Saxophonist Peter Daniel spent years working on his newly released album Quartets, and now he’s celebrating with the musicians who helped him make it.

In the tradition of artists breaking their own rules, Daniel’s Quartets release isn’t exclusively four-person performances. Even his KNKX studio session celebrating the new album required a fifth musician.

Trombonist David Marriott joined Quartets participants Marina Albero, Marina Christopher and Heather Thomas at the piano, bass and drums respectively to fulfill the musical vision of the band leader.

“It started as an acoustic, rotating quartet,” Daniel said/ “There are four different rhythm sections in the sessions, so there’s a double meaning there.”

But overdubs and three brief duets with drummers Cliff Porter, Grant Schroff and Ehsan Karimi do retain the Peter Daniel sound throughout the album despite his admitted “rounding up and down” in ensemble sizes.

The point of the album’s title may not be the exact number of musicians, but rather the importance of Daniel’s collaborators and the variety of these collaborations.

Daniel shared his appreciation for so many talented Northwest musicians and explained he wanted their voices heard in his music.

“When you hire Marina Albero, let her sound like Marina Albero,” he said with a laudh.

Indeed, Daniel talked about how his song “Miles Around” was developed around a bass groove created by Marina Christopher and fleshed out by Heather Thomas’ funk-rock drumbeat. Each different trio on the album brings their own personalities to Daniel’s soulful style.

Improvising is the key to jazz, Daniel said.

“I also like to have it have a place in the song as well. I want to leave space for those magical moments to happen.”

You’ll hear many magical moments in this studio session, from the backing trio and the stellar trombone playing of David Marriott. A talented composer and band leader in his own right, Marriott filled out harmonies to Daniel’s saxophone as well as taking a few outstanding solos.

Look for another lineup from Daniel's album, including organist Joe Doria, for a release party at the Olympia Jazz Central at the Eagles Hall, July 7.

Peter Daniel’s new album Quartets and his quintet studio session may not always add up numerically, but the spirit of collaboration and his salute to his musician friends balances perfectly.

Musicians:

• Peter Daniel - saxophones
• David Marriott - trombone
• Marina Albero - keyboards
• Marina Christopher - bass
• Heather Thomas - drums

Songs:

1. Take a Little Chance
2. Desperate Waltz
3. Pedro Azul
   

Over the past five years, singer Jacqueline Tabor and pianist Marina Albero have become a dynamic musical duo around the Northwest. Their most recent collaboration honors their deep friendship and the music of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone.

Tabor and Albero became close during the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, playing music together and also spending time in each other's daily lives. "We were definitely mental health buddies, and we've turned into family."

"We needed something to put all of our frustrations in," Tabor explained to KNKX Grooveyard host Stephanie Ann Johnson. They found it in the strength of two of American music's most resilient women.

In an exclusive KNKX studio session performance, Tabor and Albero spoke about the strength they've drawn from these jazz legends whose careers can be seen as a continuum of female empowerment through most of the 20th century.

From 1930 to 1959, Billie Holiday became the definitive voice of jazz, sharing the pain of her community through powerful songs like "Strange Fruit" and "God Bless the Child." Nina Simone's debut came in 1958 and her late 1960s songs "Mississippi Goddam" and "Young, Gifted and Black" established her legacy as an artist and activist. The two were undeniable forces for civil rights as songwriters and unapologetically powerful performers.

Tabor said that "this music has made me, personally, evolve as a human, definitely as a woman and damn sure as a Black woman. This music is still relevant today."

Joined by bassist Jonti Simon and drummer D'Vonne Lewis, Tabor and Albero opened with "Swing! Brother, Swing," a song about the power of music, transitioning into the Holiday-penned heartbreak ballad "Don't Explain." The session peaked with a medley of Gershwin classics favored by both singers that nearly brought the studio audience to tears.

Barcelona native Albero, now an American citizen, acknowledged that she wasn't born with an African American perspective. "I'm here in this country mainly to learn the 'Black music" that all of American music stems from," she shared.

Albero continued that her friendship with Tabor taught her not only about the struggle of Black women in America, but "also the family feeling that she taught me was something very close to the one I have in Spain."

In 2022, their Don't Explain Project won Earshot's Golden Ear award for NW Concert of the Year. In the last few months, Tabor and Albero have recorded songs from the Project for a crowd-funded release expected sometime in the near future.

Tabor and Albero also spoke with Johnson about the Project's evolution since its origins, how live and studio settings affect their performances, their connection to their fans and more.

Both of these musicians continue to grow and evolve. Tabor’s well-received All Shades of Blues album showed off a different side of the singer last winter, while Albero moved south to join the remarkable jazz community of New Orleans last year.

Back together for several concerts this summer, Tabor and Albero’s musical and personal connection remains strong. All the better for their many Puget Sound area fans, who can see the Don’t Explain Project June 25 at the North City Bistro.

Musicians:

• Jacqueline Tabor - vocals
• Marina Albero - piano
• Jonti Siman - bass
• D'Vonne Lewis - drums

Songs:

1. Swing! Brother, Swing!
2. Don't Explain
3. My Man's Gone Now
4. I Loves You Porgy

For nearly a decade, the Seattle jazz fusion trio Duende Libre has been a ubiquitous presence on the Northwest music scene. But in this, their fourth KNKX studio session performance, the trio was celebrating music from their first new album in five years.

Joined by bassist Farko Dosumov and drummer/percussionist Jeff Busch, Duende Libre’s pianist Alex Chadsey told the KNKX studio audience that the new album Invocation was born in the isolation of the pandemic.

“During that time,” Chadsey shared, “we tapped into some of the universality, the vulnerability, and the resilience of the human spirit.” Invocation is also an homage to some of the mentors who made these three the musicians they are today.

Duende Libre began their session with “Song for Seales,” written for Chadsey’s mentor and Seattle jazz icon, pianist Marc Seales. Chadsey pointed to Seales’ encouragement and emphasis on the musical combination of silence and dynamics. The song explores that contrast over a soulful groove from Dosumov and Busch.

The beautiful ballad “Eulogy” is dedicated to Charles “Charley” Johnston, Chadsey’s friend and teacher who passed suddenly in 2023. Chadsey said that composing and performing this piece continues to be “a critical part of learning to accept this huge loss.”

The first single from Invocation is the tribute to piano legend Ahmad Jamal. “Ahmadish” was inspired by Jamal’s 1970 album The Awakening, discovered by Chadsey as a college student in Michigan. Later realizing the many samples hip-hop artists had pulled from the album, Chadsey explained that the fresh perspective led him to explore Duende Libre’s interpretation of Jamal’s mid-career masterpiece.

“Ahmadish” is driven by Busch’s up-tempo high-hat rhythm and Dosumov’s thickly grooving bass lines, Chadsey’s electric keyboard lines dance over the beat before bringing the trio to a mid-tempo establishment of the song’s catchy theme. Fiery solos from each musician follow, a fine testament to Jamal’s legacy.

A fun accompaniment to the “Ahmadish” single is a video Duende Libre produced to reach a wider audience. The band, in white shirts and suspenders, are joined in the video by juggler Stephen O’Bent.

“He’s also a talented multi-instrumentalist,” Chadsey shared. “He told me that the tempo of the song lends itself really well to juggling!”

The influence of global musical elements from Cuba, Brazil, West Africa and Eastern Europe still inform the music of Duende Libre. Invocation, in acknowledging their own ancestors, actually solidifies their own sound as one of Seattle’s signature bands.

Duende Libre will welcome special guests, perhaps even a juggler, at the Invocation release party June 7 at the Triple Door in Seattle. Chadsey, Dosumov and Busch will also fill their schedule playing outside of Duende Libre, with their many musician friends around the Northwest and beyond.

With their many live performances in recent years, Duende Libre have made the five-year-wait for Invocation easier to bear. This studio session performance shows, it was clearly worth the wait.

Musicians:

• Alex Chadsey - piano/keyboards
• Farko Dosumov - bass
• Jeff Busch - drums/percussion

Songs:

1. Song for Seales
2. Eulogy
3. Ahmadish

The art of musical improvisation is most commonly a conversation between artists. During a series of concerts at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, pianist Joey Alexander and trumpeter Theo Croker made the most of their meeting on stage and also did some collaborating in the KNKX studios.

Both have three Grammy nominations for their recordings as bandleaders. Croker augmented Alexander’s trio on half of the pianist’s 2023 album Continuance, but this live engagement in Seattle was a special occasion.

The mix of these two bandleaders’ styles, Alexander in mostly acoustic settings and Croker in more modern electronic music, finds a common connection in the groove. From that rhythmic bond, expertly provided by bassist Kris Funn and drummer Jonathan Barber, the band creates something greater than the sum of its parts.

Alexander explained that collaboration is a learning opportunity, bringing something new to his own artistic perspective. He described Croker as bringing positive energy.

“Assuring but also challenging at the same time. It’s fun!”

Croker agreed, saying that from “history, politics, etcetera… somebody else’s perspective can teach you more than your own."

"To play with someone twenty years younger than me,” Croker laughed, “I can explore how his mind works musically. I’m still exploring it.”

Also exploring Alexander’s artistic perspective was bassist Funn, who spent a few minutes before the session performance next to the pianist on his bench playing a few chords and talking about how they think about improvisation.

“We play these songs so much, we get a little bored and we start (musically) ‘jumping off of bridges." Funn explained. "So, I was trying to figure out when he jumps, what perspective he’s jumping with, and now I have some new avenues to go down.”

Along with the sensitively propulsive drumming of Barber, these four artists further developed the musical communication that in-the-moment collaboration brings. More than that, the fun Croker has performing with Alexander’s trio was contagious and immediately felt by the studio audience.

Listen for yourself to a pair of Alexander’s bright, challenging compositions and an innovative performance of the standard “My Funny Valentine.” This fun is to be shared by all.

Musicians:

• Joey Alexander - piano
• Theo Croker - trumpet
• Kris Funn - bass
• Jonathan Barber - drums

Songs:

1. Blue (Joey Alexander)
2. My Funny Valentine (Rodgers/Hart)
3. Why Don't We (Joey Alexander)

Megan and Rebecca Lovell have been touring musicians since they were teenagers, first performing with their older sister Jessica as the bluegrass group The Lovell Sisters. In 2005, the Lovells appeared on the syndicated radio program A Prairie Home Companion and won the show’s Teen Talent contest.

Their parents got them involved with music as children, enrolling them in classical violin lessons at age 3 and 4. But, Megan said, “When we heard bluegrass music for the first time, something really clicked. The idea of being able to improvise and write our own songs, that sparked something inside us.”

So, they traded their violins for mandolin and dobro and started making music together as The Lovell Sisters. Then in 2010, when Jessica left the touring life, Megan and Rebecca regrouped with a new name and new sound. Larkin Poe was born, with Rebecca moving to guitar and Megan to lap steel guitar. They broadened their reach with an engaging YouTube channel, often mixing in Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and the Allman Brothers with modern versions of blues classics. And they toured constantly, relying on the idealism of youth to see them through numerous obstacles.

Now, with another 15 years of performing experience and eight studio albums, the sisters have become formidable songwriters, winning a Grammy Award in 2024 for Best Contemporary Blues Album for Blood Harmony.

Asked if there was a through line that connects bluegrass to blues and rock, Rebecca emphatically said “yes!”

"I’m not a music historian…but the blues is the bedrock and foundation on which all popular culture is built. And I think being able to have grown up playing bluegrass and developing an appreciation for a traditional genre from a very young age really primed us to have an interest to go back and study where American music has come from,” she said.

Rebecca said they’ve learned a lot and credits the music of Son House and Skip James leading to some real “aha!” moments as musicians.

“The beauty of a human voice and the skills of an acoustic guitar can blow your mind. So, I do believe there is a collective root from which everything has grown," she said.

After some frustrating encounters working with outside producers, the pair came to a pivotal moment, and in 2017 started their own record label, Tricki-woo.

“So now we record ourselves and produce ourselves, at Rebecca and her husband's [Tyler Bryant] home studio," Megan said.

“Being able to have complete creative control, being able to turn inward, it’s a feat. It’s hard to have perspective on yourself as an artist,” Rebecca said. “And for the first couple of records that we made I don’t necessarily think we did the best job. But we were learning…we were interested in being able to accrue a wider and more diverse toolbox. And that’s served us so well.”

“I think it’s the key to having a career with longevity,” Megan added.

“It means really getting in the trenches and learning how to be connected to every part of your journey. It’s harder and there’s a lot more pressure, but I think in the long run it’s really fulfilling.”

Larkin Poe visited KNKX in the middle of a U.S. tour, during a stop at The Showbox in Seattle, celebrating their new album Bloom. They played three duo versions of original songs from the album.

This summer they are looking forward to playing with one of their idols, Sheryl Crow, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Rebecca is expecting a baby in August and then after a two-month break, the sisters will be off on a six-week tour of Europe, with the newest member of the Lovell family along for the ride.

Musicians:

• Rebecca Lovell - Vocals, acoustic guitar
• Megan Lovell - Vocals, lap steel guitar

Songs:

1. Little Bit
2. If God Is a Woman
3. Mockingbird

The Rumba Kings formed around a decade ago, but the guitar-focused Latin-Mediterranean-style group experienced a renaissance in their live show which now includes dancers, horns and a full string section. They shared some of their new assets, as well as new tunes, in a live performance at KNKX's Seattle studios.

Bassist Johnny Bacolas and lead guitarist George Stevens, the band's co-founders, talked about their group's growth over the years. Stevens even used his guitar to demonstrate his evolution from ‘guitar guy’ at family gatherings to steady work playing parties in California, to writing and performing original tunes with Rumba Kings.

Bacolas told the story of meeting Stevens after a restaurant gig. The owner was so taken with Stevens playing, that he called Bacolas in to meet him. The chemistry was instant and within 24 hours they'd begun working on the first Rumba Kings album.

Both are songwriters for the Seattle-based group, though more recently Stevens has taken the lead while Bacolas has dedicated more time to producing recordings and filming videos for the band.

Bacolas said they are dedicated to making Rumba Kings live shows as dynamic and expressive as possible. This exclusive studio session performance captures the fruits of his artistic labors. You're sure to feel the passion of the Rumba Kings.

Musicians:

• George Stevens - lead guitar
• Jose Rioseco Puga - rhythm guitar
• Rachel Nesvig - violin
• Johnny Bacolas - bass
• Eugene Bien - piano
• Cliff Colon - saxophone
• Josh Kossak - drums
• Willie Garza - percussion

Songs:

1. Dartanian
2. Brazil
3. A Gypsy's Tear
4. One Beautiful Night

Talk about a special guest: Saxophonist Houston Person joined pianist Emmet Cohen and his trio for a four-night run at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley earlier this month. They performed a special set at the Seattle jazz club for KNKX.

At 90 years old, Person has been making music for more than six decades. And you can tell; but in the best way. When he picks up his horn, that big, sweet, soulful tone is as strong as ever. It all feels effortless as he plays through songs that have been part of his life for decades; like old friends.

“I love music,” he said, matter-of-fact. “I love the challenge. I love what it can bring to you. Music has taken me places that I never would have seen.”

Cohen, along with bassist Joey Ranieri and drummer Joe Farnsworth, also share this passion. The mutual care between them was clear from the start.

During “These Foolish Things,” their connection was quiet but unmistakable; Person’s sweet, steady lines were answered by Cohen’s rich chords in subtle call and response. Later, on “The Second Time Around,” Person let loose with a burst of energy that seemingly inspired Cohen to do the same.

That care and friendship extended off the stage as well. Like a family member caring for his grandfather, Cohen helped Person get settled on stage; later, he bridged conversations when hearing became a challenge. Person praised Cohen too; for his skill, his spirit, and his commitment to the music community.

For more than a decade Cohen has been helping to bridge generations in jazz. He even helped KNKX celebrate our new Seattle studios in 2023.

His ongoing Live at Emmet’s Place series was a beacon of joy and community during the darkest days of the pandemic; and he’s working to carry the music of the elders into the consciousness of today’s jazz fans with his Masters Legacy Series, including Volume 5 with Houston Person.

Reflecting on the session, Cohen noted something unique about jazz.

“I think we’d be hard-pressed to find any other profession where a 90-year-old is working professionally with a 23-year-old,” he said, referring to Houston and Ranieri.

In the moment, the music felt timeless. It wasn’t a passing of the torch; it was a circle, each generation feeding the next.

Musicians:

• Houston Person - saxophone
• Emmet Cohen - piano
• Joey Ranieri - bass
• Joe Farnsworth - drums

Songs:

1. Sweet Sucker (Johnny Griffin)
2. These Foolish Things (Jack Strachey)
3. Second Time Around (Jimmy Van Heusen)

Seattle JazzED continued their partnership with the KNKX with an exciting studio session of jazz classics performed by the nonprofit organization's Femme Ellington Project.

Founded in 2010, Seattle JazzED gives jazz education opportunities to students who would otherwise not have access. Many JazzED students have worked with the KNKX School of Jazz in recent years, including three past KNKX guest DJ's who are now working at JazzED.

The Femme Ellington Project is a jazz band for girls and gender-expansive musicians grade 9 through 12. It's part of JazzED's commitment to create more inclusive spaces for young people who’ve been historically marginalized because of their gender identity.

Directing this eager ensemble was trombonist Audrey Stangland, a child of two band directors herself, and an emerging favorite as a bandleader and collaborator around the Northwest.

Stangland was encouraging with the young musicians, but spoke to them as mature artists. She explained that the Femme Ellington Project offers a space to take chances and make mistakes without feeling the pressure to excel in a historically male-dominated setting.

Seattle JazzED Education Lead and trumpeter Walter Cano was also in the KNKX studios to talk about the organizations accomplishments and hopes for the future. The JazzED Femme Summer Camp, hosted by Stangland, will broaden their focus to include middle school students this year.

The talented high school musicians in the KNKX studios shared a long list of their favorite female musicians, from pop star Chappell Roan to saxophonist/singer Grace Kelly and Seattle-area bassist/composer Abbey Blackwell and Femme Ellington Project founding director Kelly Clingan.

The group also shared their thoughts on the importance of jazz history and how their generation will put their mark on the world of music moving forward.

Choosing to play four of the biggest hits in jazz history, the Femme Ellington Project pulled together terrific ensemble and solo performances. Songs made famous by Count Basie, Miles Davis, Weather Report and The Headhunters were all played with style and joy.

On the front line, Eleanore Katz (trombone) and Maria Coussens (trumpet) matched their brass with the saxophones of Coralie Juha (baritone) and Halle Morgan (alto).

The rhythm section also showed off brief improvisations with Lutra Hall at the piano, Angie De Jesus on electric bass, and Autumn Holt steady behind the drums.

The JazzED Femme Ellington Project inspired us in the KNKX studios, we know they’ll inspire you, too.

Musicians:

• Eleanore Katz - trombone
• Maria Coussens - trumpet
• Coralie Juha - baritone saxophone
• Halle Morgan - alto saxophone
• Lutra Hall - piano
• Angie De Jesus - bass
• Autumn Holt - drums

Songs:

1. Chameleon (Herbie Hancock)
2. L'il Darlin' (Neil Hefti)
3. Birdland (Joe Zawinul)
4. Freddie Freeloader (Miles Davis)

Seattle's iconic trumpeter, Thomas Marriott recently celebrated a new album Screen Time with his East Coast friends at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. The quartet also visited the KNKX studios to play music "from screens large and small."

For the new album, Marriott selected seven pieces from television and film, as well as a pair of originals. He's accompanied by Orrin Evans, Robert Hurst III and Mark Whitfield Jr. at the piano, bass and drums on the recording and in the KNKX studios.

Screen Time marks Marriott's fifth recording in collaboration with Evans, who produced this album and suggested some of the music. In fact, it was a Seattle tour stop by this same trio that brought the group together for this recording.

Marriott explained that during the trio's day off, he and Evans brainstormed ideas for an album that "all revolved around TV shows."

Three songs come from the pair's shared Generation X childhood, and bring a playful joy to Screen Time that will resonate for other generations. There's the theme to Reading Rainbow, "It's Such a Good Feeling" from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and "Pinball Number Count" from Sesame Street.

Marriott added fresh recordings of "Dexter's Tune" from the movie Awakenings, and the themes to films Summer Nights and You Only Live Twice. He said it was time to update these favorites.

The originals include the catchy melody of the title track and "Skip Intro," which Marriott laughingly said is dedicated to binge watchers.

In "Skip Intro," the dramatic starts and stops focus on the fluid drumming of Whitfield, who showed off in the KNKX studios as well as he did on the album version.

The delightful surprise on Screen Time is a song titled "Goodbye / Love Theme" from Predator based on Alan Silvestri's score to the 1987 action favorite starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers. Marriott explained that years ago, he and a roommate used to joke "that it was a love story because they love to fight."

The spare, plaintive trumpet theme from the score gets a thrilling treatment by Marriott's quartet. Marriott always keeps in mind that the point of playing music is to have fun, exemplified by this surprising gem discovered in a place no one was looking.

Marriott and this fantastic quartet brought a lot of fun to the KNKX studios, including "Front Row Family" from his previous album Live from the Heat Dome. You are part of this family, pull up to the front row and enjoy!

Musicians:

• Thomas Marriott - trumpet
• Orrin Evans - piano
• Robert Hurst III - bass
• Mark Whitfield Jr. - drums

Songs:

1. Front Row Family (Thomas Marriott)
2. Skip Intro (Thomas Marriott)
3. You Only Live Twice (Leslie Bricusse/John Barry)

Greta Matassa is a singer whose expansive energy fills up a room. Her light was on full display at a recent studio session at KNKX’s downtown Seattle studios. Matassa regularly performs around the Puget Sound region, and will appear at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in April with her new sextet.

Matassa is also a well-known music educator. Even the soundcheck at KNKX became a chance to educate the small audience, which included some of her former students.

After singing three original tunes she sat down with KNKX host Paige Hansen for a frank discussion about how she got started, the state of the music industry, and her current work both on and off-stage to keep the music community thriving.

Matassa got her start singing as a teenager and was soon being booked at gigs with age-limits. She convinced her open-minded parents to let her quit school and they forged a fake ID so she could go to work singing.

She learned a lot along the way, despite not being able to read music, shaping the lessons she shares with her students.

"Stepping onto a bandstand as a professional, I had to I had to find out how to communicate with musicians," Matassa explained.

"And as a teacher now, I kind of talk to singers about this because a lot of the singers that I work with, they don't read music either, and I'm obviously not gonna be able to teach them to read music, but I'm teaching them how to interface with musicians, how to discuss things, how to understand."

She said the 1980s were a time flush with lucrative gigs that could keep a musician working six days a week for four hours a night. But the advent of karaoke and DJs changed the the climate for musicians.

"A lot of the venues that we're used to paying a full-size group, they didn't have to do that anymore. They got a karaoke machine, or they got a DJ spinning discs. And so we were out, and there was no replacement for it,” she said.

Matassa started doing studio work, and eventually teaching.

"I did it because I needed the money. But I really did find that I really like it. I'm good at it, and I love helping people at whatever level get a chance to experience what this is like," she said.

Technology has once again changed the game for Matassa's work. The current array of available music services and nearly endless YouTube videos offer a lot of access to jazz music. But Matassa said sometimes this means jazz students skim the surface and don’t go as deep with their knowledge.

“It’s this double-edged sword – yes, they can listen to 50 different versions of it – but they don’t go deep with any of them," she said.

Matassa's solution is to send students one recording a week, maybe of Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald or Anita O’Day. Then she tells them to "live with that for the week," only listening to one great tune.

"When I learned this music, I had records, and I played the record over and over and over and over. And if you learned orally, the way I did, that was how I got deep with this music," Matassa said.

With a deep relationship with the music, and no plans to retire, Greta Matassa continues to inspire and entertain, waving her iconic fan onstage.

Musicians:

• Greta Matassa - vocals
• Brian Monroney - guitar
• David Lee Joyner - piano
• Clipper Anderson - bass
• Mark Ivester - drums

Songs:

1. "About the Boy" (G.Matassa/C.Anderson)
2. "Quiet Evening" (D.Grusin/G.Matassa)
3. "A Walk with Miss Begonia" (G.Matassa/C.Anderson)