Jazz Northwest

The second part of the Saturday afternoon concert from this Summer's Jazz Port Townsend will be featured today on Jazz Northwest. Like most events, the Festival was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, but returned this year in a smaller form, with master classes online the week before, and two sets on the mainstage at McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden with the audience of several hundred seated outdoors on Littlefield Green. This broadcast of the second set from this year's Jazz Port Townsend includes some of the best-known jazz musicians from Seattle and Portland including Dan Balmer, Alex Dugdale, Jay Thomas, David Marriott, Randy Halberstadt, Chuck Deardorf and Gary Hobbs. Dawn Clement, formerly of Seattle, also sang one number. The music included original compositions and arrangements, some of which had their first public performances in this concert. Jazz Port Townsend is one of a series of year-round Thanks to all the musicians, John Clayton, Centrum's Jazz Program Manager Gregg

Jazz Port Townsend was back on a limited scale the last week of July after a year's hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions last year. The Jazz Workshop was virtual, and there were two outdoor concerts by the jazz faculty on Saturday afternoon. For these concerts, the large doors of the McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden were open with the musicians on stage and the audience of several hundred was seated on the grass outside on Littlefield Green to allow for social distancing. There were two sets with essentially the same instrumentation but different personnel. In the first set to be broadcast this Sunday, the musicians include René Marie, vocal, Dick Oatts, alto sax, Terell Stafford, trumpet, Wycliffe Gordon, trombone & vocal, Miles Okazaki, guitar, Dawn Clement, piano, Marion Hayden, bass, and Carl Allen, drums. Jazz Port Towsend Artistic Director John Clayton also plays bass on several songs. Thanks to all the musicians, John Clayton, Centrum's Jazz Program Manager Gregg Miller, and

A new solo album by pianist and composer Jovino Santos Neto, "Luz" was recorded in one continuous session on a beautiful Fazioli piano at Northwest Pianos in Bellevue. Selections by Jovino and his mentor Hermeto Pascoal will be heard on this week's Jazz Northwest.

This week on Jazz Northwest, we'll hear Ernestine Anderson swingin' at The Penthouse in 1962, and Jay Thomas and Slim Gaillard with Jay McShann and Buddy Tate getting together in a London studio in 1982. There's also recent music from Tom Keenlyside in Vancouver and Dan Balmer in Portland as well as Jacob Zimmerman from Seattle, who's starting a new Friday night series at The Canal.

This week's Jazz Northwest includes music by composer arranger Milt Kleeb, as well as trombonist Ian McDougall, Rebecca Kilgore, Bud Shank and Shorty Rogers' Lighthouse All-stars, pianist Randy Halberstadt and others. The Lighthouse All Stars play Shorty Rogers' great arrangement of "America The Beautiful." Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

The cover story on guitarist Julian Lage in the July issue of DownBeat reminded us of a duo with Julian Lage and saxophonist Ben Roseth playing at Egan's in Ballard in 2008. Both were in their early 20s at the time, but were already making waves. We recorded the duo and share some music from that night on this week's episode. Also on this week's show, trumpeter Jay Thomas, saxophonist Harold Land's Quartet with Russ Freeman on piano at The Penthouse in Seattle in 1964, Vancouver singer Dee Daniels, a bi-coastal project with trumpeters Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott, Portland singer Rebecca Kilgore and others. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

Veteran regional jazz stars are featured on this week's Jazz Northwest. Included is the late saxophonist Don Lanphere playing with his quintet at Tula's in 2000, and selections from a new studio recording by trumpeter Fred Radke and pianist Primo Kim. Vancouver BC guitarist Oliver Gannon fronts his quartet and Portland singer Nancy King sings with Randy Porter's Trio. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

Recent performances by The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra will be featured on today’s episode of Jazz Northwest. Included are selections composed, arranged and/or featuring Bill Anthony, Sidney Hauser and Jacqueline Tabor. The SRJO's final concert this season will feature bassist and composer Christian McBride on Saturday, June 19 at Benaroya Hall with limited seating and a livestream virtual concert. More info at srjo.org . Also, on this show is music by resident artists Tall & Small, Jovino Santos Neto, Richard Cole, Karin Plato, Francesco Crosara and Pearl Django. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

This week's Jazz Northwest includes a range of artists in both historical and recent recordings. Included is more music from the legendary "Jazz From The Penthouse" series featuring Harold Land leading a quartet with Hampton Hawes on piano. Ernestine Anderson, Jay Thomas, Walt Wagner, and contemporary groups Duende Libre and Xavier Lecouturier are also included. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

Jazz Northwest features jazz artists from around the Pacific Northwest, this week including Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and Spokane. We'll also feature another track from the historic live broadcasts "Jazz From The Penthouse" from a new album featuring Harold Land on three different occasions at the Seattle club in the 60s. Also on this week's show are Anton Schwartz, Dave Peterson, Diane Schuur, Randy Porter & Nancy King, Randy Halberstadt, Steve Kaldestadt and the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble from Spokane. Jazz Northwest airs every Sunday at 2 PM Pacific on 88.5, KNKX, and streams online at knkx.org. After broadcast each show is archived and may be streamed on demand at jazznw.org, or listeners may subscribe to the podcast. Host and producer for the show is Jim Wilke, who produced the original live broadcasts from The Penthouse.

Three original compositions by members of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra will be featured this week on Jazz Northwest. The selections are audio from the live streamed concert from Kirkland Performance Center on May 9. The concert was billed as "SRJO plays SRJO" and spotlighted original music composed by members of the orchestra, including these selections by Alex Dugdale, Jay Thomas and Michael Brockman. The full concert is available for streaming at srjo.org . Also, on this week's episode is music featuring Dmitri Matheny, Frank Kohl, Greta Matassa and 1962 radio broadcast featuring Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis from The Penthouse in Seattle. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

Jazz Northwest is our regular Sunday afternoon survey of the regional jazz sceene. This week, we have the Jill Townsend Big Band from Vancouver, Ingrid Jensen & Steve Treseler from The Royal Room and Jacqueline Tabor from The First Baptist Church in Seattle - and that’s just for starters.

Portland singer Rebecca Kilgore has appeared on more than two dozen albums. The Rebecca Kilgore Trio has been playing around the Portland area for almost 10 years but has just issued their debut recording. Understated but with a solid swing and great phrasing, the trio includes three of the Rose City's top jazz musicians. We'll hear a couple of blue-tinged songs from their new release, "Vol.1" too.

Jazz Northwest features great regional artists and visitors every Sunday afternoon. Jay Thomas is one of our most active resident musicians and on this week's show, he's heard with visiting New York baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan. The two were recorded in studio during a time when Smulyan was Thomas' guest during an engagement at Tula's. Gary Smulyan has also been a regular on the jazz faculty at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend. They're heard here in Billy Strayhorn's beautiful "Lotus Blossom" mostly featuring the baritone saxophonist. Also on this week's program are The Full Circle Jazz Ensemble, singer Kelley Johnson. Vancouver saxophonist Cory Weeds from his latest CD, trumpeter Charlie Porter, singer Jenny Davis and others.

This week's Jazz Northwest is bookended by two excellent Vancouver musicians who lead their own groups in recent releases. Trumpeter Brad Turner leads off the show with a tune from his CD "Jump Up" and Tom Keenlyside closes the show with a standard from his all-flute CD "Fortune Teller." In between, the international flavor includes Brazilian-born Jovino Santos Neto playing solo piano for a festival in Brazil, German Oliver Groenewald's arrangements for Jay Thomas, and Cuban Kiki Valera's sparking CD recorded in Seattle. All are contributors to the richness of the Northwest jazz scene. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

He’s an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award Winner, broadcaster and originator of Jazz After Hours on public radio and champion of live jazz everywhere. For Jazz Appreciation Month, KNKX Music Director Carol Handley talked with Jim Wilke about his appreciation of the NW jazz scene and capturing it in live recordings.

This week on Jazz Northwest, you can hear a sample of saxophonist Harold Land appearances at The Penthouse, part of the legendary series of live broadcasts from the Seattle jazz club. Sourced from airchecks in 1962, 1964 and 1965 and not heard since, the album will be released on a vinyl, two LP set on Record Store Day, June 12, and on CD on June 18. Both packages will include extensive notes about the musicians, the club and the live broadcasts produced and mixed by Jim Wilke. These exciting, hard-hitting performances refute the image of West Coast cool. This premiere will be heard exclusively on today’s episode of Jazz Northwest.

This week's Jazz Northwest includes The Floyd Standifer Quartet playing at The New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Seattle, and the Bridge Quartet playing at LV's Uptown in Portland. We'll preview singer Rebecca Kilgore's new CD coming out April 30, and hear former Seattle pianist Gene Argel who's been performing on Maui for years. There's also music from Eric Verlinde, The BC Double Quartet and Ann Reynolds Clave Gringa.

Jazz is a music based on improvisation, and evolution. Moving through Dixieland, swing, bebop, free jazz, fusion and beyond can make describing what jazz is a difficult proposition. KNKX jazz host Abe Beeson spoke to three generations of musicians to find a definition.

A variety of Seattle Jazz from the '50s to now is featured on this week's Jazz Northwest . The brilliant flash of the Cecil Young Quartet in the early '50s, to six decades later with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Marc Seales Quartet and others including singer Kelly Eisenhour and Vancouver guitarist Bill Coon's Trio.