KNKX Studio Sessions

Guitar virtuoso Eric Gales was at KNKX for a very special solo session. He is considered one of the best, if not the best guitarist on the planet. The praise has come from all over the music world, from people like Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and Carlos Santana, who is his godfather.

If you listen to KNKX's radio show All Blues, you’ll hear him just about every night. He is arguably one of the most important and expressive guitarists of our time, in any genre. Starting at age 15, he’s made 19 studio albums and his most recent album, Crown, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2022.

Gales first held a guitar in his hands at the age of 4 and devoted himself entirely to learning his way around the instrument, guided by his older brother Eugene Gales. Eugene, who is 17 years older, introduced young Eric to a wide range of music that included blues, but also jazz, country, soul, rock and even classical music.

Through his mother, Eric also became familiar with gospel music and his father even jammed with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Eric described his obsessive fascination with the guitar, often staying in his room for days without eating, so that he could learn how to play what was in his head.

Though he’s considered a “blues” player, his interests range far and wide to include guitarists like Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, and of course Jimi Hendrix, to whom he’s often been compared.

He was signed to a major label record deal at 15, but kept that fact from his classmates, because he didn’t want to be treated as a rock star. But when he appeared as a child prodigy guitarist on the Arsenio Hall Show, his secret was out, and his professional career began. 

Eric was a gracious and giving guest, baring himself and the deep emotions he conjures with his guitar. We talked about the origins of blues that came from the African American experience of slavery, and that blues music evolved as a way to find joy in a world of suffering. As a Black man in America, Eric told us that as much as 90% of his music comes from his internal pain. 

He became emotional talking about the deep hurt that he feels inside, but that he is able to channel and transform that pain into joyful expression. He sees his talent as a gift and his role to evoke deep emotion with his music. 

Eric stopped by KNKX while in the Northwest for a show July 8 at Marymoor Park, and also made an appearance at the Winthrop R&B Festival Saturday July 20.

Songs:
1) The Storm
2) My Own Best Friend
3) Little Wing

Grammy-nominated singer Karrin Allyson joined us in the KNKX studios for her 10th session when she visited Seattle for her concerts at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Allyson wears many musical hats including singer, songwriter, composer and pianist. Her latest project spotlights Brazilian music – specifically singer-songwriter Rosa Passos who joins Allyson on a couple tunes on the new release A Kiss for Brazil.

Allyson said she was drawn to samba in her early years singing jazz. It was on a visit to Brazil over a decade ago where she met Rafael Barata who joins her in this session on drums. Both spoke of their love of bossa nova and specifically the feel and nature of Brazilian music.

She opened up about how music can be an escape from life’s challenges, her Grammy nominations, and how she enjoys collaborating with talented musical contemporaries. Allyson also detailed her musical and songwriting processes.

Enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories and three great songs from her most recent album in Karrin Allyson's latest KNKX studio session. We know it won't be her last.

Musicians:

• Karrin Allyson - vocals, piano
• Vitor Gonsalves - piano, accordion
• Jeff Johnson - bass
• Rafael Barata - drums

Songs:

1. Manha de Carnaval (Luiz Bonfa)
2. Dunas (Fernando de Oliveira)
3. So Many Stars (Sérgio Mendes, Alan and Marilyn Bergman)

For more than 20 years, singer and songwriter Spencer Day has graced stages worldwide with his honey-golden voice. For the first time in more than five years, he was in Seattle for shows at Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley.

Day had created original songs with a keen pen that unfolds life’s complexities in novel ways and is an adaptive interpreter of many styles ranging from Broadway songs, the great American songbook, modern pop and Mexican folk.

Since his major label debut, Vagabond in 2009, Day has continued on his journey with music. It has taken him from his hometown in rural Utah to Southern California, New York, London, San Francisco and Mexico.

Day began finding his gift for music in his late teens. He said it was a “divine intervention” of sorts when he got a Casio keyboard from a friend and began playing and writing songs. “It gave me a place to take all of these heavy feelings I was having,” he said during our session.

Day cites Chet Baker and Julie London as two of the first singers he heard who helped develop his style. He cites Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington as some of his early jazz favorites.

He played two originals at KNKX’s Seattle studio, “Till You Come to Me” and “Movie of Your Life,” and, for the first time in public, the Mexican song “Sabor A Mi.” Day and guitarist Brian Monroney discussed the song and decided to play a rendition after sharing a love for one of Mexico’s quintessential folk songs.

Mexican music is not completely foreign to Spencer. During the pandemic, he spent time in Mexico City and Guadalajara. He was semi-stranded there during the early days of the pandemic.

He told the audience during his studio session about being “a gringo in the right place at the right time” and found himself recording pandemic-related public service announcements in Guadalajara.

But playing music during his time there greatly impacted his upcoming project La Frontera which features musicians from the Mexican band Mariachi Vargas.

Musicians:

• Spencer Day - vocals, piano
• Brian Monroney - guitar

Songs:

1. Till You Come To Me (Spencer Day)
2. Sabor a Mí (Álvaro Carrillo)
3. Movie of Your Life (Spencer Day)

The nostalgia was thick in the air at Seattle’s Jazz Alley as pianist Monty Alexander celebrated his 80th birthday on a stage he’s played hundreds of times. Alexander spent part of the visit reconnecting with an old friend, John Dimitriou, the owner of Jazz Alley since its opening in 1980.

Alexander's birthday, June 6, also marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when allied forces landed in northern France in 1944 and changed the direction of World War II. It's impossible to forget when you're born on such a famous date.

“You’re reminded your whole life," Alexander said. "And when your parents name you after the British General (Field Marshal "Monty" Bernard Law Montgomery) you’re aware of it.”

His new album D-Day includes a couple songs from the era and several original songs by the prolific pianist. It also arrives with moving message, no matter the decade.

"It’s about saying, ‘War is not the answer’ and we need to fight for peace. As musicians, that’s what we do. We want to see people come together,” Alexander explained.

Alexander and Dimitriou first came together in the 1970s when the latter left his hometown of Seattle and was running Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. It's now the longest running supper club in the nation.

“He had the desire to be a drummer,” Alexander recalled.

“I was a bad drummer – it was the best thing that happened to me!” Dimitrou exclaimed.

Alexander pointed out the lasting impact of Dimitriou’s time in the other Washington.

“I was there when John came and spruced up the place, that was the beginning of Blues Alley stepping up," he said. "And he met his wife to be!”

Dimitriou's now been married to his sweetheart Carla for 49 years. He called Alexander a real jazz musician because “he makes people feel good about his playing and that’s extraordinary, and there are few people who do that.”

In the end, the point for Alexander and Dimitriou is to bring people together. The pianist directed the club owner to a portrait of Louis Armstrong that hangs on the wall at Jazz Alley as a poignant example of what they’re both trying to do.

“Maybe John doesn’t realize how important it is,” Alexander said. “To see Louis Armstrong over there looking at you… that was my hero. I saw him in Kingston, Jamaica in 1956. It was like a church meeting! There’s something about music. I don’t just hear it, I feel it. I smell it. It’s the joy of life. It’s fun!”

You’re sure to hear and feel (and maybe smell?) the fun Monty Alexander shared with bassist Luke Sellick, drummer Jason Brown and John Dimitriou on stage at Jazz Alley.

Musicians:

• Monty Alexander - piano
• Luke Sellick - bass
• Jason Brown - drums

Songs:

1. Think Twice
2. Look Up
3. River of Peace

Takuya Kuroda is a humble artist. When told the interview would be with just him, Kuroda expressed a little embarrassment, saying he didn't want his bandmates to feel subordinate. Making his Seattle debut as a bandleader at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Kuroda was a confident leader in a KNKX studio session performance of his original music.

To be sure, everyone in Kuroda's band is worthy of his praise. Craig Hill made a strong impression on saxophone, bringing a strong new element to a band that has matched trumpet with Corey King's trombone for more than a decade.

It was his big brother's trombone and love for big bands that first inspired Kuroda, but when he first arrived on the New York scene, his mind was blown.

"It was Robert Glasper, Keyon Harrold and all those 'monsters' from this generation. And then I had to come here to see and learn what was going on," Kuroda said.

Since his 2014 break-out- album Rising Son, produced by vocalist Jose James, Takuya Kuroda has moved further into the world of producing and adding programmed elements to his music.

He said thinking about production has changed the way he writes music, but he still uses a clever composing trick.

"I started trying to not write down the melody that I came up with and go to sleep. Next day, if you still remember the melody, then give it a go."

Kuroda has already gone into the studio. His next album is nearly finished, and Kuroda credited his drummer, David Frazier, for helping get the right drum sound. "When it comes to production," Kuroda explained, "the sound of drums is the most important when you're producing music like this."

Along with Frazier and Hill, bassist Kyle Miles kept the band snugly inside the pocket. Takahiro Izumikawa did double duty, ripping through dramatic solos on piano and adding sonic textures on synthesizer.

Takuya Kuroda and his band had a great time in the KNKX studios, and his bandmates weren't at all upset to give this incredibly talented trumpeter the spotlight.

Musicians:

• Takuya Kuroda - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Craig Hill - saxophone
• Takahiro Izumikawa - keyboards
• Kyle Miles - bass
• David Frazier - drums

Songs:

1. Midnight Crisp
2. Mala
3. It's OK

Trumpeter Jun Iida grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and had his first experiences on stage turning music pages for his mother, a semi-professional koto player who encouraged a connection to music and the family’s Japanese heritage.

Iida’s love of music gradually overtook his education and early career as an engineer. He moved around the country, studying in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and then moving to Los Angeles, where he worked his way into the jazz scene.

The pandemic hit while Iida was in Southern California working on the music destined for his debut album, Evergreen. The album title (and song title) refers to his move to Seattle during that time, though it was actually an engineering job that led to his relocation.

Inspired by musicians, including those in his studio session band – guitarist Martin Budde, pianist Dylan Hayes, bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Xavier LeCouturier – Iida made his commitment to life as a professional musician.

Evergreen’s original songs include Iida’s trumpet matched by guitar on the album and in the studio, creating an upper range for the songs that lends them a lightness equaled by clear melodic and harmonic ideas.

Iida also blends the Japanese folk, classical and blues music he heard as a kid in St. Louis with the hip-hop of his teen years to bring a modern perspective to mainstream jazz reminiscent of his trumpet hero, Roy Hargrove.

The strength of his first album has earned Iida plenty of positive attention from critics, musicians and music lovers. Most importantly, his mom likes it. “That’s been the most fun,” Iida said, “being able to share the music with everybody who’s closest to me.”

With musical connections in Seattle that seem built to last, we’re sure to keep this now New York-based trumpeter coming back to share music with his close friends and fans in the Northwest.

Musicians:

• Jun Iida - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Martin Budde - guitar
• Dylan Hayes - piano
• Michael Glynn - bass
• Xavier LeCouturier - drums

Songs:

1. Akatombo
2. Evergreen
3. Forgotten Memories

Pianist Noah Haidu’s love of the jazz tradition, and his modern perspective on the music, make him one of the hottest musicians in New York City today. Playing two nights at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle, Haidu was joined by a pair of jazz icons to honor Keith Jarrett’s standards trio.

In recent years, Haidu’s regular trio is anything but “regular,” with rhythm section legends Buster Williams and Billy Hart on bass and drums. The three recently released Haidu’s Standards II, a second collection of tunes from the Great American Songbook.

While Hart recently visited the KNKX studios with The Cookers, Haidu's trio for this session was rounded out by the great Lenny White on drums.

Williams and White are best known for their work with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Miles Davis and others in the fusion era. The two more than kept up with their younger bandleader.

Haidu spoke with KNKX about finding his voice as a composer and how the complications of bringing a band together to play his original music led to his current focus: improvising around the most loved songs of the past century.

We also heard about the most influential pianists for Haidu’s rhythm section mates.

Williams pointed to Jazz Messengers pianist Sam Dockery, a mentor who let the young bassist come to his house “from breakfast until dinnertime,” helping prepare Williams to “play in the big time.”

White credited Corea with giving him an opportunity to lead and compose his own songs. “I grew up as a man and composer being in his band,” White said.

Haidu led the trio through an abstract version of “Someday My Prince Will Come,,” and a beautiful reading of the ballad “What a Difference a Day Makes,” before picking up the tempo on “Just One of Those Things” that featured passionate solos from all three musicians.

Haidu remained coy about his next musical moves, saying: “I keep my projects under wraps to keep a little guesswork and mystery around it.”

Whatever the future holds for the musicians in this trio, KNKX is proud to present this sparkling improvisational occasion to you.

Musicians:

• Noah Haidu - piano
• Buster Williams - bass
• Lenny White - drums

Songs:

1. Someday My Prince Will Come
2. What a Difference a Day Makes
3. Just One of Those Things

Cedric Burnside made his first trip to the KNKX studios on May 23 for a solo studio session, performing songs from his new album Hill Country Love.

He and his band were on their way to the Tractor Tavern for a show that night.

Burnside won a Grammy award in 2022 for Best Traditional blues album with I Be Tryin’, and is a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship, the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

His grandfather “Big Daddy” R.L. Burnside is perhaps the most famous musician to play North Mississippi or “Hill Country blues,” and so the younger Burnside carries both the legacy and future of North Mississippi blues. Burnside went on the road at age 13 as Big Daddy’s drummer, but these days is standing up front, singing and playing his guitar.

During his visit to the KNKX Seattle Studios, he treated the studio audience to an impromptu demonstration contrasting traditional and Hill Country blues.

Burnside explained that Hill Country blues does not stick to a rigid format, like the more familiar 12 or 16-bar blues that have chord changes at predictable intervals. He talked about using unorthodox rhythms and described it as “droning” and “mesmerizing.”

Burnside learned to play drums as a child by watching other drummers in the area and began drumming himself at age 10 at a local juke joint.

That led to discussion about the role that juke joints played in everyday life, serving as music venue, school and community center. Burnside said that a juke joint was not necessarily a permanent venue but could happen anytime that someone opened their house to the public.

Burnside went on to say that he’s been actively looking to open his own juke joint in his hometown of Ripley, Mississippi.

The new album Hill Country Love, released in April 2024, was produced with Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi All Stars, another successful Hill Country band. He and Dickinson have been friends since they were 15 years old, and Burnside said that working with him in the studio was a “spiritual time.”

The album contains a mix of original songs as well as some key songs from Hill Country history. Burnside said including the traditional songs was his way of showing appreciation and respect to his elders and wanted to carry on the musical legacy of Hill Country blues.

We wrapped up the discussion talking about his interest in birds, and how he is training to be a falconer. Listen to Cedric Burnside flying high with the blues in this KNKX studio session.

Musician:

• Cedric Burnside - vocals, acoustic guitar

Songs:

1. Comin' Real to Ya
2. Closer
3. Toll on They Life

The feeling was comfortable and casual when Nicole Henry came to the KNKX studios for her session performance with Seattle's Brian Monroney and Tim Kennedy at the guitar and piano.

This intimate KNKX session started off with a congenial discussion of song arrangements between the three, and when they began playing for our studio audience they sounded like lifelong collaborators.

Based in Miami, Henry was in town for her debut at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, performing two shows May 14 and 15.

Henry came late to jazz, singing with dance bands before an attentive bass player saw her potential and suggested she learn a few standards. That was just the beginning, as Henry found her individual style singing unique versions of soul and pop songs, as well as the occasional jazz standard.

With Monroney and Kennedy, Henry worked out a set of music by Bill Withers, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Maria Muldaur. Each melody caressed by Hunter's silky-smooth voice becomes a new song all her own.

Henry was raised in the Philadelphia area, but she split for college in Florida, which she now calls home, and where she nurtures her community.

"Any change we make in the world is going to happen on a local level," Henry said. "I try to do whatever I can to give back to the community."

Along with a Northwest-based quartet backing her shows at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Henry welcomed guest solos from Tacoma saxophonist Cliff Colon and Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott.

The connections Henry made on this trip to Seattle, with musicians and fans, came into sharp focus in the KNKX studios. Enjoy this wonderful, collegial performance and be a part of that connection yourself.

Presented in partnership with Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Musicians:

• Nicole Henry - vocals
• Brian Monroney - guitar
• Tim Kennedy - piano

Songs:

1. The Same Love That Made Me Laugh (Bill Withers)
2. Until It's Time for You to Go (Buffy Sainte-Marie)
3. Midnight at the Oasis (Maria Muldaur)

Willie Jones III is a top-tier drummer who has spent more than 30 years dedicated to the timeless jazz art form. Surrounded by an ensemble of talented musicians from multiple generations, Jones brought forth a dynamic session at KNKX's Seattle Studios. He was in Seattle for a pair of shows at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Jones and the other veteran players of the group, Gerald Cannon on bass and Justin Robinson on saxophone, have known each other for more than 20 years. This includes their time together in the band of legendary trumpeter Roy Hargrove. They were joined by vocalist Christie Dashiell, Sam Hirsh on piano, and trumpeter Giveton Gelin rounding out the sextet.

One of Jones' landmark qualities is his commitment to independence and control of his own musical destiny.

Since 2000, he has released his music, and music from his peers, on his record label WJ3 Records. Jones told the studio audience that his commitment to this kind of independence was instilled in him by jazz legend Billy Higgins. WJ3 Records has released music from some of this generation's most gifted players including Cyrus Chestnut, Jacques Lesure, Eric Reed, and Justin Robinson.

Jones’ most recent album as a leader, 2021's Fallen Heroes, honors his friends and mentors who have passed away from the physical world. The album features songs for Roy Hargrove, Larry Willis, Jimmy Heath and Ndugu Chancler.

Presented in partnership with Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Musicians:

• Willie Jones III - drums
• Christie Dashiell - vocals
• Justin Robinson - saxophone
• Giveton Gelin - trumpet
• Sam Hirsch - piano
• Gerald Cannon - bass

Songs:

1. Libra (Gary Bartz)
2. But Not for Me (Gershwin brothers)
3. Bye Bye Blackbird (Henderson/Dixon)