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 PEARL DJANGO – Sunday, June 8, 2008
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KPLU favorites Pearl Django incorporate the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli with American swing music, and they do it to perfection. Their music reaches out across the divides of taste to a wide variety of audiences, including guitar enthusiasts, lovers of string music, bluegrass devotees, “world music” fans drawn to French and Gypsy accents, and jazz buffs and aficionados of the new swing music. Pearl Django were voted favorite area jazz band by Seattle Weekly readers in 2003. They’ve performed at various venues and jazz festivals throughout the United States and abroad including Django Reinhardt festivals in France and Iceland. Pearl Django has released nine CD’s to date. The band’s most recent CD is Modern Times, released in 2007. KPLU is pleased to have Pearl Django kick off the return of our Jazz Cruises. Pearl Django is Neil Andersson on guitar, Ryan Hoffman on guitar, Michael Gray on violin, Rick Leppanen on bass, and David Lange, accordion. More info here.
 JESSICA WILLIAMS – Sunday, July 13, 2008
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Jessica Williams is a pianist and composer who has spent the last several decades creating strikingly original, immediately identifiable, mythically beautiful music. She’s garnered the distinguished Guggenheim Fellowship and a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Instrumental Album in 2004, and has released almost 40 award-winning recordings in a career spanning as many years. She’s been a guest on both Fresh Air with Terry Gross and Piano Jazz with Marian McPartland. Ms. Williams is considered by many critics to be one of the most important improvising pianists of this age. Jessica plays solo piano on her latest release, Tatum’s Ultimatum. Her trio includes Doug Miller on bass and John Bishop on drums. More info here.
 GAIL PETTIS – Sunday, July 20, 2008
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A welcome addition to the Pacific Northwest jazz scene, Pettis' sound is at once subtle and elegant, sultry and soulful. Her rich, warm vocals and understated phrasing have inspired comparisons to Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae. "An angelic voice with beautiful depth, range and character," says Charlie Evans, Hunt Club Manager at the Sorrento. While growing up in Gary, Indiana, Pettis inherited a passion for jazz from her parents. Over the years, her desire for creative expression fueled an exploration of instrumental performance and dance, exposing her to many other styles of music, however vocal jazz remained her first love. Now residing in Seattle, she continues to draw inspiration from these diverse influences and enjoys singing a repertoire of classic jazz standards, often together with much-loved selections from other genres. Pettis appears regularly at other local venues such as the Fireside Room in the Sorrento Hotel, Bake's Place Providence Point and La Spiga in Capitol Hill. Audiences have also enjoyed her performances at the Bite of Seattle, Tula's Restaurant and Nightclub, and at Belltown's La Vita 'e Bella. Gail was named “Northwest Vocalist of the Year” at the 2007 Earshot Golden Ear Awards. Gail’s trio includes Randy Halberstadt on piano, Jeff Johnson on bass, and Mark Ivester on drums. More information here.
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