KNKX Studio Sessions

Samantha Fish is an in-demand guitarist and singer at the top of her game.

And she seems to be everywhere that there are guitars. In 2024, she was on the cover of Guitar World magazine, toured with guitarist Slash’s S.E.R.P.E.N.T Festival, and opened for the Rolling Stones. In 2023, she performed at Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival, and appears in the related concert film and live album released last November.

While in Seattle to perform at The Crocodile, Fish squeezed in a visit to KNKX between her sound check and the show. She brought along her acoustic guitar and played one original song “Need You More” and a Charley Patton song “Jim Lee Blues” that dates to around 1930.

With 12 albums under her belt since she started recording in 2009, Fish has been nominated for numerous awards from the Blues Foundation, Blues Blast and Living Blues. Her 2023 release Death Wish Blues with Jesse Dayton earned her a Grammy nomination for Contemporary Blues Album.

Fish grew up in Kansas City, well-known for its rich jazz and blues history, and said she fell in love with music attending live shows, mainly country, blues and rock acts that included Cedric Burnside, Tab Benoit and Mike Zito. She comes from a musical family. Her father was an amateur rock guitarist and her sister Amanda is also a professional guitarist and singer, so their house was always filled with music.

As a young teenager, not wanting to be another guitarist in the family, she took up drumming. But, before long, she couldn’t stay away from the guitar, attracted by its expressive potential. She mentioned listening to AC/DC, Mike Campbell from Tom Petty’s band, and also blues players like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Hubert Sumlin; as well as more traditional artists like Charley Patton and R.L. Burnside.

She has a special love for female guitarists such as Bonnie Raitt and Susan Tedeschi, and currently plays a white Gibson SG guitar, like one of her heroines Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Fish is drawn to singers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Otis Redding, who sang with passion and soul.

While her music has become more diverse over the years, touching on rock, soul and country, she made it clear that she started out playing blues and still considers it the root of her sound.

Enjoy this stripped down session featuring Fish's original sound, plus an old school blues number.

Songs:

1. Need You More
2. Jim Lee Blues, Part 1

The Blind Boys of Alabama have been a working singing group since 1939, previously under the name Happy Land Jubilee singers. They performed their Christmas show at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in December.

While in town, the four sharply dressed vocalists stopped by the KNKX Seattle studios with their band for a few songs and some conversation.

Resplendent in matching red and black suit jackets with vests, the Blind Boys matched down to their shoes, which were covered in black crystals. The Black southern traditions of wearing your "Sunday best" and gospel singing are alive and well in the group, explained vocalist and band historian Ricky McKinnie.

Currently supporting their album Echoes of the South, which won Best Roots Gospel Album at the 2024 Grammy Awards, the Blind Boys of Alabama have also published a new book, The Spirit of the Century: Our Own Story, written with author Preston Lauterbach.

The group started with “Jesus You’ve Been Good to Me,” followed closely by the Pops Staples tune “Friendship,” from their most recent release. Next, to mark the Christmas season, they sang the spiritual "Go Tell It on the Mountain" accompanied by a powerful rhythm section

Then came the group's stirring rendition of “Amazing Grace,” which uses the melody from the American folk classic, “House of the Rising Sun,” and can be found on their 2019 release of the same name.

Enjoy a historic, inspirational performance from these keepers of an iconic gospel flame - the Blind Boys of Alabama.

Musicians:

• Sterling Glass - vocals
• J.W. Smith - vocals
• Ricky McKinnie - vocals
• Joey Williams - vocals, guitar
• Matthew Hopkins - keyboards
• Tracy Peters - bass
• Steve Ray - banjo
• Austin Moore - drums

Songs:

1. I Can See
2. Friendship
3. Go Tell It on the Mountain
4. Amazing Grace

Braxton Cook is at the forefront of where jazz is going in 2025.

The singer, saxophonist and songwriter integrates modern Black American music into the jazz tradition with ease. His artistry is a reflection of his influences and self. He's also connecting with younger audiences, as demonstrated by the crowd at his Dec. 5 show at The Triple Door.

Cook grew up in a household of music but not always jazz.

“It was like more of a Motown, Stax records, gospel household," he told KNKX. "And then my older brother was playing a bunch of hip-hop and stuff like that, putting me on to Biggie and Tupac and all that, and DMX. So all of that was very much mixed up in my household.”

Cook studied jazz traditions in high school and then at Julliard in New York City. But his time with other innovative artists like Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) and Marquis Hill appear to have had a stronger impact on his artistry than studying the traditions did.

“It's something that felt just honest. You know what I mean?" Cook said. "It felt like that's a representation of what they love. And I wanted to find that for myself.”

Cook joins them as a musician building his career by integrating modern sounds into the tradition.

Cook's latest project, My Everything, is a microcosm of the artistic realm he's been developing through his solo efforts since 2014. He performed two tracks from the new EP, which was released in November.

"Zodiac" is a nod to the innovative pianist of the past Mary Lou Williams and her "Zodiac Suite." The other track, "My Everything," sounds like it'd be right at home atop R&B charts.

Enjoy this fresh KNKX Studio Session with three original songs, composed and performed by the multi-talented Braxton Cook.

Musicians:

• Braxton Cook - vocals, saxophone, guitar
• Javier Santiago- piano, keys
• Jermaine Paul - electric bass
• Jonathan Pinson- drums

Songs:

1. Zodiac
2. My Everything
3. MB (for Ma’Khia Bryant)

Taj Mahal is a once in a generation musician, whose insatiable curiosity and openness has fueled his distinctive career. He celebrated his eclectic style during a series of concerts at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. KNKX captured one of these exclusive performances at the club from Mahal and his band.

While he is often described as a blues musician, Mahal is more likely to mix his blues with reggae, African and Caribbean music, creating a hybrid sound all his own.

He is one of the first major artists to connect the musical dots between American blues and world music. And that insatiable curiosity led him all over the planet, creating and recording with musicians from Africa, India, and the South Pacific.

He said that he grew up in a house filled with a wide variety of music — his mother’s gospel, his father’s Caribbean music, jazz from New York City, and the shortwave radio that tuned him into music from all parts of the globe.

Mahal said that for him, “music was like breathing” and that he was always just curious about the background and lineage of songs and styles.

In terms of particular musicians, he cited Ray Charles as a big influence on his direction. He started taking piano lessons as a child, but apparently his teacher told his mother, “Don’t waste your money on lessons, he only wants to play boogie woogie.”

As a college student in Springfield, Massachusetts, Mahal studied agriculture and ethnomusicology but also started performing as often as he could.

In the mid-1960s, he made his way to California, where he teamed up with a teenaged Ry Cooder for a short-lived group called The Rising Sons. The group was one of the first interracial bands of that time, which was likely an obstacle to their mainstream success.

Some strong solo albums followed, but the lack of commercial breakthrough did not deter Mahal from finding his own path. He incorporated West Indian, Caribbean, jazz and reggae, folk and gospel into his mix.

In the 1980s, he moved to Kaua’i and started recording and touring with his Hawaiian group. His current quintet includes musicians from Hawaii, Trinidad and Tobago.

Along the way, Mahal made a series of successful children’s albums and scored the musical Mule Bone, which earned a Grammy nomination in 1991. His first Grammy win, one of four he has received, came in 1997 for his release, Senor Blues.

Another significant milestone came in 1999 when Mahal recorded with Malian kora master Toumani Daibaté, representing a musical tradition of 70 generations. With that album, his musical journey had come full circle, informing his own sense of his African ancestry and his role as an American storyteller.

Mahal said that Seattle is one of his favorite cities and that he’s been playing here since the late 1960’s. For the last two decades, part of his Thanksgiving tradition has been to play an extended run at Jazz Alley, with a couple of days off to celebrate the holiday with his band and their families and friends.

Mahal received an Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and has been inducted into the Blues Music Hall of Fame.

Join the festivities with Taj Mahal and his musical family in this exclusive KNKX Studio Session.

Musicians:

• Taj Mahal - vocals, guitar, banjo, resonator guitar
• Bobby Ingano - lap steel guitar
• Tony Durham - steel drum
• Bill Rich - bass
• Robert Greenidge - drums

Songs:

1. Wild About My Lovin'
2. Slow Drag
3. Twilight in Hawaii

Trombonist and composer Naomi Moon Siegel made a big impact on the Seattle jazz community during her decade-or-so living around Puget Sound. After eight years based in Missoula, Montana, Siegel returned to the Northwest to celebrate her new album and shared a few tunes with her band in the KNKX Seattle studios.

Siegel told KNKX that the new release Shatter the Glass Sanctuary reflects on her move to a smaller city and all the adjustments, sorrow and joy, and isolation that come with a new community.

The album’s music has taken a journey as well. Most of the music was written in 2018 and 2019 with plans to record in 2020.

“That did not happen,” Siegel laughed. “What did happen was that the music kept growing… I’m really happy with the result.”

Another evolution of the music was the band who would help Siegel realize her compositions. Beginning with Seattle-based friends Marina Albero (piano) Kelsey Mines (bass) and Chris Icasiano (drums), Shatter the Glass Sanctuary eventually drew in more Seattleites: guitarist Andy Coe and trumpeter Ray Larsen.

Siegel complimented her band’s “open, exploratory spirit,” and expressed appreciation for their “big, open ears."

"We’re not saying, ‘this is the only thing we can do in this genre,’” Siegel said, referring to jazz.

The album’s music carries a big, open sound – like taking a photo of a landscape, you can’t really capture the magic unless you’re there.

Siegel said the band’s rehearsals, even by candlelight after losing power in a windstorm, gave the musicians all they needed to put their own personalities into the music.

The album’s secret weapon may be the producer, renowned jazz drummer Allison Miller.

“Allison was really fun to work with,” Siegel said with a smile. “One thing we would do in these sessions is just hang out, in a moment, and just say ‘how does this moment want to live, breath, groove'… that was a great thing for me to learn.”

Naomi Moon Siegel and her talented band brought life to her new album on a brief tour of Western Washington, including this remarkable studio session. Turn up the volume and enjoy the journey.

Musicians:

• Naomi Moon Siegel - trombone
• Ray Larsen - trumpet
• Andy Coe - guitar
• Marina Albero - piano
• Kelsey Mines - bass
• Chris Icasiano - drums

Songs:

1. Seep Into My Pores
2. Sabotage
3. Future Light

Veteran funk-jazz sextet Lettuce got into some sonic explorations in an action-packed KNKX studio session, while visiting Seattle for shows at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley.

In front of a buzzing studio audience, including members of the Bellarmine Prep jazz band from Tacoma, Lettuce found plenty of fresh ideas in three songs from over 20 years of recordings.

In their first song “Silence is Golden,” Lettuce quoted “Summer in the City” by the late Quincy Jones. Trumpeter Eric “Benny” Bloom acknowledged the influence of the late producer on their band, noting that Lettuce had never played the song that way before.

After more than three decades working together, these musicians share a common love for creating something new in every performance, even with songs they’ve played hundreds of times. They included a groove from Curtis Mayfield’s “Pusherman” to refresh one of the band’s early songs, “JB’s Squadlive.”

The slower “Hawk’s Claw” found Bloom and saxophonist Ryan Zoidis arranging their horn parts in the moment, also featuring a tasty electric piano solo for Nigel Hall.

Engaging the KNKX School of Jazz students for a few questions, Lettuce came full circle from their collegiate origins at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.

Guitarist Adam “Schmeeans” Smirnoff encouraged Bellarmine’s pianist Xavier Colon to play multiple instruments. He praised his bandmates, drummer Adam Deitch as “one of the greatest guitar players,” and keyboard player Hall as one of his “favorite bass players.”

Bassist Erick “Jesus” Coomes answered Bellarmine reeds player Vivienne Northcutt’s question about which band members were responsible for writing their charts for their songs.

“Compositionally, we all have a big hand in the writing, but we have no written music. Sorry, kids. You’re going to have to learn it by listening,” he laughed.

Along with Bellarmine saxophonist Kent Hoiden and bassist Joey Masterson, senior Sydney Mbugua asked a thoughtful question of the band. Were there ever moments where things “just weren’t clicking” and how did the band handle those moments?

Smirnoff answered that Lettuce is a family.

“Life isn’t always easy,” he explained. “Whether it’s a music group, a friendship, business – in this situation you have all three – I really think love and respect will keep us all together.”

The young musicians of Bellarmine Prep took his message, and the music of Lettuce, to heart. KNKX is excited to welcome a few of these musicians to perform a School of Jazz studio session with an ensemble of their school’s musicians early next year. Stay connected!

Artists:

• Nigel Hall-keyboards - vocals
• Ryan Zoidis - saxophones
• Eric "Benny" Bloom - trumpet
• Adam "Schmeeans" Smirnoff - guitar
• Erick "Jesus" Coomes - bass
• Adam Deitch - drums

Songs:

1. Silence is Golden
2. JB's Squadlive
3. Hawk's Claw

In an energetic KNKX Studio Session, 10-piece band Khu.éex' filled the space with their unique blend of jazz, funk, rock, and spoken word in Indigenous languages Tlingit and Haida.

Currently led by bassist Preston Singletary, powerhouse band Khu.éex' formed a decade ago after Singletary met keyboardist Bernie Worrell, a former member of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic who passed away in 2016. Their collaboration lives on through an ever-evolving group of musicians highlighting the perspectives and struggles of Native American communities through music.

After a quick moment of gratitude shared by Gene Tagaban, the band opened with their first song, "Angry Bear." It began with a low, dreamlike poem from Sondra Segundo, spoken in her native Haida language, followed up by foot-stomping rock-fusion grooves reminiscent of Carlos Santana. The song follows a raven spreading love “for the people.”

They followed up with a warm yet melancholy song "Shapeshifter." Segundo revealed that she wrote this song for her 23-year-old son, who had been struggling with mental health. Tagaban’s haunting lyrics of the shape-shifter give a glimpse of the inner turmoil that is part of such a struggle. Segundo’s empowering lyrics of “you are here for a reason” serve as a powerful reminder of our purpose.

Khu.éex' rounded out their set with "Prophetess / Woman Warrior Song" a perfect example of how they amplify their messages through music. "Prophetess" focuses on the women of the endangered communities that Segundo represents. "Woman Warrior Song," written by Lil’Wat Nation member Faye Nelson, highlights the strength of women through nurturing and building community.

Singletary called Khu.éex' the “largest unknown band in the Pacific Northwest.” He said he looks forward to playing more for communities in the region.

The band is staying busy, with recent performances at Seattle Peoples Indigenous Day and Earshot Jazz Festival. They are also developing a documentary about the band, called The Magic of Noise.

Get to know Khu.éex', their spirit and message in this KNKX Studio Session.

Musicians:

• Preston Singletary - Bass
• Captain Raab - Guitar
• Tim Kennedy - Keys 
• Larry Mahlis - Drums 
• Denny Stern - Percussion
• Gordon Brown - Saxophone
•  Jason Cressey - Trombone
•  Kate Olson - Baritone saxophone
• Sondra Segundo - Vocals 
• Gene Tagaban - Vocals, spoken word/native flute 

Songs:

1. Angry Bear
2. Shapeshifter
3. Prophetess / Woman Warrior Song

Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was in town performing at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley Oct. 8th-9th. The St. Louis native brought his swagger to the KNKX studios for this session, performing tunes from his 3rd album as a solo artist, Foreverland. 

Coming into the spotlight for his work as the trumpet voice of Miles Davis in the Grammy-winning film, Miles Ahead, Harrold’s career spans back to the early 2000s. He has performed as a sideman for Common, Robert Glasper and a variety of artists who’ve shaped his current sound.

Foreverland is a sonic experience effortlessly weaving through multiple genres and presents interesting themes of love, longing, and “finding your peace of mind.”

The journey to peace began with Harrold opening with the first track of the album, “Find Your Peace.” A statement or mantra more than a song title, with repeated instructions to find your peace, Harrold provided an immediate boost for the live audience.

We made a stop at “Foreverland,” featuring vocalist Malaya, a burgeoning star in the making, and powerhouse drummer Brian Richberg, who turned heads with his drumming. Through “Foreverland,” Harrold creates an equal-parts utopia, boundless from any labels.

The final song, “Don't Lie,” was written after a rough breakup and featured dueling vocals from Harrold and Malaya. In it, Harrold subtly reveals the highs and lows of a relationship and his experience dealing with them. The true beauty of the performance was the spontaneity of Harrold and Malaya, who took turns pleading to the audience to “not lie.”

Like a true basketball point guard, Harrold recognized the hot hand as Malaya completely took the song over, weaving in vocal references to Anita Baker and Slum Village.

Check out this studio session from Keyon Harrold.

Musicians:

• Keyon Harrold - Trumpet
• Asar The Ambassador - piano
• Matt Sewell - Guitar
• Dan Winshall - Bass
• Malaya - Vocals
• Brian Richberg - Drums

Songs:

1. Find Your Peace
2. Foreverland
3. Don’t Lie

Alto saxophone great Vincent Herring brought a soulful feeling and a new all-star band to Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley, visiting the KNKX studios for an exclusive performance while they were in Seattle.

The inspiration for his new Something Else! band came from Herring attending Motown revues as a kid.

“The Temptations, Diana Ross… it was so fun to go to that concert because you knew all these songs,” he told KNKX.

Herring took that idea and ran with it. Something Else! puts a soul jazz twist on some of the most popular songs in jazz.

“As an audience participant,” Herring said, “I would like to go to that concert!”

The band he’s put together really is something else: James Carter (tenor and soprano sax), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet and flugelhorn), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Dave Kikoski (piano), Essiet Okon Essiet (bass) and Jerome Gillespie (drums) had the KNKX studio audience cheering wildly.

As a kid in the 1960s, Herring said he listened to whatever the pop music of the day was, until playing a new instrument drew him in a new direction.

"Once I started playing saxophone, I wanted to hear more saxophone, and then I started getting into jazz,” he said.

His new group merges those jazz skills with the music of his youth.

The group’s debut album, Soul Jazz, was recorded live in New York City and includes soul jazz favorites like “The Chicken” by James Brown band member Pee Wee Ellis and “Filthy McNasty” by Horace Silver. The group’s talent and personality really shine with their uniquely funky versions of jazz standards.

In the KNKX studios, Something Else! performed three songs they plan to record for their next album: Cedar Walton’s “I’m Not So Sure,” Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight,” and John Coltrane’s “Naima.”

There were fiery solos in each, but it was the backbeat provided by Essiet and Gillespie that gave the songs a soulful, celebratory feeling. As Herring said after the session, these aren’t just great songs, they are a whole lot of fun to play.

We think they’re also a lot of fun to listen to. Please enjoy this exclusive performance from Something Else!

Musicians:

• Vincent Herring - alto saxophone
• James Carter - tenor saxophone
• Freddie Hendrix - trumpet
• Paul Bollenback - guitar
• Dave Kikoski - piano
• Essiet Okon Essiet - bass
• Jerome Gillespie - drums

Songs:

1. I'm Not So Sure (Cedar Walton)
2. 'Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk)
3. Naima (John Coltrane)

No stranger to the Pacific Northwest, José James returned to the Emerald City to perform for two nights at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. Along the way, this jazz singer for the hip-hop generation stopped by the KNKX Seattle studios for a smooth, soulful performance of tunes from his newest album 1978.

The album’s crisp production harks back to classic names like Quincy Jones and Leon Ware and is matched by socially conscious lyrics that resemble Marvin Gaye and Prince. Named after James’ birth year, 1978 consists of two themes: party and social activism. James seamlessly balanced the contrasting energies of disco party-themed and politically charged tunes in this KNKX Studio Session featuring a trio of some of today's top musicians in jazz and hip-hop.

James opened with “Let's Get It,” the lead track off 1978. It's a sensual groove from James that's served best on quiet storm radio stations. Much like the title, James’ eagerness to "get it" with his lover is evident through his yearning lyrics.

On “Black Orpheus (Don’t Look Back),” James called this “where Marvin Gaye meets Greek mythology.” After the performance, James emphasized the importance of moving forward as an individual, pointing to the story of Orpheus, and his only job, which was "to not look back."

These two songs served as checkpoints in 1978. From romance to activism, James finished off the three-song set with a powerful tribute to George Floyd called "38th & Chicago."

An album that took five years to complete, James’ 1978 is a mixture of what he experienced throughout the last five years, including the social unrest that took place in his birthplace of Minneapolis, Minnesota, his diverse and socially active upbringing, culminating in what he calls his own autobiography.

Check out José James’ latest studio session.

Musicians:

• José James - guitar, vocals
• Adar the Ambassador - keyboards
• David Ginyard - bass
• Jharis Yokley - drums

Songs:

1. Let's Get It
2. Black Orpheus (Don't Look Back)
3. 38th & Chicago