While Laura was still a student at King's High School in Shoreline, she was a guest vocalist for Lance Buller’s group that came in for a studio session a few years back. In 2014, Laura was named the winner of the high school division in the Seattle-Kobe Female Jazz Vocalist competition, and in 2015, Downbeat Magazine named her the national winner of their 38th annual Student Music Awards in the high school vocal jazz soloist category. Laura is on summer break from the Frost School of Music at

Seattle Kobe female jazz vocalist of the year Leah Natale and local group Ambience are fond of the oldies -- the really old, oldies. The newest song they played for us when they dropped by for a performance in the KNKX studios was from 1953 - ("Baubles Bangles and Beads" written for the 1953 musical "Kismet" by Robert Wright and George Forrest.) Natale's very favorite type of singing involves big band jazz. Her clear tone and voice lends to a smaller group like Ambience beautifully however.

After more than a quarter century, that Mighty Engine of Rhythm still swings like mad. Pearl Django’s KNKX studio session hit the ground running with Floyd Hoyt Rides Again , from their new CD With Friends Like These . Written by Pearl Django guitarist Tim Lerch, it’s named for one of the many noms de jazz of founding member Dudley Hill. Fiddler Michael Gray says some of Dudley’s other aliases were The New Johnny Sands, and Michael’s personal favorite, H. Burnell Delahoopay. In this session,

Blending the rhythms of Brazil, the Caribbean, Africa and Latin America into a groovy gumbo, Seattle's Duende Libre landed in the KNKX studios to celebrate with an exclusive performance of three songs from their new self-titled album live on 88.5. The trio are well-traveled, keys player Alex Chadsey has spent time playing music in Mexico, drummer Jeff Busch lived in Brazil for a short spell, and bassist Farko Dosumov hails from the Central Asian country of Uzbekistan. However, it's the

New Orleans is so full of incredibly gifted drummers, bassists and pianists, it would probably be impossible to pick one three-piece rhythm section and call it ‘the best.’ But when you’re talking about drummer Stanton Moore, bassist James Singleton and pianist David Torkanowsky, you could make a pretty good case that these guys rule the roost in The City That Care Forgot. However you’d rate ‘em, though, they sure are funky . Stanton Moore—Drums David Torkanowsky—Piano James Singleton—Bass

Doug Macleod is a modern renaissance blues man. An award-winning musician and songwriter, he is also a columnist, radio host and teacher. As a sideman in the 1960s and 1970s he played with legends Big Mama Thornton, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson and Lowell Fulson among many others. When he embarked on his own career, that experience was invaluable, both as a player and a songwriter. Since 1984, Doug has released over two dozen albums of his own original material and has won multiple awards, most

Boston native LaVon Hardison has enchanted the South Sound with her warm, lively voice and personality. Utilizing her background in lyric opera and musical theatre, she goes deep into a song to tell its story. LaVon’s most recent CD, “Come Together,” showcases her creative connection with some of the Northwest’s finest musicians, and their performance at KNKX was a delight from start to finish. World, meet the LaVon Hardison Quartet!

The Greyhounds first came to national attention with the release of their 2016 album "Change of Pace," which features lush, yet airy psychedelic production, heart-wrenching songwriting and Stax-worthy soulful vocals. A duo out of Austin, Texas, the Greyhounds distinguish themselves with artful use of loops and studio expertise that supports their mellow vibe. The uplifting spirit of their music is reminiscent of the soul era of the 1960s, but their grooves are 21st century Southern soul.

His band's work supporting David Bowie on his final album, "Blackstar," has moved saxophonist and composer Donny McCaslin's Group into the spotlight in the last couple years, and the pride of Santa Cruz, California is ready for it. Expounding on the legendary pop star's finale, McCaslin told us that Bowie was looking for his quartet to keep doing what they'd been doing on their then-new album "Fast Future" - a blend of electronic atmosphere, smart compositions and free-flowing improvisation. The

Celebrating the birthday of one of the most influential figures in jazz for a fifth year at Tula's jazz club, trumpeter Thomas Marriott brought three friends from the East Coast to explore the music of Miles Davis. It was thrilling. With two members of his quartet on the recent Urban Folklore album, pianist Orrin Evans and bass player Eric Revis, plus New York native and UW artist in residence Ted Poor on drums, the band split a pair of Second Classic Quintet tunes with the great mid-50s number