Abe Beeson

Ann Hampton Callaway: Singing the standards, Streisand and making it up as she goes

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:06:16 +0000

Vocalist, pianist and composer, Ann Hampton Callaway has had success in the worlds of jazz, Broadway and cabaret. She’s also one of our favorite KPLU Studio Session guests.

We invite her to perform every time she passes through Seattle because, from one visit to the next, we never know what kind of surprises she’ll treat us to.

Molly Ringwald: Rediscovering her jazz roots

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:51:14 +0000

In 2010, actress/singer, Molly Ringwald wrote her first book, Getting The Pretty Back. The "pretty" in the title is a reference to what is perhaps Molly’s most famous movie, "Pretty In Pink" (1986), directed by John Hughes.

She also worked with Hughes in "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club." But before Molly Ringwald became one of the world’s most famous teenagers, she was a jazz singer.

Holly Cole: Reinventing the familiar

Abe Beeson — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:01:00 +0000

Canadian vocalist, Holly Cole, is one of greatest song interpreters alive.

She can take a song you think you know and bring something out of it that you’ve never heard before.

For example, her latest CD, Night, contains Holly’s inventive re-imagining of a James Bond theme (You Only Live Twice), as well as songs by Danny O’Keefe, Tom Waits, Captain Beefheart, Rod McKuen and Gordon Lightfoot.

Singer Jackie Ryan's life in music

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 23:12:53 +0000

In this studio session singer, Jackie Ryan, gives us three of her favorites: a gospel-tinged version of Accentuate The Positive, a beautiful reading of I Loves You, Porgy and the Spanish-language song, La Puerta, dedicated to her mother.

As you’ll hear Jackie say in this interview, she grew up singing. After years as a touring R&B singer, Jackie discovered jazz and never looked back. Today, she’s one of America’s finest jazz singers.

Juan de Marcos and The Afro-Cuban All Stars: The Soul Of Cuba

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 00:13:08 +0000

On a recent visit to Seattle, Juan de Marcos and The Afro-Cuban All Stars stopped by for a three-song studio session with KPLU in the KCTS 9 studios. How good was it?

Well, as host, Abe Beeson says, “If this music doesn’t move you, you’ve got no place to go.”

Watch the full interview and performance:

http://youtu.be/ayKsqYLvE0g

The intimacy of the duo: Dee Dee Bridgewater and Benny Green

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:57:40 +0000

Grammy award-winning jazz vocalist, Dee Dee Bridgewater almost always performs with a band accompanying her, while pianist Benny Green is generally heard in a trio configuration and seldom works with vocalists (with the notable exception of being Betty Carter’s pianist when he was in his 20’s).

So this session was a double treat: hearing two great musicians, both slightly out of their performance comfort zones, but totally in the moment with each other.

http://youtu.be/wQe3wO-vMQs

Bill Charlap solo piano: Tradition, invention and wit

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 19:30:05 +0000

It’s no wonder that pianist, Bill Charlap, loves the music that has come to be called The Great American Songbook—the songs of great Tin Pan Alley composers such as Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Irving Berlin.

He grew up with it.

Catherine Russell: Keeping the family tradition alive

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Wed, 24 Oct 2012 19:56:50 +0000

Vocalist, Catherine Russell was raised in a musical family. Her father, Luis, was Louis Armstrong’s band-leader and her mother, Carline Ray, was a member of the International Sweethearts Of Rhythm.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MO3JccAHRjo&hd=1

Curtis Stigers: Creating new jazz standards from contemporary

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Curtis Stigers is a singer, songwriter, saxophonist who loves the great Tin Pan Alley songs of George Gershwin and Cole Porter, but finds a greater creative challenge in doing jazz versions of songs by more contemporary songwriters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWE_wx93KR0

Cyrus Chestnut: Solo piano with ‘The Nutman’

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 21:07:55 +0000

Pianist Cyrus Chestnut came onto the jazz scene slowly. From the mid-1980’s to mid-1990’s, he apprenticed as pianist for Jon Hendricks, Better Carter, Donald Harrison and Wynton Marsalis. Since then he has toured the world numerous times and recorded 15 albums as a leader.

Live in the KPLU Studios: A rare solo performance by Ramsey Lewis

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 22:49:46 +0000

Just in case you haven’t noticed, pianist Ramsey Lewis is having a great career.

He’s won Grammy awards, hosted successful television and radio jazz programs and even had cross-over hit records on the pop music charts (quite by accident, he assures us). He’s been playing professionally since about 1950 and has released more than 80 albums so far.

All-Star Trio: Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea and Stanley Clark

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Fri, 18 May 2012 19:46:04 +0000

Last Friday, during their 4-night engagement at Jazz Alley, this jazz super-group consisting of drummer Jack DeJohnette, Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke visited the KPLU Performance Studio for a little conversation with jazz host, Abe Beeson, and a whole lot of music!

The Tierney Sutton Band: A true group effort

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Tue, 08 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Singer Tierney Sutton’s band were in deep discussion five minutes before their live in-studio performance on KPLU last Wednesday, trying to decide which three songs to play for our audience. It was just one example of how interconnected each member of this quartet really is.

We learned more about each band member’s extra-musical skills were divided, how they’d go about sharing their surely impending Grammy Award (they've been nominated for five so far), and Tierney told us about walking the fine line as lyrical story teller and vocal improviser.

Christian McBride: The bass boss

Abe Beeson and Justin Steyer — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 19:00:59 +0000

In the first generation of be-bop musicians, Ray Brown was King of the Jazz Bass. Today, the ‘go-to’ jazz bassist is Christian McBride, so we felt quite lucky when he said he had the time to stop into to KPLU studios for a performance with pianist, Peter Martin.

Lynne Arriale: Pianist with that 'something extra'

Justin Steyer and Abe Beeson — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:19:28 +0000

http://youtu.be/ovlSyHIBEJw?hd=1

When pianist Lynne Arriale released her first CD in 1994, KPLU began playing music from it right away. It was clear to us that Lynne had that "something extra" that separates good musicians from great musicians.

Over the course of her career she’s continued to build on that quality, so we were especially pleased to finally welcome her as a guest artist in our Seattle performance studio.