Seattle Jazz Scene

It is a rare and special occasion when New Stories performs in the Northwest. Made up of Marc Seales on piano, Doug Miller on bass and John Bishop on drums, the group will perform Tuesday night at the Eastside Jazz Series at the Bellevue Sherman Clay store.

TUESDAY, APRIL 8
NEW STORIES AT SHERMAN-CLAY
7:30 – 9:30pm

1000 Bellevue Way N.E.,
Bellevue, WA 98004
(425) 454-0633

A big thank you to Cynthia Mullis who has been handling the duties of Seattle Jazz Scene this past week while I’ve been on tour.

And, of course, thank you to all of our readers!

– Matt Jorgensen

A Great Day in Seattle: A Jazz Legacy Photo Project

Did you know that April is National Jazz Appreciation Month, as legislated by the U.S. Congress in August of 2003? In April of 2007, a group of local musicians began to organize a project to help Seattle celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month. On May 6th, 2007, they gathered more than 250 local professional jazz musicians to create a Seattle version of the now famous “Great Day in Harlem” photograph taken by Art Kane for Esquire magazine in 1958. The photograph was shot by Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Daniel Sheehan on the steps of City Hall in downtown Seattle – a historic moment in Seattle’s jazz history. 

In addition to celebrating Jazz Appreciation Month, the organizers designed the project as a means to give back to the music community. Sales of posters and prints of the photograph benefit the MusiCares Foundation, which provides a safety net of critical assistance for music professionals in times of need.

The results of the Great Day in Seattle project are now available just in time for Jazz Appreciation Month. Limited edition posters are being sold at Bud’s Jazz Records, Tula’s Restaurant and Nightclub, Silver Platters, the New Orleans Creole Restaurant, and at the “A Great Day in Seattle” website – www.agreatdayinseattle.com. The posters are being sold for $20.00 each. Also for sale are 20 original framed prints, signed and numbered by Daniel Sheehan, and autographed by the more than 250 musicians depicted in the photo. These rare prints are going for $2,500 each and can be purchased through the project website. Again, all proceeds from the purchases go to the MusiCares Foundation.  Ten additional original prints will be donated to local non-profits for their fund-raising events. Read More

Vocalist Stepahnie Nakasian will be performing at Nich Anderson’s JazzVox House Concerts tonight on Camano Island and in Federal Way/Auburn tomorrow.  Stepanie will be accompanied by Bill Anschell (piano) and Doug Miller (bass) . For more information about these house concerts, visit http://www.jazzvox.com and for more information about Stephanie Nakasian, visit her on the web at http://www.stephanienakasian.com

Acclaimed jazz vocalist Stephanie Nakasian took some time with Nich Anderson of JazzVox for a phone interview:

JazzVox: Tell us a little about yourself, your background and how you got started with jazz singing.

Stephanie Nakasian: I was working on Wall Street and I lived on the upper east side in New York on 54th Street and had heard a friend of mine who said ‘you gotta go hear my uncle, he’s a jazz piano player’.  I didn’t know anything about jazz.  She said he’s on 63rd and 1st – he plays at Gregory’s (that was really down the street from me).  I was kind of getting tired of hanging around just bankers and brokers so I decided to go by and see what it was all about and saw Hod (O’Brien) and heard him and just you know, really loved the whole feeling of the music.  I knew the songs because I’d heard of Rodgers & Hart and Gershwin songs, but I’d never heard them done in a swinging, exciting style all improvised and everything.  And he was cute… and I said people think I have a good voice, would you mind listening to me sing?  I was kind of at a place in my career where I just I wasn’t that happy with being in the business world and didn’t really know which way to go and was looking for something else.  Hod listened to me and liked my singing and we fell for each other. He had me sit in with him at gigs and then I started to get gigs Read More

JAZZ ALLEY: Pinetop Perkins with Big Eyes smith Band

TRIPLE DOOR MUSICQUARIUM: Tor Dietrichson/Leif Totusek Duo

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: SCCC Jazz Orchestra w/Lonnie MArdis

THE NEW ORLEANS: The Legend Band w/Clarence Acox

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE:
6pm – Eileen Neff (vocals), with Nate Omdal (bass), Josh Rawlings (piano) and Cody Rahn (drums)
8pm – Vocal Jam with Carrie Wicks

TUTTA BELLA: Primo Basso

THAIKU: Ron Weinstein Trio

Anything else? Let us know in the comments section.

JAZZ ALLEY: Pinetop Perkins with the Willie Big Eyes Smith Band

TULA’S JAZZ CLUB: Jay Thomas Big Band

NEW ORLEAN’S: Holotradband

EGAN’S BALLARD JAM HOUSE: Dorothy Rodes (vocals) with Darin Clendenin (piano)

OWL ‘N THISTLE: Jam Session