KNKX and Dimitriou's Jazz Alley are teaming up to present a monthly series featuring top Northwest regional artists on the last Monday of each month. February's event featured the Marc Seales Quintet playing a program of mostly original music by Marc. The concert was recorded for radio, and the first part will air today on Jazz Northwest. Playing for an enthusiastic full house at Jazz Alley, the group includes Marc Seales, piano and keyboards, Jesse Seales, guitar, Thomas Marriott, trumpet,

The prolific Jay Thomas has a new album, and it's all about getting together with good friends and playing some favorite tunes. Despite the provocative title, the album focuses on jazz standards by Fats Navarro, Horace Silver, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and others as well as two originals by Thomas himself. We'll play a couple of tunes from this new album as well as music by Greta Matassa, Marina Albero, Charlie Porter, and Edmonton altoist PJ Perry this week on Jazz Northwest. We'll also

Saxophonist Alex Dugdale brought his Fade Quintet to the February Art of Jazz concert at the Seattle Art Museum and entertained an enthusiastic crowd in the Brotman Forum. Playing saxophones and tap dancing in duets with members of the group, Alex Dugdale featured mostly his appealing original music. Other members of the quintet include John Hansen, piano, Cole Schuster, guitar, Greg Feingold, bass, and Max Holmberg on drums. One of the features of any performance by Alex Dugdale is his tap

More great jazz by regional jazz artists is featured this week on Jazz Northwest. From Frankie's Jazz Club in Vancouver, B.C. to Seattle groups with Ann Reynolds, Kiki Valera, Spokane's Whitworth Jazz Ensemble and former Seattle residents The Westerlies new brass quartet album, and Frank Kohl with Portland's John Stowell, every week we explore the great variety of top jazz artists performing in our region. Jim frequently goes "on location" to concerts, clubs and festivals to capture live

The iconic American singer Billie Holiday is subject of tribute concerts by the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra and guest vocalist Jacqueline Tabor performed at Kirkland Performance Center and Benaroya Hall in Seattle. The iconic American Singer Billie Holiday was active from the mid-1930s until her death in 1959 and her recordings are considered classics, still influencing singers today. Jacqueline Tabor has been performing professionally since 2005, has release three albums and currently

The Westerlies is a brass quartet including 3 former Seattle residents who formed the group when they were students at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of music. The quartet of two trumpets and two trombones is unusual in jazz, with no rhythm section or chordal instrument. Their repertoire is also unusually wide-ranging, including Americana, 20th century composers such as Bartok and Ives, original music and in their new album, spirituals inspired by the Golden Gate Quartet. The new album

The late saxophonist and composer Jimmy Heath appeared in Seattle several times, with The Heath Brothers and with The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. He was commissioned by the SRJO to compose a suite "The Endless Search" which the orchestra premiered in 2006 at a concert in Benaroya Hall. He returned a year later to make a studio recording of the suite with SRJO. Parts 2 and 3 of the suites will be featured on today’s episode of Jazz Northwest. Also featured are Randy Halberstadt, Greta

This month's Art of Jazz concert presented by Earshot and The Seattle Art Museum featured exciting new compositions and arrangements for octet by Dylan Hayes and Xavier Lecouturier. The DX-Tet, co-led by Hayes and Lecouturier, played a rich program for four horns, piano, guitar, bass and drums. The co-leaders grew up in the Bay area and have lived in Seattle the last four years while attending Cornish College of the Arts. Drawing on a variety of sources and a rich musical pool, the music blends

Barcelona-born pianist Marina Albero's ambitious 3 CD album featuring her piano and compositions is among recent releases on this week's episode of Jazz Northwest. Also on this show are Cuban cuatro player Kiki Valera, singers Jenny Davis and Kelley Johnson and Portland pianist Kerry Politzer. We also tap the way back machine for Floyd Standifer with the Local 493 Reunion Band, and Cannonball Adderley at The Penthouse. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at

Portland-based trumpet player and composer Charlie Porter has composed and recorded an ambitious suite of original music titled "Immigration Nation ." The suite takes up an entire CD and is divided into two large sections, "Leaving Home" and "New Beginnings." We'll sample the suite today on Jazz Northwest. Also on this week's show are Dave Peterson, Greta Matassa, Cory Weeds Little Big Band and more from a 1962 live aircheck of Johnny Griffin and Lockjaw Davis playing at The Penthouse in Seattle