Jim Wilke

Seattle musician Jay Thomas frequently performs in Japan and has become friends with numerous musicians there with whom he has performed and recorded.   A new release by this "East West Alliance" presents Jay in Japan with his friends and the CD is sampled on this week's Jazz NW.  There's also music by Vern Sielert’s Dektet, Kelley Johnson, Douce Ambiance (a string trio), some Latin jazz with Lary Barilleau and much more, including recommendations for live jazz in the coming week.

This week on Jazz Northwest we’ll sample some new releases, including Seattle percussionist Lary Barileau & The Latin Jazz Collective, Vancouver bassist Brandy Disterheft with former Seattle flutist Anne Drummond, Jay Thomas  and the Cats, and the Seattle/Tokyo connection; The East West Alliance.   Jim Wilke is host for Jazz Northwest, checking out the regional jazz scene each Sunday afternoon at 2 PM Pacific.

Seattle's busiest singer, Greta Matassa sings all over town from jazz clubs to concert halls, tours internationally, has recorded eight CDs and appeared as guest on many more, and makes time to teach and do clinics and workshops.  

Her recent appearance in the Art of Jazz series at the Seattle Art Museum was recorded and an here are some of the highlights.  The program ranges from standards to rarities and more contemporary songs by Stevie Wonder and Pat Metheny.

Musicians from Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are regulary featured on Jazz Northwest, and this week, all three cities are represented.  Esperanza Spalding grew up in Portland and has become an international star. We'll feature her in a song in tribute to her home town, "City of Roses". The arrangement for the song has been nominated for a Grammy this year, and so has the CD, "Radio Music Society."  Nancy King, Mary Kadderly and Eric Skye from Portland will also be featured.

Guitarist Mundell Lowe played with Charlie Parker, Lester Young, and Billie Holiday among others, was a long-time staff musician at NBC and CBS in New York before moving West to write and play for movies, TV and recording studios. The 90 year old guitarist was in Seattle last Fall to play in a two-guitar quartet with Mike Magnelli during the Earshot Festival.

This week's Jazz Northwest features some of Jim Wilke's  favorite jazz CDs from the past year by Northwest musicians. 

Earshot award winner and NW Jazz Hall of Fame bassist and composer Jeff Johnson leads his quartet in an Art of Jazz Concert from the Seattle Art Museum on Jazz Northwest  on 88.5 KPLU and kplu.org.   The concert, recorded earlier this month, features the same quartet heard on the new Origin CD "Suitcase": Jeff Johnson on bass, Hans Teuber, woodwinds, Steve Moore, piano and Eric Eagle, drums.  The concert consists of original music by Johnson and one piece by Hans Teuber.

Pianist Sumi Tonooka was born in Philadelphia and is well-established as a pianist, composer and teacher in New York, but her roots are in the Seattle area. Her mother grew up on Bainbridge Island where she lived until at age 16, she and other Japanese-Americans were shipped to the Internment Camps of World War II.  Sumi Tonooka planned a visit last Summer to connect with her mother's early life on Bainbridge, and growing out of that visit she became a Seattle resident last Summer.

Jim Wilke shares some of his favorite CDs for the holidays by Northwest jazz musicians who’ve appeared often on the program.... Don Lanphere, The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, Ernestine Anderson, Dave Peck, Greta Matassa, Barney McClure and others.

New York jazz pianist and organist George Colligan is presently on the faculty at Portland State University in Portland.  He's recorded over 20 CDs on his own and appeared as sideman on many more in addition to concerts with many of today's top jazz headliners. He brought Portland guitarist Dan Balmer with him for an Earshot Festival engagement at Tula's this Fall, and Seattle drummer John Bishop rounded out this new variation on the classic organ trio. The trio played several of George Colligan's original compositions in each set.

This week on Jazz Northwest we'll sample some new CDs from Jeff Johnson, Johnny Conga and the Endemic Ensemble, and listen to some of the artists who'll be playing in the area and bring you up to date on best bets for live jazz in the coming week.

"Lorraine Feather was born in Manhattan. Her parents named her Billie Jane Lee Lorraine after godmother Billie Holiday, her mother Jane (formerly a big band singer), her mother's ex-roommate Peggy Lee, and the song "Sweet Lorraine." She is the daughter of the late jazz writer Leonard Feather."

This week on Jazz Northwest we'll hear some great resident musicians from Portland to Vancouver, and recordings from the 70s to the present.

Bassist and composer Evan Flory-Barnes is the Featured Seattle Artist at this year's Earshot Jazz Festival and is playing six concerts at various locations during the festival, each with a different ensemble and distinct music.  

Pianist Sumi Tonooka was born in Philadelphia and has spent most of her career playing, touring and recording while based on the East Coast.  On this week's Jazz Northwest, she talks with Jim Wilke about her development as a musician and how and why she recently moved to Seattle.