Seattle Jazz Fellowship | Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Scene: Live Jazz Previews for Seattle

March 19, 2024 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

David Marriott, Jr.

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

David Marriott, Jr. has been one of the finest musicians in Seattle for more than two decades now, as well as a first rate composer and arranger. Opportunities to see him perform have been few and far between however, making this Halloween hit at SJF stand out. Band TBD- thus far pianist Eric Verlinde and drummer Brad Gibson are in the fold. There seems to be a bit of a trombone trend in Seattle right now, good to see DM back in the mix. Update: Bassist Geoff Harper and alto saxophonist Mark Taylor will join Marriott for this performance. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Joe Doria Piano Trio

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

Long before Joe Doria became a master of the Hammond B-3 organ, he was a young jazz pianist playing with, among others, the Marriott Brothers. Since that time he has became a veritable Seattle music institution. As a B-3 player and aficionado of electric keyboards in general, Doria has been in the unique position of being in the crosshairs of several music scenes in the city–including the jazz and jam communities. In a jazz context, his playing is very comparable to organ greats like Jimmy Smith and Dr. Lonnie Smith. There is soul, funk and a healthy portion of the blues in his sound. The interest here is how he takes those qualities and applies them to the jazz piano trio. He is joined by bassist Jeff Johnson, a historic voice in piano trios, having performed as an integral member of the trios of piano greats Hal Galper, Jessica Williams and Chano Dominguez. Drummer Brad Gibson may be Doria’s most frequent musical partner over the years at his residency at the storied Seamonster Lounge. Doria’s musical intelligence and soulful insights should make this a memorable night. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Monday Night Jam at Seattle Jazz Fellowship

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, 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

Phil Sparks / Jay Thomas Wednesdays

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

Through the end of the year, Seattle Jazz Fellowship presents free shows on Wednesdays, featuring two Seattle jazz hall of famers leading bands in SJF’s basement club in Pioneer Square. Each perfoms every other week with a chosen group of musicians, giving generations of Seattle jazz fans the opportunity to see these two masters work with musical alliances formed over decades in Seattle.

he music is free, the level of musicianship is high and the fellowship makes the evening special. Jay Thomas is the rare bird that plays both trumpet and saxophone, while Phil Sparks is one of the great bassists the city has offered over the past thirty years. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Human Spirit

featuring Thomas Marriott, Matt Jorgensen & Mark Taylor

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

The “band” Human Spirit is a collective of three musicians and whoever they choose to accompany them. Trumpeter Thomas Marriott, saxophonist Mark Taylor and drummer Matt Jorgensen have much in common, both in terms of moving the music forward and in their personal histories. All three left for New York in the latter part of the twentieth century and returned to pursue music and life in Seattle. A close musical partnership ensued upon their collective return to the PNW, resulting in many live performances, and recordings on the Seattle based Origin Records label. In many ways, they defined the sound of jazz in Seattle over the span of a decade, appearing in a variety of configurations on the main jazz stages of the city. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/

In this iteration of the band, they are joined by pianist Tim Kennedy and bassist Trevor Ford, both members of Marriott’s current Seattle quartet. The evening will give us the opportunity to hear original compositions and brilliant playing from this formidable quintet. If you were around in the 2010s you are familiar with the impact the combination of these three musicians have had on the Seattle sound in jazz. Things can only get better from here. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Marina Albero

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

Barcelona born and raised pianist Marina Albero refers to herself as a musical nomad, and rightfully so. Raised in a musical family, she is the daughter of renowned Catalan composer and musician, Marian Albero and certainly bears the marks of his work. She has done the deep dive as a classical piano student and absorbed the sounds of flamenco from a variety of musical influences. Upon arriving in the United States in 2014, Seattle became her chosen city to raise her two children and perform.

The language of jazz became her next endeavor, adding it to the sphere of influences that combine to make Albero a unique and wonderful artist to witness live. Last year, she relocated to New Orleans, not just to escape Seattle winters, but to gain access to the core of American music and expand her creative horizon. Her deep immersion into all of these improvised arts combined with her classical knowledge are the elements that make the music of Marina Albero unique. The vaunted goal of every musician is to create an original sound, one that is vitally and completely their own- she has accomplished this feat to a larger degree than most.

Albero will be accompanied by her daughter Serena, a vocalist with a musician’s edge and the ability to improvise with the full expression one might expect from any instrumentalist. She expresses herself lyrically with a similar abandon. Mother and daughter will explore Catalan tunes, including those of her father and a world debut of a tune written by Marina’s great grandmother- the only family pearl she has found on paper. They will mix in a few jazz standards as well, accompanied by the Seattle contingent of bassist Geoff Harper and drummer Xavier Lecouturier. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Cory Weeds Meets Chris Hazelton

Boop Bop Bing Bash

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

Saxophonist Corey Weeds is largely known to Seattle folks as the guy up in Vancouver who gets things done. He’s the guy who owned and operated the Cellar Jazz Club until 2014 and helped move the music to Frankie’s upon the club’s closing. He is the impresario behind Cellar Music Group, a record label that has carried on the Cellar legacy in Vancouver, releasing music on an international scale.

Weeds is also a fine musician, a noted alto saxophonist in the vibe of Lee Konitz, who can shred on tenor and soprano as well. He has a deep respect for tradition and the masters of jazz saxophone, embedding those principals into his music and into his playing. For this tour, he features a B-3 band featuring organist Chris Hazelton. Guitarist David Rourke and drummer Rudy Petschauer round out the soulful quartet. The gig is on the tail end of the tour, when they should be cookin’ at full speed! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Matt Williams Quartet

featuring Mark Taylor, Michael Glynn & Xavier Lecouturier

Fri Nov 14, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

In what promises to be one of the highlights of jazz November in Seattle, brilliant pianist Matt Williams leads a quartet of top shelf Seattle players. All four are headliners on their own and will contribute original compositions for the evening’s performance. This is a rare glimpse into Glynn’s originals, as the bassist rarely plays as a leader. Lecouturier and Williams are prolific composers in modern jazz, with Taylor one of the most seasoned players and composers on the scene.

From a purely instrumental point of view, it doesn’t get much better than this on the Seattle scene folks! It is wonderful to see Taylor more out and about these days–he is simply one of the finest alto players ever to performs in the city. Kudos to Williams for bringing this stellar configuration of stars together for a Friday night of music, fun and fellowship. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Bruce Phares Trio

Sat Nov 15, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Bassist Bruce Phares was a prominent figure on the Seattle jazz scene in the 1980s as a young, eclectic bassist performing with top Seattle stars Overton Berry, Diane Schuur and others. Due to focal dystonia, a neurological condition, he retired and focused on another career for a quarter century. In and around 2016, he made a comeback that highlighted a colorful final act in Berry’s career. Now back in full swing, Phares has been living on Vashon Island and producing the “Jam in the Atrium” series over there. For this evening at SJF, he reunites with old friends in pianist Randy Halberstadt and drummer John Bishop for a trio session. Halberstadt and Bishop are more than friends–they are two of the best to ever perform in Seattle, and a perfect match for Phares’ bass style that acts as an equal voice within the trio format. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Oscar Hernández & Alma Libre Quintet with special guest Thomas Marriott

Tue Nov 18 – Thu Nov 20, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

Pianist Oscar Hernandez is the long-time music director for the famed Spanish Harlem Orchestra. He has a Seattle connection that dates back to the Ballard Jazz Festival and recordings for the Seattle based Origin Records label. Along the way, Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott caught on with the band. Hernandez grew up in the South Bronx, absorbing the music of stars like Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto and others. His piano style is rooted in that salsa style of Latin jazz. For this date, he leads a band featuring multi-reedist Katisse Buckingham, drummer Jimmy Branly, bassist Rene Camacho, percussionist Christian Moraga and Marriott on trumpet.

The music will be hip, the playing superb and the energy positive and renewing. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8710

Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto

Thu Nov 20, 7:30 PM / Royal Room

Master Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto leads his classic quinteto in a performance of originals and Brazilian classics, including the works of Hermeto Pascoal. Over the course of time, this band continues to deliver virtuosic interpretations of Brazilian classics, performed with an adventuresome spirit. Drummer Mark Ivester and percussionist Jeff Busch are a two-pronged percussive force, with electric bassist Tim Carey a strong undercurrent on the journey. Vibraphonist Ben Thomas is an almost telepathic melodic partner for Jovino, igniting sparks of joy and wisdom. I’ve never seen this band miss. If you haven’t seen them, it’s a must go situation. https://theroyalroomseattle.com/event/jovino-santos-neto-quinteto-5/

Randy Halberstadt Trio

Fri Nov 21, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

Veteran Seattle pianist Randy Halberstadt has touched a lot of the major elements of what adds up to Seattle jazz over the past forty years. Whether teaching at Cornish or privately, the best of the best have come through his studio. As a musician, he has led stellar trios, acted as a noted sideperson in many of the city’s finest combos and in general, just plain stood out. He has a composer’s mind as an improviser, never wasting notes and ideas frivilously–there is always melodic intent in his playing.

For this SJF hit, Halberstadt teams up with two familiar faces in bassist Chris Symer and drummer Adam Kessler. The pianist likes to arrange his trios into an equal partnership, so the sparks will fly for these two sets. https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/events

Trevor Ford Sextet

Sat Nov 22, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 103 S. Main St.

It’s been quite a past few months for bassist Trevor Ford. He has performed throughout Thomas Marriott’s Earshot residency, and shared a stage with the likes of Orrin Evans, Ray Vega, Ingrid Jensen and Sean Jones. When stepping out on his own, Ford has leaned towards the piano trio format in the past–this time he ventures into a larger ensemble performing his original compositions and skillful arrangements of jazz standards. Ford mentions Avishai Cohen as an example of composers he admires and will no doubt serve up one or two of his comps.

Joining the bassist will be rhythm section mates in pianist Dylan Hayes and drummer Sutton Marley. Guitarist Martin Budde, saxophonist Alex Dugdale and trombonist Beserat Tafesse complete this all-star gathering. A good night for Ford to step up to the front line at full speed! https://seattlejazzfellowship.org/

Brittany Davis – Black Thunder

Thu Dec 4, 7:30 PM / Jazz Alley

I will admit that the music of Brittany Davis has escaped me to this point, largely due to the fact that it had little to do with jazz, and was a narrative shrouded in produced music. Being a jazz writer, it never crossed my desk. Her new record, Black Thunder is an improvised, free flowing, one take affair between the pianist / vocalist with drummer D’Vonne Lewis and bassist Evan Flory-Barnes. The trio surrounds Davis’ poetry with a more grounded feel. In rhythmic terms, the music and narrative become one entity, with a vibe that is very much as if the three conversants were meeting and playing with each other for the first time. In Davis’ case, there is some truth to that and the recording benefits from that source of sponaneity. Lewis and Flory-Barnes have a long story together, from the time they were very young men, culminating in the Seattle powerhouse band, Industrial Revelation.

The music is rooted in Black and Afrocentric cultural influences. In stripping away the programmed nature of her previous work, and delving into a more organic environment, Davis’ work has reached a new level of expressionism. https://www.jazzalley.com/www-home/artist.jsp?shownum=8726

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/