Globe building near the intersection of First Avenue and Main St., smack dab in the middle of the neighborhood that not long ago was the heartbeat of Seattle nightlife. Programming will increase to “several” nights a week according to Marriott, increasing employment opportunities for musicians, and live jazz access for listeners. The non-profit’s logical next step is a large one, and will require a significant increase in support from the Seattle music community at large. Most importantly, it will require an “all in” support network from Seattle jazz musicians themselves. In an interview I conducted with Marriott that culminated in an All About Jazz article in February 2022, he stated, “It takes everybody showing up. It takes people getting off the bench and off the sidelines and saying,’I’m going to show up to this person’s gig because it’s good for all of us.’”

In essence, this is a calling to step up to the plate and hit it out of the park. The time is NOW. What is required is not a burden, but an act of love and respect for jazz music in Seattle, and the artists that provide the sounds. It is a call to the jazz audience to not only support the music with your dollars, but to show up and join in the fellowship and broad sense of community this music provides.

You can purchase a membership using the link below. If your personal income allows you to make a donation beyond standard membership, now is the time to do so. If your working life puts you in contact with personal and/or corporate entities that are possibly willing to support this venture, now is the time to begin that conversation. We can create something beautiful and long-lasting if we so wish–it’s up to us as a community. Do we want local, fair paying gigs in an inclusive environment that welcomes the public without typical financial barriers to access? The answer is definitely yes. It is now officially in our hands.

Buy a membership, volunteer your time, make a donation, show up–this is what is required of you. The exploding moment we have all been waiting for is here. Nobody is going to show up and be the savior of the local Seattle jazz scene–we are collectively just that. Marriott has set the foundation. It’s “go time” to take it from there and build our community. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/membership

Seattle Jazz Fellowship Presents: Orrin Evans & The Captain Black Big Band

June 30, 2022 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

“While the nonprofit has been acknowledged for providing a place for the resident Seattle jazz to thrive, it is equally important to note the Fellowship’s work in caring for the music itself.”

The Seattle Jazz Fellowship, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by trumpeter Thomas Marriott, was created in response to the loss of viable jazz stages showcasing the vibrant resident jazz scene in Seattle. While local jazz musicians and fans alike mourned the downfall of longtime resident haunts such as the New Orleans club and Tula’s Jazz Club, Marriott and a supportive group of like-minded community members sought an alternative to the traditional jazz supper club personified by the aforementioned institutions. Gentrification of the downtown core of the city had driven rents to such a level that sustaining a club that could also serve as a community hub had become difficult at best. Food and liquor sales became the life blood of these attempts, driving up the price of access to jazz fans, while wages for musicians hung at early 1980’s levels. Worse yet, musicians had to rely on the door or ticket receipts to be paid at all. Like many jazz scenes around the country not based in New York City, the best musicians had to leave town to have any hope of earning a living as a professional jazz musician. The story of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship (SJF) and its guiding principles first appeared in All About Jazz in February, 2022, in the article Seattle Jazz Fellowship: A New Beginning For Live Resident Jazz . To continue reading, click here https://www.allaboutjazz.com/seattle-jazz-fellowship-presents-orrin-evans-and-the-captain-black-big-band-captain-black-big-band

Seattle Jazz Fellowship Photo Gallery: Alex Claffy Quintet and The Fellowship ‘Ceptet at the Royal Room

February 9, 2022 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

The Seattle Jazz Fellowship, the city’s 501 (c) (3) jazz non-profit, has taken a hiatus from their weekly dates at Vermillion until April 20, when the Wednesday night program will re-ignite for another six week run. In the meantime, the organization founded by Thomas Marriott has turned its focus to presenting performances featuring the Fellowship ‘Ceptet, a rotating gathering of the best of the Seattle jazz scene. The seven piece ensemble opened for New York based bassist Alex Claffy and his quintet on Tuesday, February 8 at the Royal Room in Columbia City.

The ‘Ceptet performed compositions by trumpeter Marriott, along with a Thelonious Monk classic. Marriott was joined by a front line of altoist Alex Dugdale, tenorist Jackson Cotugno and trombonist David Marriott, Jr.. Pianist Marina Albero, bassist Trevor Ford and drummer D’Vonne Lewis held down the rhythm section.

Claffy’s quintet featured Portland born and raised tenorist Nicole Glover, and trumpeter Benny Benack III. The New York based band was all in on the hang in Seattle as well, attending both the Monday night jam at the Royal Room, and the Tuesday night jam at the Owl ‘n Thistle.

Photographers Jim Levitt and Lisa Hagen Glynn were there to document the event with their stellar photographic skill sets. Enjoy the results! To further explore the goings on with the Seattle Jazz Fellowship, visit their website at https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/