Seattle Jazz Fellowship | Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Scene: Live Jazz Previews for Seattle

March 19, 2024 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

Jay Thomas’ Tenor Dynasty

featuring Mark Taylor, Joel Steinke & Travis Ranney

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

Seattle jazz icon Jay Thomas is known as one of the very few who play both trumpet and saxophone. Few broche the peril of mastering both. For this one evening, the man limits himself to that harbinger of human voice tonality, the tenor saxophone. Surely, the band will blow through a stack of standards, with some good company joining Thomas in the front line. Joel Steinke is a pure tenorist in every way, while Mark Taylor is a historic voice in Seattle on the alto saxophone. It just so happens that he has been holding down the tenor section of SRJO, and is a stellar player on the larger horn. Travis Ranney is another SRJO mate who is a strong tenorist, and not one seen often outside of area big bands. Having these four gentlemen on stage at the same time amounts to a full on tenor assault.

Holding the pieces together in the rhythm section will be a trio that has amounted to Thomas’ band for a number of years. Ace pianist John Hansen, Seattle hall of fame bassist Phil Sparks and drummer Adam Kessler keep things pushing forward for an evening of hard bop mania! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Monday Night Jazz Jam at Seattle Jazz Fellowship

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

The all-ages Monday night jam has become quite a thing, with an attentive, trending young listening audience standing side by side with a long roll call of musicians. Now in the new basement club occupied by the non-profit, the vibe is intimate as the evening begins with a short, half hour max set by the Thomas Marriott Quartet. There is a sign up list that enables settings that make musical sense, allowing the session to move along at a good pace, promoting the mentorship cycle. Most importantly, it’s just plain fun, and the hang is one of the weekly highlights on the scene. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Free Fall / Marc Seales Tuesdays at Seattle Jazz Fellowship

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

As part of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s expansion to six nights of programming per week, Tuesdays take on a special designation. Iconic Seattle jazz pianist Marc Seales and the explorative quartet Free Fall will alternate Tuesdays residency style, to create a weekly highlight on the Seattle jazz schedule.

One of the stated objectives of the Fellowship is that people gather at the basement club simply to experience jazz, not necessarily a particular artist. The Seales slot of this weekly tilt will feature a rotating cast of top shelf Seattle musicians. The Free Fall end of it will feature the piano-less quartet of trumpeter Thomas Marriott, saxophonist Mo Green, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop. A quartet with a collective improvisational spirit, Free Fall is the epitomy of experiencing jazz in the moment, with each performance approached from a slightly different perspective.

Tuesday nights are now an opportunity to see some of the city’s historic and present day best, in a room that sets the vibe right for such occassions. With the Owl ‘n Thistle jam around the corner following, Tuesday nights become the best night for jazz on a weekly basis in Seattle. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

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

Jacob Wendt Quintet

Tue Sept 23, 7:30 PM / Royal Room

Drummer / bandleader Jacob Wendt has as reputation of being an r&b style drummer, but he can fit rather nicely into the hardbop idiom, and does so here with a stellar cast to introduce his latest release, Silver Street. Joined in the rhythm section by pianist Dylan Hayes and bassist Greg Feingold, Wendt’s quintet has a bold frontline with Seattle jazz legend Jay Thomas on trumpet and saxophone and tenor saxophone ace Joel Steinke.

Wendt has an impressive resume, but hasn’t appeared much in many of the city’s main jazz venues. But his choosing of bandmates, dedication to the hardbop style and appearance at the Columbia City nightspot lays it all out for us to dive in and get to know him. https://theroyalroomseattle.com/event/jacob-wendt-quintet/

Photo of Phil Sparks courtesy of Jim Levitt. Photo of Jay Thomas courtesy of Lisa Hagen Glynn

Jay Thomas / Phil Sparks Wednesdays at Seattle Jazz Fellowship

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

With the Seattle Jazz Fellowship expanding to programming six nights a week beginning in September, Wednesday nights will take on a special theme with a residency that alternates between two Seattle Jazz Hall-of-Famers in bassist Phil Sparks and multi-instrumentalist Jay Thomas. The veteran bandleaders will have the leeway to create different ensembles along the way, and present a full scope of their music. As things evolve personnel-wise, I will do my best to be itemize per each date on the calendar. Generally speaking however, no matter who accompanies them, getting out to see Thomas or Sparks on a Wednesday evening is a sure bet to experience live, modern jazz at a high level from tow of the finest to ever grace a stage in Seattle. Thomas has been gigging here since the mid-sixties when he was just a lad. Sparks arrived in the late 1980s and has been a rock solid presence on the scene ever since. This is going to be fun, with a top end hang to accompany the performances. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Hans Teuber & Jeff Johnson / Stina Tillotson

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

Multi-reedist Hans Teuber and bassist Jeff Johnson began their friendship and musical relationship in 1990 when the Minneapolis born bassist and the Columbia, SC raised saxophonist crossed paths here in Seattle. Over the years they have collaborated on many projects, including a duo album on Origin Records released in 2017. Deuce may have flown under the radar a bit, but to those who listened and attended their performance with Earshot Jazz, the conversational genius between the two became vitally apparent.

Johnson was raised in the upper midwest, spent time in New York as a member of Philly Joe Jones’ band, and journeyed to Texas and Oklahoma on his journey to long-term residence in Seattle. About the time he encountered Teuber, he began playing in the trio led by pianist Hal Galper. By the turn of the twenty-first century, the Galper trio was playing a revolutionary rubato style, aided by the addition of Seattle based drummer, John Bishop. The rest is history.

Teuber has been one of the most original and innovative musicians ever to play in Seattle. While he performs mostly on tenor and alto saxophones and flute, he can handle duties on any reeded instrument, as well as a variety of others. As music director of Teatro Zinzanni, this skill set was an absolute necessity. His music as a leader and sideperson in jazz in legendary here and across the nation. His style is nuanced in a very original way, creating a sound that is all his. I know that sounds cliche, but one listen and you will understand!

This is a two set night which includes Stina Tillotson. I’m still researching the Bainbridge Island resident, and will update when I can! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Jason Marsalis Quartet

Fri Sept 26, 7:30 PM / Royal Room

The youngest of the Marsalis brothers in the south end? Great opportunity to see the drummer, now vibraphonist on Rainier Av in Columbia City. No word yet on the personnel, but you can rely on a straight-ahead quartet swingin’ all night. Marsalis’ versatility on percussion related instruments has made him a NEA Jazz Master. It’s a good idea to buy tickets in advance, and make a dinner reservation thorugh the Royal Room website or email. Tickets do not guarantee you a spot in the main dining area. https://thestranger.boldtypetickets.com/events/172187739/jason-marsalis-quartet

Fri Sept 26, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Matt Shevrin is a french horn player who plays in both classical and jazz ensembles. The Jazz Guild is his jazz focus, with a guitar based rhythm section and a front line he shares with trumpet. Seattle seems to have a thinig with french horn improvisers, with Tom Varner continuing that tradition within his time at Cornish and outside ventures. The horn is a beautiful sounding instrument, and a powerhouse in the classical world. It will be interesting to see how Shevrin makes this work in a jazz ensemble setting, in front of a Fellowship audience accustomed to more traditional lineups. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Jerry Steinhilber Trio with special guest George Garzone

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

Tenor saxophonist George Garzone is a sax legend on many levels. As a player, he has performed with jack DeJohnette, Jamaladeen Tacuma, Joe Lovano and scores of others in the jazz world. He has even touched the Grateful Dead phenomenon performing in Bob Weir’s Ratdog band. As an educator, he has brought his triadic chromatic approach to playing into the performance mainstream. He is known as a musician’s musician, true, but we all can appreciate his mastery.

Bellingham friends in drummer Jerry Steinhilber, bassist King Dahl and tenor saxophonist Josh Cook lead a session with Garzone, in a piano-less format at the intimate SJF room in Pioneer Square. Steinhilber is an adventurous spirit, once again rising to the occasion in bringing a master like Garzone to town. This should be a lot of fun, with many unexpected twists and turns. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein & Bill Stewart Organ Trio

Tue & Wed Sept 30-Oct 1, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

Simply one of the great organ trios in jazz history, organist Larry Goldings, drummer Bill Stewart and guitarist Peter Bernstein play a must-see two night run at Jazz Alley. The music touches so many bases- soul, the blues, swing and just plain musical adventurism,. To say after thirty years that the trio has chemistry would of course, be a huge understatement. A vocal trio could be noted for their harmonies together, in some cases, the perfect match not only of natural voice timbre, but of inspired connectivity. Goldings and Bernstein are two chordal instruments that work close in tandem, with the organist supplying the bass. Stewart seems to portion it all out rhythmically, creating that special group mind that they possess each time they perform. They too seem as though they speak in inspired, intelligent dialog.

Goldings has a wonderfully intelligent sense of humor, something that gives the gig a kind of living room vibe. Bernstein is a friend to Seattle, having performed here in trio with top Seattle players many times. He’s one of best in the biz, as is Stewart. A great way to work up your game in preparation for the eventful month of October to come https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8693

Skerik Quartet

Fri Oct 3, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

The highly adaptable and highly virtuosic saxophonist Skerik hits the Fellowship with a quartet of Seattle musical partners with whom he has shared a stage many times. Pianist Tim Kennedy is currently one of the finest and most active musicians in town, while basssit Geoff Harper shares Skerik’s passion for eclectic adventurism. Drummer Brad Gibson is comfortable and formidable behind the kit in a variety of settings. What makes the saxophonist’s sets at SJF special, even for fans who frequent his performances around town, is the acoustic nature of the music, and his dedication to modern, progressive jazz. All of the other elements of his style come into play within that context to create two hours of sound you won’t want to miss. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Alex Guilbert

Sat Oct 4, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Pianist Alex Guilbert is a unique stylist, with a reputation as being a trad-jazz musician. Sure, he is proobably the main man in that style around town, but as his hosted Royal Room series “Piano Starts Here,” has proven, he is a bit of a jazz chameleon. In any case, he is a fine player with great touch, a wonderful imagination and a subtle sense of humor as well. He welcomes in bassist Chris Symer and drummer Will Lone to create a formidable rhythm section. Additional band members TBA. Guillbert describes the evening fare as contemporary, with some Paul Bley influence in the making. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Ben Thomas Tango Quartet

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

If you missed Ben Thomas‘ tango gig at the Royal Room in September, here’s your chance to get even! Thomas performs the music from his new release on Origin Records, The Hat with the Grin and the Chuckle. In this ensemble, Thomas eschews the vibration in favor of bandoneon and percussion to perform tango music with a jazz influenced element of improvisation in the mix. Pianist Gabe Hall Rodrigues is a fine jazz pianist with a special immersion in South American sounds. Clarinetist Eric Likkel is a major soloist in this configuration, and bassist Steve Schermer the absolute bottom line in what amounts to a chamber-like gathering without a traditional kit drummer. Thomas is one of the finest musicians you’ll see in Seattle, or anywhere for that matter. He plays with intelligence, humor, and a good-natured major dose of plain old virtuosity. This one will be fun! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Elnah Jordan

Sat Oct 11, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St

Elnah Jordan is a blues singer, first and foremost. It speaks to whatever she chooses to do on a given night. Whatever she decides to perform in the jazz lexicon, you can depend on it being soulful with a healthy helping of that foundational element in Black American music- the blues. Discovered as a street singer in San Francisco by the legendary Jon Hendricks, Jordan knows how to entertain an audience as well. Count on an evening of positivity delivered with love – after all, the blues are sad, whereas blues music is a healing form, and one from a place of joy. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Ray Vega

Wed Oct 15, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship

The great Latin and jazz trumpeter Ray Vega will be in town for Thomas Marriott’s trumpet summit performance at Town Hall the following Friday evening. Rhythm section is TBA, for this performance which is the first of four great nights of jazz trumpet in Seattle. Vega is a veteran of bands led by Latin jazz greats Tito Puente, Ray Barretto, Mongo Santamaria, Mario Bauza, Luis “Perico” Ortiz, Hector LaVoe, Johnny Pacheco, Larry Harlow, Pete “El Conde” Rodriguez and Louie Ramirez to name a few. He is one of the great people in the music as well. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Miki Yamanaka Trio / George Colligan with Zyanna

Wed Oct 15, 7 PM / Baba Yaga

This performance is part of the 2025 Earshot Jazz Festival. Seattle jazz fans are well acquainted with George Colligan. The Portland resident has been teaching at Portland St. since 2011. He has performed mostly in trio as a leader in the area, while he maintains his alliance as pianist with the likes of Jack DeJohnette, John Scofield, Ravi Coltrane, Cassandra Wilson, Eddie Henderson and a host of others. Here he is paired with the trio of on-the-rise Japanese born, New York based pianist, Miki Yamanaka.

Colligan is simply one of the finest jazz musicians of his generation. While he is a widely acclaimed pianist, he is also a fine drummer and trumpeter. He will be joined by Zyanna Melada, a new generation funk, jazz and soul vocalist, bassist Robert Rodriguez and drummer Micah Hummel, three highly regarded players on the Portland scene. Yamanaka, who is known to Seattle fans from the quintet of Seattle’s Roxy Coss, will be joined by bassist Pablo Menares and drummer Jimmy Macbride. https://www.earshot.org/event/miki-yamanaka-trio-george-colligan-with-zyanna/

Ingrid Jensen

Thu Oct 16, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship

It will be great to see the trumpeter Ingrid Jensen as part of Thomas Marriott’s Earshot Jazz Fellowship residency at Town Hall the evening after this hit at SJF. On an international scale, it has been wonderful to see her perform with the all-female supergroup Artemis at festivals and clubs around the world. But to see the Nanaimo, BC native play in the intimate confines of SJF’s basement club in Pioneer Square is a rare bird. Band TBA.

Jensen has been a prominent force in the jazz world for a quarter century now, and is an important mentor to the new wave of musicians contributing to the rising female excellence in jazz. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

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’s Saturday Jazz Matinee

April 4, 2022 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

The jazz non-profit hits it out of the park presenting piano great George Cables and his trio, with the Fellowship ‘Ceptet

Trumpeter and Seattle Jazz Fellowship founder Thomas Marriott is always on the lookout to bring to life ideas that further the goals of the Fellowship. The principle of lowering barriers to access was practiced in booking The George Cables Trio alongside the non-profit’s Fellowship ‘Ceptet for a 1 PM jazz matinee, a promotional risk of sorts. The Saturday tilt would allow more students to attend, as well as families. Then there are those that are reticent about venturing out at night, when most of the music takes place on the Seattle jazz scene, or for that matter, any local jazz scene.

The show was made possible by a generous donation from Bob and Sue Frause, friends of Marriott’s late parents David and Helen Marriott. The Marriotts were hugely influential in their support for jazz in Seattle, and the Frause family wanted to both support the Fellowship and memorialize David and Helen in some way. Cables was a favorite of theirs, and a dear friend. There was never any doubt as to who their son wanted to bring in to perform. Cables would add drummer Jerome Jennings from New York, and Seattle jazz legend Chuck Deardorf on bass, a long-time friend. Marriott decided to include a key mentorship project of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship in the billing–the Marriott led Fellowship ‘Ceptet.

“We decided to include the ‘Ceptet in the event and to keep the price of the ticket down (and make it early) so we could use the event to further our goals of building community, increasing mentorship, incentivizing excellence and lowering barriers to access,” says Marriott.

The 1 PM start turned out to be agreeable to the Seattle jazz public, as the room filled to capacity in anticipation of two superb sets. The sun washed through the club’s windows looking out onto Rainier Ave, shadows cast across the room seldom seen before by patrons more accustomed to the club’s typical late night persona. The crowd was decidedly cross-generational, with families and students not normally associated with evening sessions at the club in attendance. They came for the music, as the Royal Room itself was not quite accustomed to an afternoon happening. The kitchen was closed, and one bartender was left to attend to the needs of a full house.

The Fellowship “Ceptet opened, featuring a line-up that spoke well to the non-profit’s premise. Marriott, along with drummer John Bishop, pianist Marc Seales and alto saxophonist Mark Taylor are four of the finest jazz musicians to emerge from the Seattle scene historically. Tenor saxophonist Jackson Cotugno, trombonist Beserat Tafesse and bassist Grace Kaste represented the new wave of jazz artistry in the city, with Kaste still a senior at Roosevelt HIgh School. All three would demonstrate to the audience that their inclusion was merited in terms of artistic facility.

The band played a selection of Marriott originals, and a cover of Thelonious Monk’s “Ask Me Now.” Throughout the seven tunes selected, the band offered crisp arrangements and imaginative soloing. Immediately noticeable was the rhythm section, with Seattle stalwarts Bishop and Seales working seamlessly with Kaste. Kaste performed with the refinement and elegance of a veteran, much to the delight of Deardorf, her mentor since the age of thirteen in attendance. The front line responded to the strong vibe in the room with fire, queued by Marriott’s leadership, and most importantly his brilliant solo work. Taylor, who has been somewhat invisible the past few years from live performance in Seattle, played beautifully, with his trademark, original style on alto. Cotugno continued a somewhat meteoric visibility on the Seattle scene offering a modern approach, with a pre-bop sound that speaks to Ben Webster. Tafesse, who has been ever-present post-pandemic at area jam sessions, was in a way introduced to the jazz public at large, providing harmonic depth and spirited soloing.

The set had a dynamic arc from start to finish. opening with “Fellowship Blues,” and delving into Marriott’s “Human Spirit,” and O.D.A.A.T (One Day at a Time). The Monk interlude was lush and spacious. It stood out in terms of arrangement, featuring a commonality between Marriott and his saxophone counterparts in Taylor and Cotugno–all three produce a rich tonality that fares well in moments of intensity, or those of melancholy. By the time the band arrived at Marriott’s “Stupor in D,” and “The Tale of Debauchery,” they had found a connective spirit that resonated well with an audience that was pleasingly dialed in.

Pianist Cables at 78 years of age, still not only performs at a high and inspired level, but maintains the prowess he has demonstrated throughout his career without any signs of slowing down. His playing is crisp, brilliantly articulated and radiating with the joy that is an integral part of his personality both on and off the bandstand.

The trio offered in depth interpretations of Wayne Shorter’s “Speak No Evil,” and Bill Strayhorn’s gorgeous “Lotus Flower,” with Cable’s playing accented perfectly by Deardorf’s seemingly effortless style. Jennings played as though delighted to be in the presence of the two jazz elders he would converse with over the ninety minute set.

The standards “Too Close For Comfort,” and “Who Can I Turn Too” brought the audience to Cables’ romantic side, perhaps prepping them emotionally for his two originals he silently dedicated to his late wife. “Song For Helen,” and “My Muse” brought more than melancholy to the audience. Cables’ lush harmonies and sweeping, melodic runs spoke to fond remembrance, joy and gratitude. It reminded the attentive audience that they were in the company of one of the true giants of jazz music. The elders in the audience could think back to seeing the master as a sideman with the likes of Dexter Gordon and Art Pepper. With that, came the realization that Cables had joined the two saxophone icons as a true master of the form. His graciousness and humility was a true gift to the younger members of the audience, many of them musicians themselves. As young bassist Kaste learned on the bandstand, and many of her contemporaries witnessed in the audience, true mentorship and the process of paying dues in this music is done in the presence of the masters of the form. For this one afternoon, those lessons were communicated with unusual clarity.

The matinee portends good things for SJF, for what is to come down the road. With their weekly “Fellowship Wednesdays” commencing on April 20, the non-profit moves front and center in support of the resident jazz scene in Seattle.

Seattle Jazz Fellowship: Why in one evening,”Fellowship Wednesdays” became the most important jazz hang in Seattle

December 2, 2021 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

Pianist Dylan Hayes leads a tribute to Jim Knapp, for Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Dylan Hayes, piano; Jay Thomas, trumpet and sax; Michael Glynn, bass; Xavier Lecouturier, drums;

It was 5 PM on a crisp Wednesday afternoon on December 1, and thirty people sat casually in the brick lined digs of Vermillion Art Gallery and Bar on Capitol Hill, intently listening to the soft spoken musings of jazz legend, Julian Priester. The historic trombonist was playing selections from his storied career that continually over the course of seven decades has stood at the progressive forefront of the music. This afternoon it was his work with Dave Holland and Herbie Hancock that was featured. His historical and cultural anecdotes were thrilling to hear, providing weekly attendees a unique perspective on the music that they had become passionate about.

There are a variety of ways to enjoy jazz music performed at its highest level of artistry in Seattle. Many of those options include a cover and a high end price tag for dinner and drinks. Those venues tend to lack a major component of jazz culture- the hang. It is during that time before, between and after sets that cultivates community and enables fellowship.

The Seattle Jazz Fellowship weekly offers Priester’s free listening session, and two sets featuring two separate ensembles of the finest resident jazz musicians in Seattle for a reasonable cover. Vermillion serves fine drinks at a very reasonable price. If you need to eat, you can pop over to Mario’s for a slice, or head around the corner to grab a burrito. The music is the focus, and because of the organization’s non-profit status, it can book and curate music that is not ruled by the age old “butts in the seats” mentality, but with the idea of artistry in music first and foremost. At the front door, vaccination status is checked, and a twenty dollar cover charged. Fellowship founder Thomas Marriott remarked at one point, “It’s a twenty dollar cover, if you can swing it.” The important thing to Marriott and the Fellowship, is that you are there in the first place, that the evening is treated as a sacred place of music for the entire community.

The seventh edition of “Fellowship Wednesdays at Vermillion” featured young pianist/arranger Dylan Hayes performing a set of his quartet arrangements of the music of recently departed composer Jim Knapp, followed by the Nathan Breedlove Quartet. Hayes was joined by Seattle jazz icon and Knapp associate, Jay Thomas, first-call bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Xavier Lecouturier. Thomas, a 55 year veteran of the Seattle scene, played brilliantly, putting a shine on Hayes’ perfect arrangements. The focus and drive of the band revealed what has been a commonality with all fourteen sets presented thus far by the SJF–that the musicians bring their “A” game to the set, that the vibe of the room was one that invites and appreciates artistry.

l to r: Xavier Lecouturier, Michael Glynn, Dylan Hayes Jim Levitt photo

l to r: Xavier Lecouturier, Michael Glynn, Jay Thomas Jim Levitt photo

Between sets, the hang was thick, with many of the city’s top musicians present, as well as a jazz audience that spanned generations. New players on the scene, now especially unknown due to the pandemic, emerge and become acquainted with their new community. Younger players are mentored by the more experienced players. The audience is able to interact with the musicians in a meaningful way. They are truly a part of the performance, of the evening’s activities. The room itself has a warm glow, an intimate, welcoming vibe. The all ages policy invites younger players and fans, and allows parents to share the music with their children.

Just before hitting the stage for his set, veteran trumpeter Nathan Breedlove informed us that Delfeayo Marsalis would be dropping by. Indeed he did, playing most of the set with this assemblage of veterans that included pianist Ron Perrillo, bassist Phil Sparks and drummer Brian Kirk. Marsalis and Perrillo played both dynamically and melodically, with the live nature of the room projecting the sound through the narrow gallery to the rear of the club, through the doors, and out into the Capitol Hill night. Marsalis’ presence brought the striking realization that in only seven total nights of operation, the hang at Vermillion was gaining significant notoriety for all the right reasons.

l to r: Brian KIrk, Phil Sparks, Nathan Breedlove Jim Levitt photo

l to r: Nathan Breedlove, Phil Sparks, Delfeayo Marsalis

With the playing of the last note of the evening, the room was electric, the vibration of the music still stirring in the room and in the souls of all those that attended. Old friends and new acquaintances were united in fellowship, which of course, is the point. SJF wants you to be there, to help create a sacred place for the music. One departs the room with an overwhelming sense of community, a true feeling of belonging to something sacred, historic and sustainable. With current economnic times in direct conflict with the proliferation of art, the model presented by Marriot and the SJF is proving to be one that promotes artistry and accessibility. It is a foundational source of fellowship as its name portends, within the framework of a community that has sustained itself over a century of time. The ambitions of the group to expand to five nights a week in a permanent home is the light that shows the way to the present and future of the Seattle jazz scene. The music, the gathering of friends and the emotional and spiritual high experienced by those fortunate enough to attend speaks loudly and clearly to that.

Scroll down to On the Scene: Live Jazz Previews for December to see the full schedule of the Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Next week: Iconic jazz vocal artist Greta Matassa, and Latin Jazz piano firebrand Julio Jauregui lead their respective bands to the Vermillion stage. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/