KNKX Studio Sessions

Making a debut appearance in the KNKX studios, the Seattle-based The Walking Hat Trio seemed a little nervous while warming up for their first-ever live broadcast. But once the music started, our audience got an earful of fresh, confident swinging and impressive new music.

Four of the Northwest's top jazz musicians teamed up to celebrate a new release of sax great Cannonball Adderley's band with concerts around Puget Sound. A delightful addition to the group was the longtime drummer in Adderley's '60s band, the charming Roy McCurdy.

On both saxophone and clarinet, Jacob Zimmerman is a versatile musician working with various bands around Puget Sound. For his own group, this master of creative swinging jazz focuses on the remarkable transition from big-band swing to small group bebop in the 1940s.

After a quarter century, the mighty engine of rhythm that is Pearl Django is still hittin’ on all five: accordionist and recording engineer David Lange, violinist Michael Gray, guitarists Tim Lerch and Jim Char, and bassist Rick Leppanon.

How does a talented young jazz pianist find himself in the upper left corner of the United States? Well, it's a funny story from both sides of the Atlantic.

Asked about learning jazz in the red-hot Northwest scene, Interlake High School junior Kenji Wagner told us the best part is sharing jazz with the community of teenage musicians he encounters.

With bassist Carmen Rothwell and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi settling into New York City in the past couple of years, trumpeter Raymond Larsen keeps them coming back to Seattle. It had been two years since their last performance in the Northwest, but their musical development shows on their new album "Story Time."

One of Seattle's most beloved organ players, Delvon Lamarr and his wife/manager Amy Novo are moving to Austin, Texas, in the new year. They close this chapter with New Year's Eve shows at the Triple Door, and stopped by the KNKX studios to share a few musical pages of the chapters to come.

While recording two albums as a trio (mostly), Seattle's Duende Libre has worked with singers Chava Mirel and Frank Anderson in live settings almost since the group's founding. In a recent visit to the KNKX studios, Mirel and Anderson truly felt like integral members of the band.

Grammy-award winner Paula Cole graced the KNKX studios in support of her current release, “Ballads.” It's a collection of songs in honor of her musician father, who left the music business to support the family. Cole says she began as jazz singer, and featured herself as a "female Chet Baker." She was offered two jazz recording contracts, which she turned down. She chose, instead, to write her own music, honoring her voice in homage to her mother. Cole studied jazz at the Berklee College of