Jazz Northwest

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.

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.

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.

Jazz Northwest features a variety of regional jazz talent every Sunday afternoon at 2, including classics like the Kellys Heroes band that developed at Red Kelly's bar in Tacoma in the 90s. Milt Kleeb and Bill Ramsay were old hands at arranging by that time and their skills are on display in the opening of this week's show.