KPLU.org: Studio Sessions and Concerts

KPLU Studio Sessions and Concerts		Click here to Podcast KPLU's Studio Sessions

	Upcoming Sessions and Concerts
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	Past Studio Sessions and Concerts
	Roy Hargrove Quintet Hear the Session Trumpeter Roy Hargrove performed live at KPLU's Seattle studios on Wednesday, December 2, hosted by Abe Beeson. Hargrove was accompanied in the studio by pianist Jonathan Batiste, bassist Ameen Saleem, saxophonist Justin Robinson, and drummer Montez Coleman as they performed three songs: Low Life, For Tamisha, and Soulful. Checkout video, photos and the podcast of their performance in KPLU's Seattle studios

	Eldar Hear the Session Speaking with KPLU jazz host, Kevin Kniestedt, Eldar talked about his family's move from Kyrgyzstan to Kansas City as a child, and how much he learned from that city's veteran jazz musicians. Eldar also showcased his improvisational and compositional skills with three solo piano pieces, I Should Care, Insensitive and his own Vanilla Sky/Exposition. Click to watch a video and slideshow from his performance in the KPLU Seattle Studios
	Ramsey Lewis Hear the Session At age 74, Ramsey Lewis is reveling in his relatively new career as a composer. We’ll hear Lewis play three solo pieces including Clouds In Reverie from his new CD, and two songs he’s never recorded, In The Still Of The Night and a very impromptu, very beautiful version of Lennon/McCartney’s, Here There And Everywhere. Click to watch a video and slideshow from his performance in the KPLU Seattle Studios

	McCoy Tyner Hear the Session There is perhaps no other living jazz pianist with as impressive a resume as MyCoy Tyner. This is a man who began his professional career in the Benny Golson/Art Farmer Jazztet in 1960 and then almost immediately leapt into the John Coltrane Quartet to become one of four musicians (with Coltrane, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison) who collectively changed the face and the course of jazz in the early to mid-1960’s. Since then, Mr. Tyner has led his own groups and continues to record and tour with all the vigor of his youth. In this solo piano performance interview with KPLU/Jazz24 Music Director, Nick Francis, McCoy reminisces a bit about his time in the Coltrane quartet and performs his version of Coltrane’s ‘Naima.’ He also gives us his treatments of ‘Suddenly’ (one of his own compositions) and the jazz standard, ‘Like Someone In Love.’ Along the way, he also talks about growing up in the rich Philadelphia music scene and his long association in the 1970’s with jazz producer, Orrin Keepnews.

	Monty Alexander Hear the Session To hear jazz pianist Monty Alexander tell it, he’s had a wonderful life. In this conversation with Jazz 24 music director, Nick Francis, Monty talks about making music throughout his youth in Jamaica when ska and reggae were just coming into their own. He recalls his early days on the jazz scene in Florida and New York, which included encounters with Frank Sinatra and his entourage. Monty also talks about the wide variety of music he loves. As it turns out, there isn’t much music he doesn’t like; blues, old pop songs, boogie-woogie, reggae, classical pieces, even cowboy songs (which evidently cause him to yodel when he talks about them…at least he does it here). Of course, all of these different musical genres inform Monty’s jazz improvisations. In this performance, you’ll hear them weaving in and out of his solo piano versions of Fungi Mama, Night Mist Blues and the Bob Marley classic, No Woman, No Cry. Click to view a slideshow from his performance in the KPLU Seattle Studios

	Shemekia Copeland Hear the Session When blues singer, Shemekia Copeland performs live, it’s almost guaranteed to be an electrifying experience. She’s a powerful, soulful singer and she leads a tight quartet made up of electric guitar, electric bass, keyboards and drums. In this session, however, recorded in the Seattle studios of radio station, KPLU, we get a rare opportunity to hear Shemekia’s voice in a more intimate performance context. Instead of bringing her whole band, Shemekia arrived with just her guitar player, Arthur Neilson. They performed duet arrangements of three songs from Shemekia’s latest CD, ‘Never Going Back;’ Dirty Water, Born A Penny and Circumstances (written by her famous father, bluesman Johnny ‘Clyde’ Copeland). Shemekia also talked about the importance of expanding the boundaries of the blues and her recent tour of military bases in Iraq. Click to view a slideshow from her performance in the KPLU Seattle Studios

	Hiromi Hear the Session Pianist, Hiromi, is one of the fastest-rising stars on the international jazz scene, and for good reason. She’s got talent and chops to burn and she fairly glows with interesting ideas and positive energy. When she began playing in the KPLU performance studio, everybody in the radio station stopped what they were doing and came to watch. Hiromi began her three-song set with a piece that almost any other pianist would have used as a slam-bang closing number; a totally unique of George Gershwin’s ‘I Got Rhythm.’ Even those sitting in the same room with her, watching her play, couldn’t believe that all those notes and ideas were coming from one person. She followed that with one of her own compositions; a beautifully reflective piece called ‘Place To Be’ and ended with another original composition, ‘Brain Training.’ She also talked about the physical fitness that is required to perform at her energy level and gave us a very touching description of the visual image that serves as the basis for ‘Place To Be.’

	Karrin Allyson Hear the Session Vocalist/pianist, Karrin Allyson has made several visits to the KPLU performance studio and it has always been a delight to have her here. These days, it’s also a privilege since, over the past twenty years, Karrin has very gracefully grown into one of the world’s finest jazz singers. In her early days, she focused her talents primarily on jazz standards. Then she added some blues to her recorded oeuvre. More recently, she has been exploring her love and fascination for the music of Brazil. In this interview with KPLU/Jazz24 program host, Abe Beeson, Karrin talks about what she’s done to go deeper into Brazilian jazz and why she loves it so. Abe and Karrin also discuss what sort of thinking goes into creating a ‘Best Of’ CD and how wonderfully life experience and jazz compliment each other. Along the way, Karrin presents us with her versions of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Vivo Sohando, Tadd Dameron’s Soultrane (with lyrics by Chris Caswell) and a beautiful jazz arrangement of Billy Joel’s And So It Goes. On Vivo Sohando and Soultrane, Karrin is accompanied by her guitarist, Rod Fleeman.

	Eric Alexander Hear the Session When Eric walked into KPLU’s Seattle studios with his long-time collaborator, pianist, David Hazeltine, he was ready to play. He kicked things off right away with an intricate composition by Hazeltine which, as Eric said, leaves “no margin for error.” They followed that with a surpassingly beautiful reading of Leonard Bernstein’s Some Other Time and ended the session with the sweet Night Mist Blues. Along the way, Eric talked about his childhood experience as a classical pianist and how ‘meltdowns’ at recitals lead him to jazz. He also talks about solving what he calls ‘the puzzle’ of jazz and how important it was to him to build upon the work of great jazz saxophonists of the past to create his own instrumental ‘voice.’

	The Bad Plus Hear the Session 'The Bad Plus,' the ground-breaking jazz trio from Minneapolis, visited the KPLU studios recently, accompanied by Wendy Lewis, a genre-bending vocalist who is currently performing with the group on tour and is also featured on their latest CD, *'For All I Care.'* In this cutting-edge studio session the group performs *Lithium, Metal* and *How Deep Is Your Love. Click to view an audio slideshow with cool pictures from their performance in the KPLU Seattle Studios*

	Jazz NW - April 19 Hear the Session On the next Jazz Northwest from 88-5 KPLU, saxophonist and composer Mark Taylor leads his quartet in an Art of Jazz concert and CD release party at the Seattle Art Museum. Mark Taylor was recently named Northwest Instrumentalist of the Year at the annual Earshot Awards, and he’s been featured in numerous Seattle groups including the Jim Knapp Orchestra and the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Thomas Marriott and Matt Jorgensen + 451. The new CD "Spectre" (Origin Records) was officially released on April 21 and contains most of the selections in this concert.

	Jazz NW - April 5 Hear the Session The Japanese-American pianist, composer and band leader Toshiko Akiyoshi is featured with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra on Jazz Northwest. She is the recipient of 17 Grammy nominations, winner of multiple DownBeat Critcs and Readers Polls and was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2007. Toshiko Akiyoshi conducted and played a pair of concerts of her music in March. More info at Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.

	Jazz NW - March 22 Hear the Session A rare and very musical duo, Art Lande, piano and Mark Miller, woodwinds played this months Art of Jazz concert at The Seattle Art Museum. This pair of improvising musicians occasionally references jazz standards during their performance but mostly freely improvise music that touches on the classics, contemporary concert music, jazz and folk music, yet is entirely their own. This concert is essentially a continuous musical conversation/improvisation by the duo, although you'll hear a couple of standards referenced ... What Is This Thing Called Love and The Nearness of You.

	Jazz NW - March 15 Hear the Session This Sunday (3/15) on Jazz Northwest, we hear young talent including Garfield and Roosevelt High Jazz Bands who’ll play later this month at Hot Java Cool Jazz in Seattle as well as Essentially Ellington in New York City in May. We’ll also hear a debut CD by young Portland bassist and singer Kate Davis, and some more established Northwest musicians. Included will be new CDs from guitarist John Stowell (Portland), The Nickel & Brass Septet (Seattle) and The Ross Taggart Trio (Vancouver BC).

	Jazz NW - March 8 Hear the Session The Hadley Caliman Quintet was featured at The Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards, celebrating accomplishements on the Seattle Jazz for the past year. Hadley Caliman is a treasured member of the Seattle jazz community. His Quintet performs regularly each month at Tula's, he's a featured soloist with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, and is a valued mentor and teach for his many years at the Cornish College of the Arts. The current March issue of Earshot Jazz magazine features a photo of Hadley Caliman in concert at The Triple Door and a cover story on this year's Earshot Golden Ear Awards which took place at The Triple Door on February 2.

	Jazz NW - February 22 Hear the Session Composer, drummer and bandleader Steve Korn brought his quartet to the Seattle Art Museum for this month’s Art of Jazz concert. Saxophonist Mark Taylor, pianist Dawn Clement and bassist Jon Hamer join Steve Korn in playing his original music on this concert. For more info see http://www.stevekorn.com/

	Jazz NW - February 15 Hear the Session On Jazz Northwest this week, you can hear new CDs by Ernestine Anderson, Marc Seales and Darin Clendenin, and sample some of the artists at the Portland Jazz Festival and Winterruption Festival in Vancouver BC plus news about other opportunities to hear live jazz in our area.

	Jazz NW - February 8 Hear the Session Jazz Northwest salutes the 20th annual Golden Ear Awards presented by Earshot Jazz at the Triple Door on February 2. This program airs on February 8 and includes music by award winners Hadley Caliman (pictured), Byron Vannoy, Thomas Marriott, Greta Matassa, Neil Welch, and Mark Taylor among others. The annual jazz awards recognize outstanding achievement by Seattle area resident jazz musicians by a poll of jazz experts and the votes of a jazz loving community.

	Jazz NW - February 1 Hear the Session International trombonist Jiggs Whigham leads an all-star bi-coastal jam session on Jazz Northwest. Joining Jiggs are Gilbert Castellanos, Bruce Forman, Gary Versace, Chuck Deardorf and Matt Wilson, recorded at The Public House during last Summer’s Jazz Port Townsend.

	Jazz NW - January 18 Hear the Session The Marc Seales Trio played the January Art of Jazz Concert at The Seattle Art Museum and highlights from the concert air on Jazz Northwest. Marc Seales has spent recent Summers in Paris and has composed a suite of music reflecting Paris neighborhoods which will be the focus of his next CD to be issued shortly. Three pieces from the suite are included in this concert. Pianist Marc Seales is a Professor of Jazz Studies at The University of Washington, bassist Chuck Deardorf heads the Jazz Department at Cornish College, and D'Vonne Lewis is a fast rising jazz star and one of the most in-demand jazz drummers in Seattle.

	Jazz NW - January 11 Hear the Session Drummer Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts performance capped the 2008 Jazz Port Townsend Festival in McCurdy Pavilion. The complete concert, with enthusiastic audience participation and community sing, airs on Jazz Northwest. Matt Wilson's exuberant drive sparks a variety of contemporary ensembles: Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Dena DeRose Trio, Buster Williams Something More, Bill Mays Trio, Ray Anderson, Jane Ira Bloom and many others. (Perhaps a shorter list would be those he hasn't played with!) Although his infectious playfulness permeates every group he's in, Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts gives free reign to his creativity and imagination. He thrives on surprises, and spontaneity is at the heart of this quartet. Pianist Gary Versace, trumpeter Terell Stafford and bassist Martin Wind open up and enjoy the many possibilities and challenges of this group. You'll have to listen to "Feel the Sway" that caps this concert, this is a band that puts fun back in jazz! Thanks to the musicians, Centrum and its staff for the opportunity to present this music on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - January 4 Hear the Session Saxophonist and bandleader Bill Ramsay has been a fixture on the Northwest Jazz Scene for over 50 years, and he’s celebrating his 80th birthday this month. The occasion is marked by a special Jazz Northwest this Sunday including Bill with the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, his own big band back in 1961, The Ramsay-Kleeb Band, and the Birth of the Cool Nonet.

	Jazz NW - December 28 Hear the Session This week on Jazz Northwest will feature selections from the Sacred Music of Duke Ellington with James Cadell, Dee Daniels and the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, and a selection of some favorite CDs from 2008 by jazz artists from BC, Washington and Oregon.

	Jazz NW - December 14 Hear the Session Holiday Jazz sung and played by musicians from Seattle, Portland and Vancouver for a Northwest Jazz Christmas will be featured this Sunday afternoon on Jazz Northwest from KPLU. Thomas Marriott, Don Lanphere, the Roosevelt Jazz Band, David Friesen, Greta Matassa, The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and the B3 Kings are among the Northwest jazz artists who will be featured on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - November 23 Hear the Session This week on Jazz Northwest, saxophonist Jessica Lurie leads her ensemble in an Art of Jazz concert at The Seattle Art Museum. Jessica Lurie honed her talent in Seattle playing with The Tipton Saxophone Quartet, Living Daylights and other groups. Now a New York resident, she returned to play an Art of Jazz concert this month and celebrate the release of her new CD, "Shop of Wild Dreams". Highlights from this concert of her original compostions air on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - November 9 Hear the Session It was a dream concert! NEA Jazz Master James Moody was saxophone soloist with The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra which includes many of Seattle's top jazz players, co-led by Clarence Acox and Michael Brockman. Moody was in brilliant form as always, pouring forth brilliant inspired solos as he has since he first drew attention when he joined Dizzy Gillespie's big band in 1946 as they were ushering in the Bop era. Diz and Moody were life-long friends and musical compatriots, and Moody still performs with the Dizzy Gillespie All- Stars and alumni bands. We recorded Moody and the SRJO before a cheering capacity audience at the Kirkland Performance Center and we're pleased to have the opportunity to present excerpts from this unique concert on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - November 2 Hear the Session There's so much great live jazz available around our area, its hard to keep track of it all. One of the things we try to do on Jazz Northwest on KPLU is sample the varied fare and tell you about the best places to hear jazz. This Sunday afternoon, we'll hear new CDs by Carmen Staaf, Cliff Colon, Jeff Johnson, and The Here & Now, and point you to some of the most intriguing jazz gigs coming up this week.

	Jazz NW - October 19 Hear the Session The Fall Fundraiser edition includes music from George Cables Trio playing a small club at Jazz Port Townsend, the Jon Hamar Quartet playing an Art of Jazz Concert at the Seattle Art Museum, and the five-trombone band Trombonasaurus Wrecks and The Emerald City Jazz Orchestra playing at The Pony Boy Jazz Picnic . These four unique performances were recorded specifically for Jazz Northwest and cannot be heard anywhere else.

	Jazz NW - October 5 Hear the Session The late composer, arranger, pianist and band leader Bob Florence was honored at Jazz Port Townsend in July. He was a much-loved regular member of the Jazz Workshop faculty which precedes the Festival and was scheduled to lead the Festival All Star Big Band in concert again this year, but died two months prior to the festival. Kim Richmond, who played lead alto in Bob Florence concerts and twelve albums, took over the conducting role for this tribute concert. With solo quality musicians in every chair this is truly an All-star band, playing brilliant compositions and arrangements by Bob Florence.

	Jazz NW - September 21 Hear the Session Orchestra Zarabanda featuring Elspeth Savani plays infectious authentic Cuban music on Jazz Northwest, Sunday, September 21 at 1 pm PDT on 88-5 KPLU. The ten-member group plays in the style of a Cuban dance band, and encouraged the audience to dance at this concert recorded at the Seattle Art Museum. The ten member ensemble plays traditional and contemporary Cuban music and has produced two CDs, the most recent of which is "Gallo Que Canta".

	Jazz NW - September 14 Hear the Session This Sunday on Jazz Northwest, we’ll feature Seattle jazz bassist Buddy Catlett on some of his high profile gigs from the 60s with Louis Armstrong and Coleman Hawkins. There’s a benefit fundraiser Sunday for Buddy at the Pampas Room at El Gaucho as he makes the transition to assisted living and deals with some medical expenses. We’ll also have music by Kareem Kandi, Mark Lewis, Byron Vannoy, Trish Hatley and others on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - August 31 Hear the Session The late tenor saxophonist and singer Art Foxall is remembered on the first half of this week's Jazz NW. Born in Houston, Art had that robust "Texas Tenor" sound and a distinctive Blues-based flavor to his playing and singing. We'll hear him playing in Holland with a Dutch rhythm section during one of his tours there, and closer to home with Overton Berry at the Islander Lopez. We'll also sample some of the jazz groups playing at The Anacortes Jazz Festival and Bumbershoot this weekend.

	Jazz NW - August 24 Hear the Session One of Seattle’s favorite singers, Greta Matassa is featured in concert on Jazz Northwest. The concert, part of the Art of Jazz Series at The Seattle Art Museum, features Greta singing songs of the great jazz divas, taking requests from the audience, improvising arrangements with her band, and previewing her next CD!

	Jazz NW - August 17 Hear the Session Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander leads a quintet in a robust, energetic set of music recorded in July at Jazz Port Townsend on Jazz Northwest. The saxophonist, who grew up and attended high school in Olympia WA, is firmly established as one of the major players on the New York jazz scene. He has made over 20 albums as a leader and has been featured on over 40 more, since he was runner-up to Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk competition in 1990. Although he tours widely, he's rarely returned to the Pacific Northwest where he grew up. It was also a return visit to Jazz Port Townsend for Eric Alexander. He first took part in the festival as a student musician at the week-long jazz workshop which precedes the festival each year.

	Jazz NW - August 3 Hear the Session The Wycliffe Gordon Band with Andre Hayward is a two-trombone band reminiscent at times of J.J. & K - and Duke Ellington. The band played music ranging from swing to bop last weekend at Jazz Port Townsend and an exclusive recording of the concert by the Wycliffe Gordon Quintet aired on Jazz Northwest.

	Jazz NW - July 27 Hear the Session Bill Ramsay and Friends are featured in excerpts from The Care to Jazz Festival on Jazz Northwest. A nonet plays music from the legendary Birth of the Cool sessions that brought together Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan and Gil Evans to introduce a new "cool" style in 1949-50. A second set with singer Dennis Hastings and the Mel Tormé Retrospective reprises songs recorded by Mel Tormé and the Marty Paich Dektet in the 1950's. These performances were recorded on an outdoor stage with a picturesque outlook on Dyes Inlet, north of Bremerton. The Care To Jazz Festival at the Silverdale Beach Hotel featured a range of jazz from traditional to contemporary styles on July 11 and 12. Care to Jazz / Jazz On the Beach is an annual benefit for Peninsula Community Health Services Patient Care Fund for uninsured and under-insured patients. (Jazz Northwest has originated from locations ranging from Vancouver and Victoria to Portland, Port Townsend and Friday Harbor to Yakima - but this was our first time in Silverdale! )

	Jazz NW - July 20 Hear the Session The Hadley Caliman Quintet featuring Thomas Marriott was featured on the July Art of Jazz concert at The Seattle Art Museum. Portions of this concert aired on Jazz Northwest. Music included selections from Hadley Caliman's resurgent CD, "Gratitude" on Origin Records, produced by Thomas Marriott who also played on the CD. The veteran saxophonist Hadley Caliman has performed with a wide variety of artists ranging from Gerald Wilson to Santana. He recorded four albums earlier in his career, but "Gratitude" is his first album in several decades. He taught at Cornish College for over 20 years, and today leads his own groups and is a featured soloist with The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.

	Jazz NW - July 13 Hear the Session Jazz NW this Sunday will spotlight new CDs from Vancouver and Seattle musicians including Sharon Minemoto, Byron Vannoy, Cory Weeds, Steve Treseler and Karin Plato among others. Also included are updates on Summer Jazz Festivals and other opportunities for live jazz around the region.

	Jazz NW - July 6 Hear the Session The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra played music chosen by KPLU Listeners in a recent pair of SRJO concerts. KPLU listeners were asked to nominate their favorite music and they chose a wide range from classic big band swing, cool, Latin and progressive styles from Benny Goodman to Gerry Mulligan. In addition, five outstanding high school jazz students appeared as guest soloists in one blues-based selection.

	Jazz NW - June 22 Hear the Session Ziggurat, a new Seattle Quartet which takes its name from the ancient pyramids of Mesopotamia, is featured in an Art of Jazz Concert on the next Jazz Northwest on KPLU, 88.5. Eric Barber, Bill Anschell, Doug Miller and Byron Vannoy play a program of rhythmically fascinating music composed by members of the group.

	Jazz NW - June 15 Hear the Session Pianist Lynne Arriale's Trio is featured in performance on Jazz Northwest. The Trio was recorded at The Upstage during last July's Jazz Port Townsend. The Lynne Arriale Trio has recorded ten CDs, the most recent of which ("Live") won numerous awards and was among Top Ten lists for the year. Also on this week's Jazz Northwest is news of current live jazz around Seattle and upcoming festivals in Vancouver and Victoria in June and Port Townsend in July.

	Jazz NW - June 8 Hear the Session Wynton Marsalis and Zubin Hensler in front of Clarence Acox and Garfield Jazz Band at Lincoln Center in New York. Excerpts from prize-winning performances at the 13th annual Essentially Ellington contest lead off Jazz Northwest this Sunday afternoon on 88.5, KPLU. The two top bands from Roosevelt and Garfield High Schools, and Honorable Mention winner Shorewood Jazz Band are heard in their New York performances. We’ll also remember the late Norm Bobrow with a tribute including music from a concert he presented in 1951, and update you on today’s lively jazz scene around Seattle.

	Jazz NW - June 1 Hear the Session Selections from a tribute to the late Olympia pianist Jack Perciful played by BeBop Revisited, Joe Baque, Pete Christlieb & Bill Ramsay will be featured on this week's Jazz Northwest. Also, songs by Roberta Gambarini and Hank Jones not heard on the earlier broadcast of their performance at Jazz Alley will air on this week's show.

	Jazz NW - May 18 Hear the Session The Kendra Shank Quartet was in Seattle to play the Art of Jazz Series at The Seattle Art Museum this month. Highlights from the concert will air on Jazz Northwest. Kendra was born in California, played guitar and sang folk music in Paris and Seattle and migrated to jazz in Seattle where she attended the UW and became part of the Seattle jazz scene. A New York resident for the past ten years, she's a regular presence on the NY club scene with her regular band including pianist Frank Kimbrough, bassist Dean Johnson (another former Seattleite) and drummer Tony Moreno. More than a singer with a back-up group, the Kendra Shank Quartet is an ensemble whose members share solo and supporting roles, and share the risk when the music takes them to the edge of free improvisation.

	Jazz NW - May 4 Hear the Session NEA Jazz Master Gerald Wilson leads the Festival All-Star Big Band at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend on Jazz Northwest. The concert features the compositions and arrangements of Gerald Wilson who was 88 years of age when he appeared at last summer's festival. His arrangements have been performed by Jimmy Lunceford, Count Basie and Duke Ellington among many others. He has written scores for film and tv and led his own orchestras from the 40s to the present. He has composed 3 commissioned works for the Monterey Jazz Festival, beginning with the first one and most recently for the 50th anniversary, last year. Gerald Wilson has made 3 CDs in the last five years for Mack Avenue Records. The Jazz Port Townsend Festival All-Star Big Band includes musicians from New York, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle.

	Jazz NW - April 27 Hear the Session Country music will be featured on Jazz NW this Sunday afternoon... music of Cuba, China, AND Willie Nelson and Eddie Arnold. Some very interesting new jazz CDs illustrating what Fats Waller said long ago: “T'ain’t wha'cha do - it’s how ya do it!”

	Jazz NW - April 20 Hear the Session Excerpts from the world premiere of "Heaven and Hell" for tentet composed by Tom Varner will air on Jazz Northwest. Recorded at this month's Art of Jazz Concert at the Seattle Art Museum, the 13-part work was conducted by Mr.Varner who also played French Horn. According to the composer, the "heaven" is being in the moment with his family here in Seattle, the "hell" is our planet's last 6 1/2 years, and the piece is a reflection on that juxtaposition. He says it's also a look back at the "extreme emotional state juxtaposition" of being New Yorkers on 9/11/01 while preparing to go to Hanoi in nine days to adopt their son Jack. He concludes, "In the end, it all worked out ... we adopted our daughter Hope in '04, moved to Seattle in '05, and here we are, a Seattle family now." Musically, "Heaven and Hell" reflects his "love of Messiaen, Stravinsky, Miles Davis, and Charles Mingus. It evolved into a wind octet plus bass and drums - a chamber group that can breathe together, improvise and play jazz and new music." The Art of Jazz Concerts are presented by Earshot Jazz, The Seattle Art Museum and KPLU on the second Thursday of each month. Next month's concert on May 8 will continue the Seattle/New York connection and feature former Seattle singer Kendra Shank's New York Quartet featuring pianist Frank Kimbrough.

	The Manhattan Transfer Hear the Session The Manhattan Transfer has been performing, touring and recording for almost 37 years. After all that time, you might think that the members of this vocal jazz institution (Cheryl Bentyne, Alan Paul, Janis Siegal and Tim Hauser) would be happy to rest on their laurels. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this performance/interview, they talk about several of the many musical projects they’d like to undertake in the future. They also discuss some of the secrets to their longevity as a group. Although they don’t specifically list ‘having a great time and getting a kick out of each other’ among those secrets, it would seem to be a key ingredient, if their performance and conversation during this session is anything to go by. Just listen. They’re still doing it because they still love doing it.

	John Pizzarelli Hear the Session Jazz singer and guitarist extraordinaire John Pizzarelli recently visited our studios for a solo performance, which was hosted by KPLU's Nick Morrison. Pizzarelli was in town as part of the 33rd Annual Friends of Frank DeMiero Jazz Festival at Edmonds Center for the Arts.

	Mose Allison Hear the Session During a recent engagement in Seattle, Mose dropped by the KPLU studios for a short performance and interview conducted by KPLU music director, Nick Francis. During his visit it became obvious that Mose Allison doesn’t mess around. In less than 15 minutes, Mose did great solo versions of three of his songs and talked with Nick about Shakespeare, life on the road, early science-fiction movies and Paul Bowles. And the last thing we heard him say as he walked out the door with his friends was, “I can’t pay much attention to critics. They used to say I was cynical. I don’t think I’m cynical at all….but now they say I’m a comedian.”

	Charlie Hunter Hear the Session Armed with a 7-string (sometimes an 8-string) guitar, Charlie has the unique ability to sound like at least two guitarists at once, playing bass lines, melody lines, chords, and improvisational passages seemingly all at the same time. The three solo guitar piece he plays in this interview clearly demonstrate the fruits of Charlie Hunter’s new path.

	Taj Mahal Hear the Session In this studio session, Taj performs in a trio setting with his two long-time collaborators, Kester Smith (drums) and Bill Rich (bass). The band kicks off their 3-song set with a somewhat extemporaneous blues. Taj sets the tempo on his guitar, Kester and Bill join in and off they go, with Taj reaching into his bottomless bag of blues lyrics and pulling out whatever sounds like fun at that moment. They follow this with their version of Sonny Boy Williamson’s ‘Checkin’ Up On My Baby.’ To end the session, Taj picks up the banjo for a terrific version of ‘Slow Drag’ from his latest CD.

	"Jimmy Jazzoid Goes to Hell" was written, produced, and directed by Dick Stein, who also starred as the title character. The show was performed and broadcast live at the Museum of History & Industry on October 29. To podcast the show and see a slide show, go here.

	Two Martins Hear the Session In this session, they begin with what Martin Taylor calls a ‘chill’ arrangement of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Time After Time.’ After a short discussion of their interchangeable personalities and why Martin Simpson has to tune his guitar constantly, they perform a lovely Martin Taylor composition called ‘Ginger’ (in memory of Taylor’s great-grandfather) and finish up their mini-concert with Martin Simpson’s version of Randy Newman’s ‘Louisiana, 1927,’ with Taylor providing some tasty blues licks around Simpson’s vocals.

	Maceo Parker Hear the Session Saxophone funk master Maceo Parker performed live in KPLU's Seattle studios on September 26, with keyboardist Will Boulware. Parker also talked to KPLU Saturday Jazz Matinee host, Mary McCann.

	Karrin Allyson Hear the Session KPLU's Dick Stein hosted a live studio session with jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson on June 20. Karrin was in town at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, performing songs from her new album, Imagina: Songs of Brasil.

	Stanley Jordan Hear the Session Tuesday, June 10, 2008 - KPLU Music Director Nick Francis hosted a live solo performance by jazz guitar wizard Stanley Jordan at KPLU's Seattle studios. He was in town with his trio at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, June 10-15, in support of his new release, State of Nature.

	Dr. Lonnie Smith, Donald Harrison, Peter Bernstein Hear the Session There’s a new jazz/funk supergroup on the loose in the world. It’s called Crescent Boogaloo and consists of Dr. Lonnie Smith (organ), Donald Harrison (alto saxophone), Peter Bernstein (guitar), Christian Scott (trumpet) and Herlin Riley (drums). When Crescent Boogaloo performed in Seattle, three of the band members—Lonnie, Donald and Peter—had time to visit the KPLU studios for an afternoon jam session...and what a delight it was. The trio began with one of Lonnie’s funk pieces, ‘Just A Matt ‘a Pat.’. Their second number was a swinging mid-tempo version of ‘Softly As In A Morning Sunrise’ that highlighted Peter Bernstein’s stunning guitar work. But it was their third and final song of the day that stopped us all in our tracks. It was another Lonnie Smith composition called ‘Pilgrimage’ and the only word to describe it is ‘righteous.’ It’s a gospel-flavored song that brought out the best in Lonnie Smith and allowed Donald Harrison to dig deep into his New Orleans musical roots for a gripping solo. It was a truly uplifting ending to a wonderful set from three jazz masters.

	KPLU School of Jazz Hear the Session Tuesday, May 13th, 2008, was the official release date of KPLU’s latest CD, ‘School Of Jazz, Volume 4.’ As the CD’s title indicates, this is the fourth CD in a series of recordings that highlight the talented student musicians in many of our regional High School and Middle School Jazz Programs. Each CD features student jazz bands working with a professional mentor and the proceeds of the CD sales benefit public school jazz programs throughout the Puget Sound area. To celebrate the new CD, we invited members of Tacoma’s Stadium High School Jazz Band (pianist, Ruth Sackman, bassist, Graham Shackleford and drummer, Michael Volz) to perform live in our Seattle studio with their mentor, trumpeter and trombonist, Lance Buller. Also in attendance that day was Stadium High’s band director, David Mulkins. In the performance/interview you’re about to hear, Lance, David and the students talk about the School Of Jazz CD project and the band gives us their fine interpretations of three jazz standards: Little Suede Shoes, In A Sentimental Mood and In A Mellow Tone. More info on the CD is available here.

	Connie Evingson: The Gypsy In Her Soul Hear the Session On a recent visit to Seattle, Minneapolis-based jazz singer, Connie Evingson, stopped by the KPLU studios for a delightful performance/interview, accompanied by three members of the gypsy-jazz group, Pearl Django. A few years ago Connie noticed that singers were conspicuously absent in the gypsy-jazz genre so she set about changing that by recording with Pearl Django and other groups influenced by the wonderful music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli. The result was one of Connie’s finest CDs, ‘Gypsy In My Soul.’ In the mini-concert you’re about to hear, Connie will treat you to her interpretation of ‘Nature Boy,’ ‘Nuages,’ and ‘Gypsy In My Soul.’ Wrap a scarf around your head, put a rose between your teeth and enjoy!

	Tierney Sutton Band Hear the Session If you hear some sniffling during this interview, it's vocalist Tierney Sutton. When she and her band came to KPLU, she was battling a nasty cold. But, discounting the occasional sniffle between songs, you'd never know it. In my opinion, Tierney possesses one of the loveliest, most supple voices in jazz, and on the day of this performance, it was every bit as good as I've ever heard it — this, in spite of the fact that during her bandmates' solos, she frequently had to haul out a hankie and dab at her nose. But that's Tierney, who's nothing if not game.

	Jazz NW 4-6 Hear the Concert The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra plays Benny Carter's "Kansas City Suite" in a concert recorded at the Kirkland Performance Center March 9, 2008

	Jazz NW 3-23 Hear the Concert The Joe Doria Trio is a classic-style jazz organ trio ... with a Hammond B3, guitar and drums, and a hard- swinging approach to everything they play. The trio played this month's Art of Jazz concert at the Seattle Art Museum.

	Holly Cole Hear the Session On Monday, March 3rd, Canadian jazz vocalist, Holly Cole, officially began her first U.S. tour in 6 years with a sold-out, one-night stand at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle. However, on the afternoon preceding that show, Holly and her band dropped by the KPLU studios for a 3-song performance and an interview with KPLU Music Director, Nick Francis.

	Rebecca Parris Hear the Session While Rebecca Parris was in the Puget Sound area, she paid a visit to the KPLU Seattle studios. In this performance/interview, hosted by Nick Morrison, Rebecca talks about the art of singing jazz ballads and gives us her interpretation of three jazz classics: 'Darn That Dream', 'My Funny Valentine' and 'Weaver Of Dreams.'

	Jazz NW 3-10 Hear the Concert NEA Jazz Master Hank Jones and Roberta Gambarini, the singer he calls "the best I've heard since Ella Fitzgerald", are featured on Jazz Northwest. Their recent performance at Dimitrou's Jazz Alley was recorded especially for Jazz Northwest. Joining Hank Jones and Roberta Gambarini in this performance are Neil Swainson on bass, and Willie Jones III on drums.

	Jazz NW 3-3 Hear the Session On this edition of Jazz Northwest, we’ll remember veteran tenor saxophonist and band leader Charlie May, listen to new releases by Hadley Caliman and Thomas Marriott and hear a piece by International Songwriting Competition finalist Jeff Busch.

	Jazz NW 2-24 Hear the Concert Three singers took turns singing love songs on Valentine's Day at the Art of Jazz Concert at Seattle Art Museum. Beth Winter, Katy Bourne and Gail Pettis are all active jazz singers in the Seattle area and shared the bill on this special concert presented by Earshot Jazz at SAM on February 14.

	Jazz NW 2-17 Hear the Concert Excerpts from an April, 1961 concert at the Roxy Theatre in Tacoma open this show with the Bob Winn Quintet and Bill Ramsay Big Band. Bob Winn was an alto saxophonist and flutist who came to Seattle from Detroit and enlivened the scene here in the late 50s and 60s before moving to Hawaii. He continued as an active musician there until his death in November. Bill Ramsay has arranged and led big bands and played in them most of his life. The big band he leads in this 1961 concert includes Corky Corcoran, Bill Hobarth, Dick Palombi, Bill Richardson and Dave Tuttle among others. Bill Ramsay is still very active with his own groups as well as in the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra.

	Jazz NW 2-11 Hear the Concert Rising jazz stars Ben Roseth, alto sax, and Julian Lage, guitar, play an intimate duet set recorded live at Egan's Jam House in Ballard on this edition of Jazz Northwest

	Jazz NW 2-4 Hear the Concert This Jazz Northwest concert previews two major upcoming jazz events - The Hot Java Cool Jazz benefit concert at the Paramount on February 8, and the Portland Jazz Festival.

	Jazz NW 1-28 Hear the Concert This Jazz NW concert features Victor Noriega's explosive trio playing in the Brotman Forum of the Seattle Art Museum in the January Art of Jazz Concert. The show features an hour of highlights from the concert.

	Joey DeFrancesco Hear the Session Joey DeFrancesco is generally acknowledged to be the reigning king of the Hammond B-3 organ. He’s also a great guy to hang out with. So naturally, when he recently visited Seattle, we invited him to KPLU’s Seattle studios for an in-studio performance and interview. However, nobody wanted to lug a massive B-3 from the nightclub to the studio, so we set Joey up with a Hammond XK-3, a keyboard that synthesizes that terrific B-3 sound very nicely. Also, since Joey actually worked with the Hammond company on the development of the XK-3, we figured he could adapt his chops to it with ease. And did he ever! In addition to playing three solo pieces on the XK-3, Joey talked about the history of the organ in jazz music, his musical upbringing in the rich Philadelphia jazz scene and his great admiration for the all-time boss of the B-3, Jimmy Smith. He also talked about his recent involvement with the Diversi Organ Company and the launch of his brand new line of organ synthesizers. What’s new about ‘em? Well, according to Joey, they’ll have the ability to clone the sound of any organ. And why is that important? Well, we’ll let Joey tell you….

	Jazz NW 1-13 Hear the Concert Playing vibes, marimbas, steel pans, bells, Latin percussion and all kinds of drums, the thirty outstanding young musicians earned a standing ovation. Traveling from Alma, Michigan to play at Port Townsend for a large and very appreciative crowd was a highlight of their summer and the festival!

	Jazz NW 12-30 Hear the Concert The all-star Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra Dektet played the December Art of Jazz Concert at The Seattle Art Museum.

	KPLU Christmas Jam Hear the Concert Hi, Nick Morrison here. This year I once again had the pleasure to host a program that has become a holiday tradition for Seattle jazz fans: The Annual KPLU Christmas Jam. The Christmas Jam is a live broadcast from Pacific Lutheran University’s Mary Baker Russell Music Center, featuring the PLU Jazz Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. David Joyner, and special guests from our vibrant regional jazz community. This year’s guests were trumpeter, Lance Buller, and vocalist, Stephanie Porter. Lance and Stephanie have worked together for over ten years and have earned a reputation for putting on great live shows in the tradition of Louis Prima and Keely Smith. So if you’re in the mood for a live—and lively—hour of holiday favorites performed by an ensemble of talented college students and a couple of guest artists who know how to have a good time, just click on the appropriate icon, sit back, and have yourself a merry little Christmas……Jam.

	Jazz NW 12-14 Hear the Concert Three different groups are featured on Jazz Northwest - First is the Brent Jensen-John Stowell Quartet, followed by the Hadley Caliman Quintet with Thomas Marriott recorded during the recent Ballard Jazz Walk. Then we’ll go downtown to hear Jay Thomas' Collateral Damage Big Band playing at The New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Pioneer Square. Musicians in this band span an age range of six decades!

	Jazz NW 11-18 Hear the Concert Raymond Scott's music of the Thirties renounced swing era convention with zippy, programatic music played with abandon by his "Quintette".Hear his music played by The Raymond Scott Project of the Monktail Creative Music Concern in a concert recorded at The Seattle Art Museum, Sunday, November 18.

	Karrin Allyson Hear the Session One of the most impressive jazz singers to emerge from the '90s, Karrin Allyson continues to wow audiences with her expressive voice. Her latest album, Footprints, earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Hear an interview and performance recorded by KPLU.

	Jazz NW 11-5 Hear the Concert Pianist Lynne Arriale led her trio on opening night at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend. The concert was recorded last July at The Upstage in Port Townsend and you can listen to highlights of the concert here.

	Brian Broomberg and Jeff Lorber Hear the Session Out of all the interviews done in the KPLU studios, the meeting with Jeff and Brian has one of the most casual vibes in recent memory. It's almost as if we get to listen in as two old friends... two extremely talented old friends...get together in someone's living room to play a little music and talk about old times. Hear the complete interview and performance.

	Jazz NW 10-21 Hear the Concert The Tiptons - four saxophonists and a drummer - cook up an international jazz stew spiced with Latin, Italian, Balkan, Klezmer and Asian music. We recorded the all-female group's energetic performance at the October Art of Jazz concert at The Seattle Art Museum. Enjoy their rhythmic drive and blend .

	Clark Terry Hear the Session Interviewer: Kevin Kniestedt Trumpeter and flugelhornist, Clark Terry is truly a living legend in the jazz world. Over the course of a career that began in the early 1940’s, Clark has played with everyone from Count Basie and Duke Ellington to Cecil Taylor and Dianne Reeves. During a recent visit to Seattle, Clark dropped in on KPLU jazz host, Kevin Kneistedt, for a little conversation and some great playing. Along with a version of the old standard, Eliza, Clark treated us to a delightful version of his signature song, Mumbles.

	Jazz NW 10-15 Hear the Concert Jim features his location recordings of the Lynne Arriale Trio, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Vic Juris & Corey Christiansen, and the Marc Seales Quintet playing festivals, concerts, and club dates at various locations. Guests on this show include Clarence Acox, John Bishop, Matt Jorgensen, Gregt Miller, and John Gilbreath

	The Dave Peck Trio Hear the Session This interview took place the day before the Dave Peck Trio (with bassist, Jeff Johnson and drummer, Joe LaBarbera) was to go into a Seattle nightclub to record a live CD. And, though it doesn't come up in the interview, the recording date was also a sort of quiet comeback for Dave. Hear the complete interview and performance

	Jazz NW 10-7 Hear the Concert The Roy Hargrove Quintet in concert at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend, July 28, 2007. Roy Hargrove, trumpet and flugelhorn. Justin Robinson, alto sax. Gerald Clayton, piano. Danton Boller, Bass. Montez Coleman, Drum

	Jane Monheit Hear the Session Jazz Singer Jane Monheit visited the KPLU Seattle studios recently. KPLU’s On-air host Kevin Kniestedt chatted with her about her new album called "Surrender", her career and other music related topics. Oh, and Jane also sang a few songs of course. Enjoy!

	Jazz NW 9-23 Hear the Concert The Marc Seales Group plays a medley in tribute to the late composer-keyboard player Joe Zawinul, and the premiere of a brand new four movement suite by Marc Seales, "The Paris Suite". Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by Jim Wilke exclusively for KPLU.

	Michel Camillo Hear the Session Interviewer: Nick Francis When critics write about the playing of Latin-jazz pianist, Michel Camilo, they often use the word ‘fiery’ to describe his performances. In a trio setting, his interaction with the bassist and drummer is something that needs to be seen to be believed. However, when Michel visited KPLU’s Seattle studios for a solo piano performance, he showed us another side of his musical personality. Yes, that ‘fiery’ playing was in evidence but he also presented his lyrical, introspective side on the songs My Secret Place and From Within. And, although Michel has won numerous awards for his Latin jazz recordings, he ended his solo performance not with a Latin number but with Frim Fram Sauce, a bluesy tribute to one of his heroes, Nat ‘King’ Cole.

	Jazz NW 9-18 Hear the Concert The Joe Locke is joined by Thomas Marriott on trumpet, Bruce Forman, guitar, Chuck Deardorf on bass and Jon Wikan at the drums in this concert. This performance is made possible by The Boeing Company.

	Tab Benoit Hear the Session Tab Benoit visited the KPLU to chat and played some of his music

	Jazz Guitarist Mimi Fox Hear the Session Interviewer: Nick Morrison When guitarist, Mimi Fox, visits KPLU, the energy level at the radio station always goes up about 150%...and we love it! There’s no doubting the fact that she’s serious about her music, but she’s also serious about having fun with it and she makes sure that her listeners have fun, as well. For the performance you’re about to hear, Mimi was using a brand new guitar for the first time but that didn’t stop her from giving us great interpretations of three classic songs: Cry Me A River, When The Saints Go Marching In and Night And Day.

	Jazz Singer Sara Gazarek Hear the Session Interviewer: Nick Francis Seattle’s Sara Gazarek is one of the fastest rising young jazz singers in America. She became a serious student of jazz as a member of the excellent Roosevelt High School jazz program. After high school, she continued her studies at UCLA, earning high praise from her instructor, Grammy-nominated jazz vocalist, Tierney Sutton. Now, with three excellent CDs to her credit, Sara tours the world with her music but always loves bringing it back home to Seattle. In this performance/interview with KPLU music director, Nick Francis, Sara and her band treat us to their arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s Carey, as well as refreshing updates of jazz standards, Biding My Time and I’m Old Fashioned.

	Ann Hampton Callaway Hear the Session Ann Hampton Callaway talked with Dick Stein at KPLU’s Seattle studios on November 2 and performed three songs, including a tune she made up on the spot

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KPLU Studio Sessions and Concerts