Jazz Now! Seattle – Episode 86

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

Another action-packed show this week, with news two new releases, two new bands, a great double-bill and giveaway winners announced!

Jazz Now! Seattle - Episode 86 [ 1:16:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (22)

If you like any of the music you hear, please support the artists and purchase their album by clicking on the CD cover.

  1. Click to Buy

    Ben Thomas – Things Happen to Bears”
    From the CD Triskaidekaphobia (Origin Records)
    Vibraphonist Ben Thomas debuts a new group called the Tangent Trio this week at the newly reopened Bake’s Place in downtown Bellevue. With Eric Likkel on clarinets and Alex Chadsey on piano, Thomas says the group will blend tango and jazz, playing original compositions and traditonal tangos, milongas, and vals with a jazz twist. Sounds cool to us! Here’s a track from Ben’s debut album, with Likkel, Laura Caviani on piano, Clipper Anderson on bass, John Bishop on drums & Tom Bergersen on congas.
    Upcoming show: Tues., May 22nd @ Bake’s Place

  2. Click to Buy

    The Teaching – “Being Joyful”
    From the CD Live at Dazzle (Dazzle Recordings)
    The Teaching has been making annual trips to Denver, home of their drummer Jeremy Jones, for a few years now. On their trip in December 2009 they recorded their show and have just released the whole thing on Dazzle Recordings, owned by Dazzle Jazz Club, Denver’s version of Jazz Alley. With Jones, Josh Rawlings on keyboard and Evan Flory-Barnes on bass you always get joyful music played from the heart, as the title of this tune suggests. They’ll be holding their Seattle CD Release Party for the new album at Bake’s Place this week.
    Upcoming show: Wed., May 23rd @ Bake’s Place

  3. Click to Buy

    Dave Peck – “East of the Sun”
    From the CD Modern Romance (Artist Share)
    Dave Peck returns to Tula’s this weekend with his killer trio with Jeff Johnson on bass and Eric Eagle on drums. This is one of Seattle’s long-running bands and the interplay they achieve comes only after a long time playing together. You’d be hard pressed to find a better example of true musical communication and communion than this band. If you haven’t seen them take this opportunity!
    Upcoming shows: Fri. & Sat., May 18th & 19th @ Tula’s

  4. Click to Buy

    Garfield High School Jazz Band – “Daydream”
    From the CD KPLU School of Jazz Vol. 4 (self-produced)
    The Garfield Jazz Band hosts their annual Gala fundraiser this weekend. The award-winning group let by Clarence Acox will perform and hopes to raise the money needed to fund the band’s trips to festivals and competitions for the coming year. We can’t think of a more worthy cause, and hope you’ll help out. Even if you can’t attend, you can donate to the program here. Here’s the band from a few years back with Andy Ohmdal joining them on trumpet.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 18th @ Garfield Jazz Annual Gala

  5. Click for Info

    Samantha Boshnack Quintet – “The Royal Suite: Movement 3″
    Exclusive Unreleased track
    Trumpeter Samantha Boshnack is one of the busiest players on the Seattle scene. You’ve heard her on Jazz Now! Seattle with Reptet, SJCE, and she also plays in Publish the Quest, Picoso and other groups large and small. She put together a quintet to play a suite of music she wrote for The Royal Room, and that quintet will again be at the Columbia City venue this week. It features Beth Fleenor on clarinets, Dawn Clement on piano, Isaac Castillo on bass and Max Wood on drums. Here’s one part of her “Royal Suite” with the same band.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 18th @ The Royal Room

  6. Click to Buy

    Chad McCullough & Bram Weijters – “Imaginary Folk Song”
    From the CD Imaginary Sketches (Origin Records)
    Trumpeter Chad McCullough and Belgian pianist Bram Weijters hooked up at the Banff Center a few years ago and have been playing together ever since. They released a great record on Origin and have toured both Europe and the US many times in the last couple years. Bram is back in town for a string of gigs this with Chad this week. They’ll be playing in North Bend, Seattle and Port Townsend. Click below for info on the full tour while you enjoy this track with Chuck Deardorf on bass and John Bishop on drums.
    Upcoming shows: Click here for details

  7. Click to Buy

    Human Spirit – “In Unity”
    From the CD Dialogue: Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival (Origin Records)
    The new Human Spirit CD was officially released this week. Last week we played a track and did a giveaway of two copies of the CD. Congrats to Chris McCarthy and Art Brown, both Seattle jazz musicians we have featured on the podcast, for correctly answering our Human Spirit trivia question. Your CDs are in the mail! Here’s another great track from the new disc with Thomas Marriott on trumpet, Mark Taylor on alto, Matt Jorgensen on drums, Orrin Evans on piano and Essiet Essiet on bass.

  8. Click to Buy

    Gravity – “Raw Dog Ranch”
    From the CD Grimy (self-produced)
    Gravity is Tim Kennedy on keyboards, Ian Sheridan on bass and Claudio Rochat-Felix on drums. The trio has been playing together for many years and released Grimy a couple years back. We love how much ground the band covers on this CD while always staying right in the pockets. We also hear rumors of a new CD on the way…care to confirm or deny, fellas???? They are playing a double-bill with Hardcoretet at Tula’s this week. Don’t miss it!
    Upcoming show: Thurs., May 24th @ Tula’s

  9. Click to Buy

    Hardcoretet – “Urban Tribes”
    From the CD Do It Live (self-produced)
    Our buddies Hardcoretet are teaming up with Gravity for another great double-bill this week. You’ll find high quality music and some hijinx as well when these two bands get together. Here’s a track from their latest album with Art Brown on alto, Aaron Otheim on keys, Tim Carey on bass and Tarik Abouzied on drums.

See you in the clubs!

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Jazz Now! Seattle – Episode 85

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin

We’ve got another BIG episode for you this week! New venues, old friends, a continuing festival and even a giveaway!

Jazz Now! Seattle - Episode 85 [ 58:17 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (161)

If you like any of the music you hear, please support the artists and purchase their album by clicking on the CD cover.

  1. Click to Buy

    Jon Hamar – “Julia”
    From the CD Hereafter (self-produced)
    Bassist Jon Hamar brings his trio back to Boxley’s this week. Jon is that rare breed of musician who is a first-call cat in both the classical and jazz worlds. His CDs feature great songs and great playing, like this one, with Dawn Clement on piano and Byron Vannoy on drums doing the Lennon/McCartney tune.
    Upcoming show: Sun., May 13th @

  2. Click to Buy

    Chad McCullough – “Another Dark Ballad”
    From the CD Imaginary Sketches (Origin Records)
    Trumpeter Chad McCullough is fronting Flexicon at the New Orleans this weekend, filling in for Thomas Marriott. It’s always fun when he plays with Rick Mandyck, Phil Sparks and Matt Jorgensen at one of Seattle’s oldest jazz haunts. You might even see some special guests stop by to sit in with the band.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 11th @ New Orleans

  3. Click to Buy

    Bill Anschell – “Undercurrent Event”
    From the CD When Cooler Heads Prevail (Summit Records)
    Bill Anschell brings his trio to the Crossroads Mall in Bellevue this weekend with Chuck Kistler on bass and Brad Boal on drums. Bill just got back from playing in Lima, Peru and I’m sure he has stories to tell! And if you’ve never been out there, Crossroads has been hosting jazz shows for years and it’s a great place to catch some music!
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 11th @ Crossroads Mall

  4. Click to Buy

    Dee Daniels – “Please Send Me Someone To Love”
    From the CD Let’s Talk Business (Capri Records)
    Dee Daniels is one of the best kept secrets in the music business. She’s an absolutely incredible singer, pianist and performer who has been honing her craft for years, including many lived in Seattle. She now lives in Vancouver BC but we still claim her as our own. And this weekend she’s the featured performer at the brand new Bake’s Place location in downtown Bellevue. We’re so excited about Craig’s new venue and can’t wait to check out the beautiful room. Dee is there all weekend long!
    Upcoming show: Fri.-Sun., May 11-13th @ Bake’s Place

  5. Click to Buy

    Greta Matassa – “Nothing Like You”
    From the CD I Wanna Be Loved (Resonance Records)
    Also singing at Bake’s Place in their first week in the new location is Seattle’s vocal treasure Greta Matassa. We can’t think of anyone more fitting to break in the new club, as Greta has been the dominant vocalist on the Seattle jazz scene for years now. Always swingin’ and entertaining, Greta will sound great in the new room.
    Upcoming show: Tues., May 15th @ Bake’s Place

  6. Click to Buy

    Kareem Kandi – “R.I.T.”
    From the CD See What I’m Saying (self-produced)
    Saxophonist Kareem Kandi has been playing on the Seattle jazz scene for years. He lives in Tacoma and is more visible in the South-end, but he brings his band up to Seattle now and then, and they’ll be here on Friday opening for The Paperboys at The Triple Door. They just released this CD of originals and we’re happy to be able to feature them on the show for the first time.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 11th @ The Triple Door

  7. Click to Buy

    Human Spirit – “Song For Samuel”
    From the CD Dialogue (Origin Records)
    Human Spirit is a collective co-led by trumpeter Thomas Marriot, saxophonist Mark Taylor and drummer Matt Jorgensen. The three have played together in countless bands over the years and have a deep rapport. They have been playing with various rhythm sections as Human Spirit, and last year recorded this album at the Earshot Jazz Festival with Orrin Evans on piano and Essiet Essiet on bass. Tom gave us two copies to give away, and one can be yours! All you have to do is answer this question: Name one other CD that the three of them played on together. Give us the name of the CD, the leader and the record label and a copy can be yours. Just leave your answer in the comments below or call us and leave the answer at (206) 984-2410. We’ll send the first two people to get the correct answer a CD.

  8. Click to Buy

    Cuong Vu – “All The Things You Are”
    From the CD Leaps of Faith (Origin Records)
    The next two artists are featured in performances at IMPFest IV this weekend. Trumpeter Cuong Vu will team up with his UW Music School colleague Richard Karpen for the Vu-Karpen project. You’ll hear all kinds of sounds with this band. Here’s Cuong from his latest album with his working group of Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Poor on drums, also joined by fellow UW faculty Luke Bergman on bass. We dig this reworked version of this old standard.
    Upcoming show: Sat., May 12th @ IMPFest IV

  9. Click to Buy

    Operation ID – “Where Are You?”
    From the CD Legs (Table and Chairs)
    Our buddies Operation ID are also playing at IMPFest this weekend. They have been working on all new material for a few months now so expect to get a healthy dose of brand new songs at the gig. This is from their great debut album, with Jared Borkowski on guitar, Rob Hanlon on keys, Ivan Arteaga on sax, David Balatero on bass and Evan Woodle on drums.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 11th @ IMPFest IV

Don’t forget to leave your answer to our giveaway question in the comments below or phone it in to (206) 984-2410 for your chance to win a copy of the great new Human Spirit record. See you in the clubs!

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Jazz Now! Seattle – Episode 84

Posted on May 4, 2012 by admin

Dave’s flying solo this week and he’s put together a great show for your listening pleasure! Not one, not two, but three trumpets in the first two tunes… highlights from this week at IMPFest… an anniversary and a reunion… three artists are played on the show for the first time… and a big band set to finish it off… enjoy!

Jazz Now! Seattle - Episode 84 [ 41:57 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (135)

If you like any of the music you hear, please support the artists and purchase their album by clicking on the CD cover.

  1. Click to Buy

    Thomas Marriott – “Take It To The Ozone”
    From the CD Flexicon (Origin Records)
    Trumpeter Thomas Marriott’s Flexicon band with Rick Mandyck on piano, Phil Sparks on bass and Matt Jorgensen on drums celebrates the 2nd anniversary of their weekly gig at the New Orleans this Friday. That’s a long running gig and we couldn’t be happier to see it continue! If you haven’t been down to check them out do it! Here’s a Freddie Hubbard burner from the album that spawned the band, with Jorgensen, Mark Taylor on Alto, Bill Anschell on piano, Jeff Johnson on bass and special guest Joe Locke on vibes.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 4th @ New Orleans

  2. Click to Buy

    Fred Radke – “Absolutely Nuclear”
    From the LP First Reunion (First American Records)
    Dave had to pull out the turntable to feature this killer track from a 1982 LP by trumpeters Fred Radke and Mike Vax! The two trumpeters are having another reunion this weekend at Tula’s, with Butch Nordal on piano, Dan Dean on bass and Tom Collier on drums. Should be a great night of trumpet pyrotechnics, as you can hear on this track that features Collier, Dean and pianist Barney McClure.
    Upcoming shows: Sat., May 5th @ Tula’s & Mon., May 7th w/Harry James Orchestra @ Meany Theater

  3. Click for Info

    Burn List
    Exclusive Unreleased track from Sonarchy Radio
    IMPFest IV is this weekend and the next two bands are featured on opening night. This tune is from Burn List, featuring the tower improvisors Cuong Vu on trumpet, Greg Sinibaldi on reeds, Aaron Otheim on keyboards and Chris Icasiano on drums. We’re glad to be able to feature this killer tune from their Sonarchy Radio broadcast and hope you’ll catch them live.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 4th @ IMPFest IV

  4. Click to Buy

    Bad Luck – “Menagerie”
    From the CD Two (Table & Chairs)
    Bad Luck is also playing at IMPFest IV this weekend with Burn List and George Garzone. Saxophonist Neil Welch and drummer Chris Icasiano have been playing as a duo for many years now and have developed a repertoire and a share language between them. Their shows cover lots of ground and sonic space, with the use of their acoustic instruments and electronics.
    Upcoming show: Fri., May 4th @ IMPFest IV

  5. Click to Buy

    Jim Knapp Orchestra – “Kennewick Man”
    From the CD Secular Breathing (Origin Records)
    The Jim Knapp Orchestra returns to the Royal Room this week for a great double-bill with the Northwest School Jazz Band under the direction of fellow trumpeter Jim Sisko. Knapp’s band is one of the premier big bands playing today and have a large body of Jim’s great compositions to draw from, including this one, which features Rob Davis on tenor and Ingrid Jensen on trumpet.
    Upcoming show: Sun., May 6th @ The Royal Room

  6. Click to Buy

    Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra – View From The Top
    From the CD In Progress (Pony Boy Records)
    The Jim Cutler has been playing Tula’s every Sunday night for the better part of a decade and somehow we have yet to feature them on the show. We rectify that situation with this great Cutler original from their Debut album featuring great playing by the leader on tenor and Al Keith on trumpet among others.
    Upcoming show: Sun., May 6th @ Tula’s

Join us next week as we feature a giveaway! We’ll have a couple of copies of the brand new album from Human Spirit courtesy of Origin Records! See you in the clubs…

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It’s International Jazz Day!

Posted on April 30, 2012 by admin

April 30th

April 30th has been proclaimed International Jazz Day by none other than Herbie Hancock! Today is the day to celebrate jazz music in all its forms. Talk about it with your friends. Play some jazz for someone who doesn’t normally listen. Take in a show. Support the people who make the music!

Here’s the mission statement, from the International Jazz Day website:

“In November 2011, during the UNESCO General Conference, the international community proclaimed 30 April as “International Jazz Day”. This International Day will bring together communities, schools, artists, historians, academics, and jazz enthusiasts all over the world to celebrate and learn about the art of jazz, its roots, its future and its impact. This important international art form will be celebrated for promoting peace, dialogue among cultures, diversity, and respect for human rights and human dignity, eradicating discrimination, promoting freedom of expression, fostering gender equality, and reinforcing the role of youth for social change.”

We think this is a great idea, and hope you’ll get in the spirit by going to see some live jazz tonight. You have lots of options, here’s just a few:

That’s just a few we could find this morning. We’re sure there’s more. If you can’t make it out tonight, how about purchasing a CD from one of the many fantastic bands/musicians in the Seattle Jazz Scene. Let’s keep the music alive!

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Jazz Now! Seattle – Episode 83

Posted on April 26, 2012 by admin

We’ve got a BIG show for you this week including news of a great triple bill, a couple killer large ensembles, some straight-ahead swingin’ and a special surprise at the end of the show…you’re going to want to make it all the way through this week, trust us. ;)

Jazz Now! Seattle - Episode 83 [ 1:22:22 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (273)

If you like any of the music you hear, please support the artists and purchase their album by clicking on the CD cover.

  1. Click to Buy

    Byron Vannoy’s Thread – “Loom”
    From the CD Thread (self-produced)
    There’s a great triple-bill coming to a new-ish venue this week that’ll be a blast. Byron Vannoy’s Thread will be playing with our old pals Gravity and drummer Brad Gibson’s new band Poontet at the Rogue and Peasant, a new room in Fremont. This promises to be an awesome night of music, and it’d be great to have a big turnout to show the venue that there’s an audience for jazz in Seattle. To whet your appetite, here’s our favorite track from Thread’s release from last year, with Byron on drums, Jacques Willis on vibes, Dean Schmidt on bass and Thione Diop on percussion.
    Upcoming show: Thurs., May 3rd @ Rogue and Peasant

  2. Click for Info

    Poontet – “Twilight”
    Exclusive unreleased track
    Brad Gibson’s new band Poontet blurs the lines between genres, but only in the best ways! A vehicle for Gibson’s compositions, the band presents great sonic opportunities with a front line of Bryan Smith on alto and Scott Morning on trumpet, the dual guitars of Ari Zucker and Gregg Belisle-chi, and bassist Jason Gray. This exclusive track is a world broadcast premier from their recent Sonarchy taping.
    Upcoming show: Thurs., May 3rd @ Rogue and Peasant

  3. Click to Buy

    Tom Varner – “The Trilling Clouds”
    From the CD Heaven and Hell (Omni-Tone Records)
    The Tom Varner Nonet returns to the Royal Room this week. If you haven’t yet seen this band, do yourself a favor and go! It’s filled with many of the Seattle jazz scene’s best players (including our esteemed co-host David Marriott, Jr.) and the book is filled with really cool compositions like this one. Players on this recording are Russ Johnson on trumpet, Chris Stover on trombone, Jessie Canterbury on clarinet, Mark Taylor on alto saxophone, Saul Cline on soprano saxophone, Eric Barber on tenor saxophone, Jim DeJoie on baritone saxophone, Phil Sparks on bass and Byron Vannoy on drums.
    Upcoming show: Sun., Apr. 29th @ The Royal Room

  4. Click to Buy

    Seattle Jazz Composers Ensemble – “Tunnel Mountain”
    From the CD Volume 1 (self-produced)
    The SJCE teams up with the Karin Stevens Dance Company to present “Confluence/Influence”, an evening of composer/choreographer pairings. The four pieces that make up the program were created collaboratively with the composers and choreographers, resulting in cohesive pieces that have one vision. A crack band (again including our own David Marriott, Jr.!) will play pieces by Michael Owcharuk, Beth Fleenor, Catherine Grealish and Stephen Fandrich, danced by Karin Stephens, UMAMI, Amy Weaver and Khambatta Dance Co.
    Upcoming shows: Fri. & Sat., Apr. 27th & 28th @ The Chapel

  5. Click for Info

    Ask the Ages – “Journey to Satchidinanda”
    Exclusive Unreleased Track
    Ask the Ages is Greg Campbell on drums and percussion, Steven Bell on vibraphone, Brian Heaney on guitar, Kate Olson on sax/woodwinds and John Seman on bass. The are playing the WTF Festival this weekend. The festival is a multi-date, multi-city affair and aims to “offer up a venue and support for the creative class to gather, to conspire, to scream and shout, to speak out, speak to and possibly inspire.” Sounds pretty cool! Here’s an earlier version of the group with Heaney, Seman, Campbell and Matt Reid on trumpet playing a great Alice Coltrane tune.
    Upcoming show: Sat., Apr. 28th @ Comet Tavern

  6. Click to Buy

    Special OPS – “Demons Dancing Around His Pipe”
    From the CD Arm Me (Monktail)
    Special OPS is another one of the wonderful bands under the Monktail umbrella. Their performances draw influence from contemporary chamber composition, small group jazz improvisation, electronic experimentalism, dark metal, and more. They love noise and are not afraid to use it! Featuring Mark Ostrowski on drums, Stephen Parris on guitar and John Seman on bass, and you can catch them at The Rat and Raven in the U District this week.
    Upcoming show: Wed., May 2nd @ The Rat and Raven

  7. Click for Info

    Bernie Jacobs – “A Night In Tunisia”
    From the CD One By One (Pony Boy Records)
    Bernie Jacobs is a terrific vocalist and reedman and a consummate performer. His shows are joyous occasions that’ll bring a smile to your face. You can see for your self at Boxley’s this week when he brings his quartet for a spin. His latest album features Randy Halberstadt on piano, Chuck Kistler on bass and Greg Williamson on drums.
    Upcoming show: Sat., Apr. 28th @ Boxley’s

  8. Click to Buy

    Jose Gonzales – “Wiliow Weep for Me”
    From the CD Jose Gonzales Trio (self-produced)
    Jose “Juicy” Gonzales is another fantastic performer. He’s a pianist, vocalist, songwriter and entertainer and he’s bringing his trio to Tula’s this week. Another cat who brings some serious fun to his performances, Jose plays standards, originals and well-chosen pop tunes with his bandmates Dave Pascal on bass and Lionel Kramer on drums.
    Upcoming show: Thurs., May 3rd @ Tula’s

  9. Click to Buy

    Jeff Lorber Fusion – “Seventh Mountain”
    From the CD Galaxian (Arista Records)
    OK, we promised you a surprise this week, and here it is! We’re playing this tune from Jeff Lorber because it features the one and only Kenny Gorelick on tenor sax. That’s right baby, Kenny G on Jazz Now! Seattle! Love him or hate him, Kenny is part of the Seattle jazz scene and we felt his shows at Jazz Alley were noteworthy enough for inclusion. We can’t remember the last time he played in town, let alone in an intimate venue. If you go, please send us a report! This tune also features Dennis Bradford on drums, Danny Wilson on electric bass and Paulinho Da Costa on percussion.
    Upcoming show: Fri. – Sun., Apr. 27-29 @ Jazz Alley

See you in the clubs!

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