KNKX Studio Sessions

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)

On a sunny February day, The Brubeck Brothers brought their long-running quartet to KNKX's Seattle studios for an exclusive session honoring the music of their father Dave Brubeck. They were in town for shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley.

Bassist (and trombonist) Chris Brubeck co-leads the band with his brother Dan Brubeck on drums. Mike DiMicco and Chuck Lamb handle guitar and piano. All four have considerable experience playing with Dave, who passed away in 2012, and honored the jazz giant with spirited performances of three of his compositions.

Chris and Dan's other two brothers are also musicians. The two were very inspired by The Dave Brubeck Quartet’s rhythm section. Dan recalled watching drummer Joe Morello as a child.

"I still to this day wonder how he did what he did," he laughed.

Chris added that Eugene Wright was a "meat-and-potatoes bass player." He studied Wright's technical and harmonic style, and how the bass player can adjust to the other musicians on the band stand.

"I always think of the bass player as being a supporting character, and Gene was that in Dave's group."

This exciting quartet performance began with “Blue Rondo à la Turk.” Chris announced the song joking that “it makes no sense that this tune would become popular all over the world, but it is!”

The tricky time signature, in 9/8, was no problem for this experienced quartet.

“We’ve heard it all of our lives,” Chris said, adding that it was an easy warm up song for this group.

Another composition that grew out of Dave’s famous 1958 US State Department tour around the world, the band played “Since Love Had Its Way.”

Chris explained to the studio audience that the tour had been directed by “that great jazz hippie President Eisenhower to say that America’s a great place."

"You can hear the basis of constitutional freedom in jazz – everyone has a voice, there’s a dialogue," he continued.

Dave and his wife Iola wrote a musical, The Real Ambassadors, about how jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong were the most famous Americans in the world. The musical will be onstage at New York City's Lincoln Center in April.

“They were representing America in the best possible way,” Chris said.

The quartet’s final song was another example of the international reach of jazz. Inspired by a group of African musicians of multiple nationalities organized by the eldest Brubeck brother, Darius, “The Jazzanians” was written by Dave to honor one of the continent’s earliest jazz ensembles.

The bouncing composition featured Dan's drumming, busily exploring all aspects of his instrument. His solo, accompanied by Chris’ bass, was pure Brubeck – literally.

Both brothers expressed their delight in keeping their father’s music alive. They have recorded several of their own albums, but the family has also been busy unearthing previously unreleased recordings from the pianist and composer in recent years.

Released in 2023, Live from the Northwest, 1959 is a recording of Brubeck quartet performances in Portland, Oregon that precede the group’s best-selling album Time Out from later that year.

As the enthusiastic KNKX studio session audience poured out their appreciation, this set was a celebration of four talented jazz musicians and the music of Dave Brubeck. It’s certainly alive and well in the hands of the Brubeck Brothers Quartet.

Musicians:

• Chris Brubeck - bass
• Dan Brubeck - drums
• Mike DiMicco - guitar
• Chuck Lamb - piano

Songs:

1. Blue Rondo A La Turk (Dave Brubeck)
2. Since Love Had Its Way (Dave Brubeck & Iola Brubeck)
3. Jazzanians (Dave Brubeck)

KNKX welcomed the LowDown Brass Band to our Seattle studios while they were in town for the sold-out Olympia Funk Festival in January.

Hailing from Chicago, the brass ensemble began as a bar band with a sound reminiscent of New Orleans street parade bands. Over time, they gradually embraced the wide breadth of sounds in their Chicago's music scene. They began infusing their brass ensemble with elements of hip- hop, funk, reggae and pop.

"When we did that, we really began to take off, because it was just true to us as people," said Shane Jonas, LowDown's singer and trumpeter.

Since then, they've captivated music lovers worldwide with their infectious feel-good grooves. The triumphant horn lines are made more potent thanks to two vocalists, Jonas and Billa Camp, who sing and rap songs of resilience, perseverance and the awesome power of music and dance.

Their latest album $itizens of the World highlights their high-energy grooves and slick, powerful original music. The album's name refers to music's power to break down walls between people.

"Music is the true citizen of the world. It crosses boundaries... it crosses borders, religions, races, creeds, cultures," Camp said. "That's what we're bringing to the world."

Savor the moment and enjoy this KNKX Studio Session with the Low Down Brass Band.

Musicians:

• Shane Jonas - Trumpet / Vocals
• Anthony “Billa Camp” Evora - MC / Vocals
• Sam Johnson - Trumpet
• Matt Davis - Sousaphone
• Matt Kowalski - Trombone
• John Barbush - Drums

Song:

1. Paradise/Truth medley
2. Betty Bop

Patterns Fly is a trio that began almost by accident, but they’ve developed a new modern jazz sound that could only come from these three players at this particular time.

Portland-based keyboard player Galen Clark often worked with Seattle-based guitarist Andy Coe and drummer D’Vonne Lewis over the last two decades. They've collaborated on each other's projects, including Trio Subtonic and McTuff — but Patterns Fly is different.

The band’s name came after the trio booked a tour through California in 2023.

“Oh, we’re doing a bunch of shows in different cities, we need a name,” Coe said with a laugh.

A signature of the Patterns Fly sound is Clark’s extensive use of synthesizer.

“Playing synth-bass is a sound that I don’t use in every project. Getting weird with the keyboard pedals is my happy place and everybody here supports that,” he shared.

“It’s a whole different vibe, but we still get to be genuine in ourselves,” Lewis said of the group.

Coe agreed, adding that every group they play with is a little different.

"Any combo of people you get together is going to change the output,” he said.

All three Patterns Fly musicians have extensive experience playing outside the jazz world. Clark has toured on keys with rock band Sleater-Kinney; Lewis worked recently with hip-hop greats Digable Planets, and Coe has led many Grateful Dead tribute bands. That diverse skill set may not be immediately recognizable in Patterns Fly, but it’s there in each musician’s artistic perspective.

“This is a pretty cool outfit to explore pretty much any style we want,” Coe said smiling. “We don’t have anything quite like this.”

While they may have picked a name out of necessity, it seems to be a good fit.

“We explore different patterns,” Lewis explained, “weave in and out of different things, the name is associated with what we do: patterns fly!”

While you can find Clark, Coe and Lewis playing in numerous groups around Portland and Seattle, the Patterns Fly lineup will settle in at the Sunset Tavern in Seattle March 19 and the Eastside Club Tavern in Olympia March 20.

Until then, enjoy listening to the atmosphere, the groove, the melody and harmony of Patterns Fly.

Musicians:

• Galen Clark - keyboards
• Andy Coe - guitar
• D'Vonne Lewis - drums

Songs:

1. Song for Tomorrow
2. Everything
3. Liberation

KNKX welcomed global trumpet sensation Chris Botti to the KNKX studios for a quick performance while he was in town for concerts at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

In the KNKX studios, Botti collaborated with Portland-based pianist George Colligan. They'd only played together once before, but their improvisational abilities came together for a gorgeous reading of the classic ballad “Smile,” a melody written by Charlie Chaplin.

It was an extra-special occasion as jazz musicians from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma made up the studio audience and had the opportunity to ask Botti about his remarkable career.

The teens peppered Botti with smart questions about his jazz inspirations, career challenges and turning points; the balance of technical skills and emotional expression, and more.

Botti answered the students in depth, respectful of these musicians at the beginning of their own jazz journeys. Botti’s own journey has led him to the legendary Blue Note record label for the recently released Volume 1, with plans for a follow up next year.

Several Bellarmine Prep students asked about Botti’s many collaborations and the trumpeter had plenty to share. He’s worked with Frank Sinatra, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Paul Simon, Michael Brecker and dozens more legendary artists.

You’re sure to smile listening to Chris Botti blow his trumpet, and you might walk away as inspired as the young cats from the Bellarmine Prep jazz band.

Musicians:

• Chris Botti-trumpet
• George Colligan-piano

Song:

1. Smile (Charlie Chaplin/David Raskin)