Seattle Jazz Fellowship | Seattle Jazz Scene

Seattle Jazz Scene: Live Jazz Previews for Seattle

March 19, 2024 / Paul Rauch / No Comments

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

Thomas Marriott Quartet

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

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

Marc Seales Band

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

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

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

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

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

Jennifer Mellish

with special guest Kareem Kandi

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

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

David Weiss Sextet

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

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

Nick Biello Flexitarian Trio

with Jerry Steinhilber & Alex Tremblay

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

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

Conner Eisenmenger Quartet

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

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

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

Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto

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

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

200 Trio

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

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

Julian Priester Quartet

Fri, May 22, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

Jazz great Julian Priester is still performing at age 90, experiencing a bit of a revival as the artist-in-residence at Seattle Jazz Fellowship. Priester has performed and recorded with Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Max Roach, Duke Ellington and many, many more. For this date, he joins Seattle stalwarts John Hansen (piano), Geoff Harper (bass), and Byron Vannoy (drums) for a two set performance. Having the opportunity to see a musician in Priester who is so connected to the history of innovation in this music is a rarity and a blessing. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Michael Glynn Quintet

Sat May 23, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship- 108 S. Main St.

If you frequent jazz gigs in Seattle, you have no doubt seen the city’s first call bassist in Michael Glynn. In fact, it’s likely you have seen him on multiple occasions, in a variety of musical landscapes. That being said, it is indeed a rarity that he performs as a leader, with the opportunity to play his highly original compositions. To that end, Glynn summons some of the city’s finest. Saxophonist Mark Taylor is one of the finest altoists in the Seattle jazz lineage. Pianist Matt Williams is a lyrical player who often counts Glynn as a member of his trio / quartet. Guitarist Martin Budde is an Origin Records artist and a member of the collective, Meridian Odyssey. Drummer Sutton Marley has great chemistry with Glynn, so this should be a swingin’ affair. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Dawn Clement

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

Pianist / vocalist / composer Dawn Clement returns to Seattle for an intimate evening of music in solo, duo, trio and quartet settings. The drummer-less performance features Colorado based guitarist Steve Kovalcheck, saxophonist Mark Taylor and bassist Michael Glynn.

The performance will draw from a variety of projects, including Clement’s new album, Dear Ms. Dearie and an upcoming duo project. Mixing standards with original tunes, the evening offers an intimate, setting shared by four great musicians. Longtime Seattle resident Clement is based in Denver, but has retained strong ties to the community here and in Port Townsend. She will serve as Artistic Director at Jazz Port Townsend beginning this year and going forward. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Jerry Steinhilber Trio

Fri May 29, 7:30 PM / Seattle Jazz Fellowship

Bellingham based drummer Jerry Steinhilber hails from Chicago and brings that hard working, blues driven ethic to his jazz power trio performances. Bassist King Dahl and tenor saxophonist Josh Cook bring innovation and an explorative mind set to jazz standards both well known and obscure, maneuvering without the limitations of chordal harmony in the mix. While all three are well equipped with the mastery of bebop language, that dialect is articulated inside and outside of the groove, opening up a multi-directional approach to the music. Always good to have our neighbors from the north drop down for a visit- this should be a good night of music at the basement digs in Pioneer Square, with a good hang in the offering. http://seattlejazzfellowship.org

Fellowship Futures

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

The Fellowship Futures is a trio of high school musicians who auditioned in May of 2025 to be a part of this program at the non-profit Seattle Jazz Fellowship. For the past year, they have been mentored by trumpeter Thomas Marriott in all facets of being a professional jazz musician. Regular rehearsals and paid gigs have ensued, culminating in this performance before a new edition of the crew takes over for their year in the sun. Maddie Johnston is a senior at Auburn Riverside, and a pianist with a wonderful sense of swing and advanced harmonic approach. Bassist Theo McGaughey is a sophomore at Chief Sealth with an unquenchable thirst to learn this music. He has been mentored by many of the top bassists in Seattle and is a regular at the Monday night jam session. Sixteen year old drummer Aviv Cisneros has refined his art in quantum leaps since engaging with the Futures, playing with confidence and fire. Marriott will join making this a quartet worth a trip to Pioneer Square. Attendance not only gives you a great evening of modern jazz, it lends support to one of the many ways that SJF is advancing jazz community in Seattle. It is also a way of telling these young musicians that they are appreciated and provide hope for the music for generations to come. 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’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/