Music Video

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.

Joan Osborne and The Holmes Brothers are a recipe for soul

Justin Steyer and John Kessler — Wed, 08 May 2013 19:51:29 +0000

Want a good recipe for soul music?

Here’s what you do: Start with vocalist, Joan Osborne, who has had pop music hits, performed on The Grand Old Oprey, toured with members of The Grateful Dead and yet never strayed from her roots in rhythm ‘n blues music.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZF3hIg0gFg

Now add a good, solid dose of The Holmes Brothers (Sherman Holmes, Wendell Holmes and Popsy Dixon), who have been playing their own unique blend of blues, gospel, soul and R&B since the late 1970’s.

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

Graham Dechter: Youth steeped in tradition

Justin Steyer and Nick Francis — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:49:14 +0000

Graham Dechter is a 26-year-old jazz guitarist who is, indeed, currently living his dream.

Graham was invited to join the world-famous Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra at age 19. Now, 7 years later, he is leading his own group and just released his second CD, “Takin' It There.”

Here is a video of the quartet performing the title track, "Takin' It There" live in our studios:

http://youtu.be/jvpkJdWyXgc

Video: Local hiphop artist's tribute to Pho … it don't rhyme with yo

Amelia Greim — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 18:58:17 +0000

Seattle hip hop artist DJ Sabzi has a new project celebrating a Northwest favorite: The Vietnamese noodle soup called pho. In his song (see video below), he makes sure we know how to pronounce this special soup, telling us that "it don't rhyme with yo!"

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

Halie Loren: Putting Eugene, Ore. on the jazz map

Justin Steyer and Kevin Kniestedt — Thu, 04 Oct 2012 18:20:57 +0000

In this studio session, hosted by Kevin Kniestedt, we’re pleased to introduce you to a woman who we believe is one of the finest up-and-coming international jazz talents to come along in years, Halie Loren.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zd6A99oSvw

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.

Bellingham vocalist Cheryl Jewell: Coming home to jazz

Nick Francis and Justin Steyer — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 17:45:57 +0000

Bellingham jazz singer, Cheryl Jewell, was raised in Oak Harbor, Washington. When she went to college in Bellingham, she fell in love with that city. She left only to pursue her singing career in Chicago, Detroit and Los Angeles.

After working for several years as a rock and country singer, Cheryl decided to move back to Bellingham and pursue her first musical love—jazz. With the release of her first jazz CD, My Blue Heaven, Cheryl has placed herself on the top shelf of West Coast jazz singers.

Karrin Allyson: Relaxin' in the KPLU studios

Justin Steyer — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:26:14 +0000

Over the past 20 years, vocalist, Karrin Allyson, has recorded 13 albums that cover a vast musical territory. She’s explored The Great American Songbook, the musical styles of Brazil and France, the blues and the work of more contemporary songwriters. She’s recorded a tribute to John Coltrane, a CD of late-night ballads and earned 4 Grammy nominations.

Despite being so busy, every time her tour schedule brings her to Seattle, she visits her friend, jazz host Dick Stein, in the KPLU/Jazz24 performance studio to give us a sample of the music she currently exploring ... and there’s no telling what that might be.

Blues singer Janiva Magness takes the next step

John Kessler and Justin Steyer — Sat, 26 May 2012 20:15:51 +0000

Blues singer Janiva Magness just released a new CD, Stronger For It, and was recently in town performing at Jazz Alley. She and her 4-piece band visited KPLU’s Seattle Studio and performed 4 songs from the new CD. It’s her 9th release, but the first to feature songs written by her.

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.