November 2020 Vol

A Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community November 2020 Vol. 36, No. 11 EARSHOT JAZZSeattle, Washington

SassyBlack Photo by Texas Isaiah LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR EARSHOT JAZZ A Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community

Paying for Change Executive Director John Gilbreath Managing Director Karen Caropepe Marketing & Development Associate Lucienne Aggarwal At this writing, the 2020 Earshot Jazz Festival Earshot Jazz Editor Lucienne Aggarwal

is solidly underway, and, while we’re concen- Contributing Writers Paul de Barros, Zach trating on the quality of our pivot to stream- Frimmel, Marianne Gonterman, Peter ing concerts online, the sound and spirit of Monaghan, Paul Rauch, Jonathan Shipley the music is stronger and more satisfying than ever. Each day’s festival events have testified to Calendar Editors Carol Levin, Jane Emerson Photography Daniel Sheehan the overall importance of the arts in daily life, Layout Karen Caropepe and the essential role that artists play as “in- Distribution Karen Caropepe, Dan Dubie & struments” of creative spirit, guides to deeper Earshot Jazz volunteers beauty, and stewards of cultural treasures. It’s been especially gratifying this year to fo- Send Calendar Information to: cus on Ahamefule J. Oluo as our featured resi- [email protected] dent artists. Aham first came to the Earshot Board of Directors Chris Icasiano Jazz festivals in the late 1990’s as an eager student volunteer, whose abun- (President), Sheila Hughes (Vice dance of initiative and proximity to festival artists drew him into personal President), Chris Nutter (Secretary), conversations with jazz legends that would inspire his own artistic path. Augusto Cardoso, John W. Comerford, It has been gratifying for us to witness his evolution as a truly distinctive Maurice James, Danielle Leigh, Gail Pettis, Ruby Smith Love, Diane Wah artist. The Earshot Jazz organization has been supporting the growing leg- Emeritus Board Members Clarence Acox, Sue acy of Seattle’s jazz community for over 35 years; one relationship at a Coliton, Taina Honkalehto, Hideo Makihara, time. Whether documenting the scene with the Earshot Jazz magazine, Peter Monaghan, Kenneth W. Masters, Lola assisting individual artists with career advancement, promoting the art Pedrini, Richard Thurston, Paul Toliver, form through creative collaborations, supporting jazz education programs, Cuong Vu or presenting one-of-a-kind concert experiences like those in this year’s Founded in 1984 by Paul de Barros, Gary festival, Earshot is in it for the long haul. We appreciate your support in Bannister, and Allen Youngblood. Earshot making that possible. Jazz is published monthly and is available But, while Jazz is stronger than ever, the good health of American soci- online at earshot.org. ety is less evident. Divisiveness and conflict have become the order of the day, even around fundamental truths such as human equality and public Subscription (with membership): $35 health. The every-day challenges that we all face are exacerbated by politics 3417 Fremont Ave N, #221 and big biz that seem to thrive on disinformation, disrespect, and discon- Seattle, WA 98103 nection. It’s “divide and conquer,” without the conquer part. And our im- phone / (206) 547-6763 posed isolation just makes it more acute. Earshot Jazz ISSN 1077-0984 We join you all in the struggle for positive change. But, even if we achieve Printed by Yakima Herald-Republic needed changes in the political landscape, the deep scars of division be- © 2020 Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle tween people are not likely to begin healing overnight. I believe we can make the changes, but we’ll have to get it together. There is no “us and MISSION STATEMENT them.” There’s only us. And if we are each one of the 8 billion intercon- To ensure the legacy and progression nected cells that comprise the whole organism of humankind, why would of the art form, Earshot Jazz cultivates we even consider turning away from love? a vibrant jazz community by engaging Stay strong. Stay healthy. Stay inspired. audiences, celebrating artists, and —John Gilbreath, Executive Director supporting arts education.

2 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 Support for Earshot Jazz NOTES provided by: In Memoriam: Philip Snyder in 2020 because of COVID-19, the Philip Snyder, local jazz drummer department could face significant cuts. passed away on the 13th of October. In an effort to address that shortfall, Snyder whose father played jazz gui- from 2022, the ART’s Admission Tax tar in a big band, took his inspiration budget will appropriate tax based on rather from smaller combos and be- collections in the same year. The 2021 bop. One of his biggest influences was Proposed Budget, reduces ARTS’ Ad- drummer Shelly Manne. When Snyder missions Tax expenditures by $1.5 was 18, he got a taste for performing million. Two of the larger reductions when he played at a University District include a $500,000 cut in the Cultural jazz hub, the coffeehouse named The Facilities Fund Grants program and Queequeg. Other early influences in a $237,000 reduction in Seattle Park Snyder’s music were Bill Evans, Miles District funding for arts and cultural Davis, and John Coltrane. In the early activities in parks. The City Council is 90’s Snyder formed a quintet which currently reviewing the proposed bud- showcased contemporary music, in- get, and final adoption of the budget cluding improvised original collective is expected on Monday, November 23. works. Band members included bass- Details in the budget can be found at ist Steve Luceno, saxophonists Rich seattle.gov/budget Cole and Hans Teuber, and pianist JazzEd’s Virtual Protest Songs John Hansen. The band performed at Project Postponed the Bellevue Jazz Festival, and at Jazz JazzEd’s Virtual Protest Songs Proj- Alley. ect which was to have begun in the In Memoriam: Overton Berry week of October 19th has been post- The beloved Seattle pianist, Overton poned till January 2021. The online Berry, passed away in his sleep on the music classes which will run for ten night of October 18. Throughout his weeks are designed for grades 6–12 career, Berry worked extensively in Se- and are open to students anywhere in attle, across the Pacific Northwest and the country. Protest songs from Janelle in venues word wide. With this sad Monáe, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, news arriving just at press time, we are Charles Mingus, and Billie Holiday making plans for a memorial article in will be taught to students. For details next month’s issue. visit seattlejazzed.org Mayor’s 2021 Budget Priorities Keep Music Live and ARTS Keep Music Live is a Washington On September 29, Mayor Jenny A. state-wide initiative designed to raise Durkan released her 2021 Proposed funds to assist independent music ven- Budget. With a more than $300 mil- ues during the state-mandated CO- lion dollar shortfall in the City bud- VID-19 venue shutdowns. Created by get, funding to the arts will be im- live music lovers in Washington, the pacted. The office of Arts and Culture initiative is fiscally sponsored by the (ARTS) is funded by Admission Tax Whatcom Community Foundation, a revenue. Currently that Admission 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are Tax budget is based on revenue col- tax deductible. For information see lected two years prior. It’s expected keepmusiclivewa.com that due to the lack of events in Seattle

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 3 PROFILE SassyBlack: Forging Ahead

SASSYBLACK SCREEN CAPTURE FROM SPACE DAZE BEAT CRAZE LIVESTREAM

Jonathan Shipley a playlist as part of their series Sunday been featured on Adult Swim and the Morning Playlists. At the start of the BET series Twenties. She’s also acted “Doing anything,” SassyBlack says is pandemic she collaborated with Artist in Comedy Central’s Broad City and what she’s most proud of lately. “Do- Trust to share ideas on live streaming. was on HBO’s Vinyl, a series created, ing anything,” she says emphatically. In June she was mentioned in Me- in part, by Mick Jagger and Martin The pandemic has wreaked havoc on dium’s Zora (a publication that ampli- Scorsese. A Seattle native, she gradu- all of us—SassyBlack included. This fies the voices of women of color), as ated from Cornish College of the Arts, isn’t to say the hard-working femme one of “Ten Under-the-Radar Artists and has been compared to such lumi- artist hasn’t done a lot (she has). There to Listen to Now.” In September, she naries as Sarah Vaughan and Erykah are even a handful of silver linings that was part of Northwest Film Forums’ Badu. she’s discovered during the COVID Local Sighting Program. She’s soon to She’s her own person though and is sequestering we’ve all endured. undertake an online jazz song writing continually evolving. “The pandemic Formerly of THEESatisfaction (the class for Hugo House. COVID isn’t has pushed me into the artist I desire second hip hop group signed by Sub slowing her down, in other words. to be,” she says. That push has been Pop), SassyBlack will be part of the Multifaceted, known for psychedelic sitting down. Her sitting down has 2020 Earshot Jazz Festival offering up soul and hologram funk, her music has been a good thing—those COVID

4 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 silver linings. “I’ve been traveling since ing to push the needle. It’s been years do what calls to them—make music. 2009. This is the longest time I’ve ever of pushing. It just didn’t happen. I ap- What can a music fan do to help? To been able to breathe.” She’s practic- preciate those that have joined us but start, fans can buy music on the plat- ing more. She’s working on compos- it’s been years of pushing.” forms that best benefits the musician. ing more. In her home studio she’s As a Black woman, and as a mu- In SassyBlack’s case, it’s on her Band- focusing on producing and engineer- sician, it’s led her to a life in jazz. camp page. “Crazy,” she says of ways ing. Video editing and production has “It’s how I move in the world.” people can support artists, “but you taken her time. Visual work, film scor- She notes that one can’t know jazz can contact an artist and ask them!” ing, licensing. “It’s all about bettering without knowing racism. “All of this There are opportunities forthcoming my craft.” This insular work will come is based on slavery and if you don’t to back SassyBlack. Follow her on so- into fruition soon. She’s got two sin- understand that then you are missing cial media, and stay tuned for her next gles coming out at the end of October pieces of your soul.” creative endeavors, and support her as and a big project coming soon after. “I Her music, she hopes, offers up some she takes advantage of even more silver can’t tell you anything about it, BUT of that understanding. Meanwhile, the linings. I’ll be collaborating with musicians I pandemic rages on and artists are do- really respect.” ing their best to make ends meet and One has to respect SassyBlack for her myriad interests and her thoughts about the challenges of both COVID, as a musician, and the social upheav- als of late with the Black Lives Matter movement, as a Black woman. “A shift is needed,” she says of the music in- dustry. With music venues struggling because musicians can’t perform music in front of live audiences, it’s a good moment to step back and assess the situation. SassyBlack says it was diffi- cult before the pandemic and COVID shone a spotlight on it. She mentions that touring was an investment and bands rarely broke even. “There’s been an imprisonment of performers with labels and royalties and credit given. It’s been eye opening. It’s sad to see all these venues and promoters close down but it gives us an opportunity to showcase the true value of artists.” And then there is the true value of those fighting social injustices. “I grew up anti-racist,” SassyBlack says. “My parents were very involved in social justice movements and I’ve been around it all from a very young age taking care of marginalized communities.” She likes the progress being made in Seattle and beyond but wants to make note that it’s been going on for a long time. “Nikkita Oliver inspires me a lot,” she says. “There have been people doing this a lot of years—try-

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 5 EARSHOT JAZZ FESTIVAL IN NOVEMBER

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 7PM Gerald Clayton & John Clayton

Sponsored by Seed IP released his label debut Happening: $10–25 Live at the Village Vanguard. As Jazz Gerald Clayton is among the most Times enthuses, “Clayton’s piano con- inspiring and captivating forces on the tributions, in their wild, free-spilling, jazz scene today. He tirelessly reinvents lyrical aspiration, are consistently avenues for creative exchanges with stunning.” other artists, transforming his music The son of treasured bassist and into a celebration of the inherent dif- composer John Clayton, he enjoyed a ferences in musical perspectives that familial apprenticeship from an early promote true artistic synergy. age. Bassist John Clayton is an award- Clayton earned a BA in Piano Per- winning composer, arranger, conduc- formance at USC’s Thornton School tor, producer and educator, with a of Music under the instruction of Grammy and eight nominations to piano icon Billy Childs. His burgeon- his name. Tonight’s concert offers an ing discography has earned him four outstanding opportunity to enjoy this Grammy nominations. intergenerational musical juncture. GERALD CLAYTON PHOTO BY DANIEL SHEEHAN Now a Blue Note artist, the ac- –Marianne Gonterman claimed pianist and composer recently SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 8:30PM Reggie Goings Quartet

Copresented with Langston Seattle Pianist Randy Halberstadt’s colorful Welcomed by KBCS voicings and harmonic elegance have $10–25 graced the performances of the SRJO Vocalist Reggie Goings was once a for many years. His SRJO bandmate frequent performer on the Seattle jazz Phil Sparks has been a first call bass- scene, performing at venues like the ist in Seattle since his arrival thirty New Orleans Creole Restaurant. In years ago. Like Sparks, drummer Ja- recent years, the soulful baritone had mael Nance goes way back with Go- been less active, until Seattle Reper- ings, frequenting gigs and sessions that tory Jazz Orchestra (SRJO) director centered on tenor saxophonist Hadley Michael Brockman invited Goings to Caliman. perform in the band’s tribute to anoth- The language Goings draws from is er soul legend, the great Ray Charles. steeped in history, and expressed by The performance reminded Seattle an artist dedicated to, and humbled jazz fans of his blues infused baritone by, this quintessential art form we call that acted as a perfect fit for the role. jazz. In a year when the festival is all For this event Goings will perform about Seattle artists, having Goings in with a trio whose names have been the house is a perfect fit, at a perfect etched prominently in the story of jazz time. REGGIE GOINGS BY JIM LEVITT music in Seattle over four decades. –Paul Rauch 6 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 7PM Thomas Marriott’s Trumpet Ship

Welcomed by KNKX 88.5 light in Marriott’s career, after two $10–25 decades of consistently high-quality Since his return to Seattle from NYC work. But, as the story of 2020 has in 2004, trumpeter Thomas Marriott been told, tour plans were dropped has recorded eleven albums as a leader due to the COVID-19 pandemic. or co-leader on the Seattle based Ori- This performance takes advantage gin Records label. None have been of the opportunity created by this un- more anticipated than Marriott’s most fortunate turn of events, to flip the recent release on Origin, Trumpet Ship script, and celebrate Marriott’s origi- (2020). The album focuses on first- nal music. To do so, the trumpeter has take quartet offerings of Marriott orig- gathered his Seattle quartet, featuring inals and standards. Recorded in one three of the city’s best. Pianist Marc three-hour session at Studio X in 2016, Seales, bassist Jeff Johnson, and drum- the album is a celebration of Marriott’s mer John Bishop join Marriott. For friendship with Philadelphia based one evening, they will regain the mo- pianist, Orrin Evans. mentum that was brought to a grind- Trumpet Ship was received well, upon ing halt by the pandemic, and give the the March 2020 release. It seemed the Earshot audience a performance to re- album and the tour with his Philly member this epic year by. THOMAS MARRIOTT PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ARTIST based bandmates would create a high- –Paul Rauch

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 8:30PM Ab Baars Solo

$10–25 resistant of Japanese flutes, and tenor Earshot fans are no doubt familiar saxophone, on which he elicits a color- with stellar second-generation New ful, fearless palette that owes a debt to Dutch Swing reed man Ab Baars, Archie Shepp. thanks to his many appearances here Baars plays all three instruments on with the ICP Orchestra and his own his solo albums which reveal a subtle, small groups, but they may not know nuanced, abstract approach to impro- his estimable solo work, which will be visation. Leaping in a trice from a low- the focus of Baars’ festival show this ing caress to a pyrotechnic squall— year, streamed live from his Amster- with judicious silences setting off his dam studio. A 1989 recipient of Hol- phrases—Baars can be a bit puzzling, land’s most prestigious award, the at first, until you realize snippets of the Boy Edgar Prize, Baars is a unique melody or harmonic benchmarks are reed player. He uses an Albert system surreptitiously slipping into his lines. clarinet, which has fewer keys than In an email Baars writes that he will be the more modern Boehm system, thus using his full arsenal for the Earshot requiring a variety of alternate finger- show and will play “a few new com- ings that coax players to make new positions and something by Misha AB BAARS PHOTO BY PETRA CVELBAR choices and leave behind old habits. Mengelberg and John Carter.” Baars also plays shakuhachi, that most –Paul de Barros

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 7 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 7PM Benjamin Hunter Quintet

Welcomed by Rainier Avenue Radio town. All the musicians $10–25 have deep music roots in “It has given us time to think,” says Seattle. the award-winning multi-instru- Coupled with COVID mentalist Benjamin Hunter of the has been the upsurge of COVID-19 pandemic. “Time to be the Black Lives Matter alone with ourselves. Time to reckon Movement. “As an ac- with that isolation. Time to embrace tivist and community it.” Hunter plays roots music (on vio- organizer for 10 years in lin, mandolin, guitar, percussion, and this city, I’m curious to voice) and the isolation has changed know how BLM has col- the notes of his music. “It’s under- ored Earshot Jazz. This scored for me the importance of the is to say, the movement arts and the true value of human con- is part and parcel of my nection.” life in America. It has BENJAMIN HUNTER PHOTO BY AMBER ZBITNOFF Hunter, with Camilo Estrada on been my whole life.” bass, Darrius Willrich on keys, Chris There are silver linings ticing, and writing music. “My goal,’ Patin on drums, and Ricardo Guity in the pandemic, in the tumult in the Hunter says of his music, “is to make on percussion, will play original music streets. For Hunter, they’re opportu- something I am happy with; that exploring the Black diaspora—from nities to pay more attention to things comes from my own authenticity.” West African to the blues; jazz to Mo- that matter (family, self-care, storytell- ing) and focus on playing, and prac- –Jonathan Shipley

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 8:30PM Fred Hersch Solo

Sponsored by Michael Goodheim that compels listeners to sink sweetly $10–25 into his quieter moods, Hersch is a Pianist Fred Hersch hasn’t let the master of the form. pandemic slow him down; in fact, it Hersch describes Songs From Home seems to have fired him up. As soon as “comfort food” for these seques- as the COVID-19 pandemic careened tered times. Instead of the usual mix into our lives, the 15-time Grammy of Monk, American Songbook and nominee and 2011 Jazz Journalists As- jazz standards, the set surveys popu- sociation Pianist of the Year started lar tunes such as “Wouldn’t It Be Lov- posting a “Tune of the Day” on Face- erly,” from My Fair Lady; the Jimmy book, a practice that resulted in the Webb classic, “Wichita Lineman”; Joni solo CD, Songs From Home which he’ll Mitchell’s “All I Want”; and pointedly, be sharing with Earshot Festival view- for 1955-born Hersch—Paul McCart- ers this year. Hersch has made solo ney’s “When I’m Sixty-Four.” The FRED HERSCH PHOTO BY JOHN ABBOTT piano a specialty, releasing a dozen tone is quiet, intimate and thought- kles and Kenny Wheeler’s “Consola- albums over the years. With a two- ful, though “After You’ve Gone” gets tion (A Folk Song)” is a rare treat. handed energy that can propel him a jaunty turn and “Get Out of Town” rhythmically and a crystalline touch a playful one. Duke’s “Solitude” spar- –Paul de Barros

8 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 7PM FILM: Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance Presented by Northwest Film Forum $0–25 Available to viewers in Washington state for 24 hours. Jazz dance’s history and artistic roots in the expression of enslaved peoples strengthen the art form, turning its practice into a meta- phor for resistance and a struggle for acceptance. The film is directed by Khadifa Wong, based on an original idea by Zack Nemorin.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2PM Community Conversations: The Beth and Kelly Show Free, details at earshot.org Dubbed “the Beth and Kelly Show” by colleagues, we’re teaching soulmates who love to talk shop and laugh along the way. We don’t have all the answers, but we do have a ton of experience and are willing to ask questions and make mistakes. Subversive in approach, we explore solutions and highlight allies as we continue to move our practice forward. Join us in this Special Edi- tion for Earshot Jazz as we discuss jazz FOR ALL of our music students.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Sunday Morning Playlists: Gabriel Teodros Sponsored by Michael Goodheim Free, spotify Weekly playlists curated by local artists and DJ’s released every Sunday morning on spotify during the festival. Guest curators include Eva Walker, Gabriel Teodros, Noel Brass Jr., and SassyBlack. Teodros is a musician, DJ, and speculative fiction writer. He hosts the Early show on KEXP.

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 9 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 7:30PM SRJO Nonet: Birth of the Cool

Presented by SRJO Tickets at srjo.org A rare performance of great jazz from the classic 1949 Birth of the Cool recording by Miles Davis, played by an all-star group drawn from the SRJO including bassist Phil Sparks, trumpeter Jay Thomas, saxophonists Alex Dugdale and Tra- vis Ranney, trombonist Dan Marcus, drummer D’Vonne Lewis, co-artistic director Michael Brockman, and many others streaming live from Benaroya hall. The original album—which features Miles Davis, Lee Konitz, Gerry Mulligan and J.J. Johnson—was a major development in post-bebop jazz, and employed many elements of classical chamber music. It quickly became one of the most MILES DAVIS PHOTO COURTESY WILLIAM P. GOTTLIEB COLLECTION famous and influential albums in all jazz history. Tonight’s selections include “Jeru,” “Rocker, “Boplicity,” “Moon Dreams,” and “Godchild” (by Mulligan, Gil Evans, and John Lewis) plus other great works from the “cool school” of jazz.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 7PM Ravi Coltrane Quartet Sponsored by Seed IP harpist Brandee Younger. Younger’s $10–25 most recent release as a leader, Soul Encore Performance! Saxophonist Awakening (Self-Produced, 2019), Ravi Coltrane comes to the 2020 Ear- features Coltrane on saxophone. She shot Jazz Festival via Birdland in New also has abundant familiarity with York City, performing with a quartet bassist Rashaan Carter, who brings a much in the spirit of his parents, John dynamic all his own to the proceed- and Alice Coltrane. ings. Carter fits perfectly into diverse As a professional, Ravi appeared musical communities that shade from on over thirty albums before releas- Wallace Roney to María Grand. The ing his first album,Moving Pictures same could be said for drummer Al- (RCA, 1997), an effort produced by lan Mednard, who has earned his jazz saxophonist Steve Coleman. Along the stripes with the likes of Jeremy Pelt, way, Ravi worked with major artists Aaron Parks, and Kurt Rosenwinklel. such as Geri Allen, Herbie Hancock, This musical threesome serves as a per- McCoy Tyner, and Pharoah Sanders. fect vehicle for Coltrane’s probing, bit- Over the past 30 years, he has devel- ing solos on both tenor and soprano oped a personal sound that is musical- saxophones. ly very independent of his father’s, but This current incarnation of his quar- with the same spirit of adventure and tet, is perhaps the perfect instrument introspection that nurtured the musi- to fully express his familial pride and cal identity of both his parents. the freedom it allows him. That same spirit resides in his cur- –Paul Rauch rent quartet, which features eclectic

10 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 8:30PM Ahamefule J. Oluo House Party

Free Even though it was recorded in 2016, Prepare for the Revelation! Whether the footage of this 21:30-minute, un- you’ve tuned into none, one, or most fettered time capsule is just now being of this year’s digitally streamed festival unearthed because it was simultane- performances, you haven’t seen a per- ously in production while Thin Skin— formance quite like Ahamefule Oluo’s Oluo’s full-length film adaptation of Virtual Reality House Party. This Now I’m Fine—was in production. 2016-recorded document of Industrial Oluo was just waiting for the right Revelation playing in a living room time to release it. He says, “It’s a re- brimming with house show enthusi- ally beautiful film...it’s something I’ve asts, kindred souls, and Nigerian food always been really proud of and I’ve al- will give us that euphonious and pal- ways wanted to find the right place to pable experience of what it was like to put it out and now it seems like, in the be immersed in a sultry and live music context of COVID, where it really is setting again. impossible to go to a party like that...it Oluo expounds, “The beauty of vir- just seemed like a really amazing time tual reality is that you get to feel like to put out this little moment from the you’re immersed somewhere, and past.” wouldn’t it be great to be at a really Oluo concludes by threading his cool party with live music and amaz- three festival events together by being food and just capture that partic- ing “as immersive as possible because ular event in a really beautiful way?” it’s really one of the main things that’s Most definitely. The majority of us missing is that kind of connection... show-goers are craving these sacred right now I think connectiveness is moments again because they offer what we need.” Agreed, I think we’re us—to quote Industrial Revelation’s ready for the Revelation. bio—“human emotion...unbridled en- –Zach Frimmel ergy, excitement, passion, beauty and AHAMEFULE J. OLUO PHOTO BY NAOMI ISHISAKA the enjoyment that coincides.”

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 11 PREVIEW >> Royal Room Staycation Online Festival: Concerts in November Peter Monaghan It’s hard to keep thinking of all this… this situation… as just a break from the normal, let alone an opportunity for a “staycation.” But it is. The virus situation is going to end, and meanwhile the fine Rainier Valley venue, The Royal Room, which has done so much for the Seattle scene, is providing opportunities for us to help performers, and ourselves, to keep on keeping on until it does. In lieu of in-person programming, The Royal Room is hosting its ongoing Staycation Online Festival. For now it’s a fine way, a perfectly fine way, to hear TARIK ABOUZIED PHOTO BY DANIEL SHEEHAN and view performances. The musicians play from the club, live. Working with and Earshot Golden Ear Awards by local jazz listeners for the Golden the nonprofit South Hudson Music Instrumentalist of the Year nominee, Ear Northwest Recording of the Year Project which supports The Royal who has provided the drive for Happy gong. Room’s presentation of music, the club Orchestra and McTuff, two of the Saxophonist Jory Tindall has been has set up its live-streamed shows in happiest, toughest combos Seattle has pressing his claim on the local scene accordance with all Washington State seen. after studying with one of the region’s Department of Health guidelines. sax greats, Mark Taylor, and graduat- He has on board Portland bass ace That’s more than worthy of our pa- ing a decade ago from the nationally Damian Erskine, seemingly ubiqui- tronage—and the music is great. All prominent Mountlake Terrace High tous Seattle bassist RL Heyer, and fine events stream live from the Royal School jazz program. There he took Seattle saxophonist player Jory Tin- Room stage, and can be viewed on several soloist awards, including Most dall. the Live Concerts Stream or the Royal Outstanding Alto Saxophonist at the From Abouzied you can expect mu- Room Facebook page. (Simply to to 2008 national Essentially Ellington sic that “gets intricate, but never loses the Royal Room website to jump onto competition.He went on to take simi- sight of the gritty, soulful truth inher- the links.) lar titles at the University of North- ent in a deep groove,” as has been said ern Colorado, including Downbeat before in these pages. Tarik Abouzied’s Fusion Magazine’s Most Outstanding Un- His qualifications to launch a fusion Spectacular dergraduate Saxophonist.While play- spectacular include his participation in ing in Seattle with the Seattle Hard Friday, November 6 several projects. These include Pocket Bop Collective and other projects, he 8:30-9:40pm Change, a funk septet in the vein of joined friends in starting the nonprofit Tower of Power; Hardcoretet, an ap- Downbeat Academy, to pass it on to A “fusion spectacular” is a thrilling propriately named instrumental jazz rising jazz players. prospect even before you specify that quartet; McTuff, the light-it-up funk/ RL Heyer plays guitar in many kinds these four aces will be lighting it up: jazz Hammond organ trio; and Hap- of bands, too many to list. But they Tarik Abouzied is a veteran drummer, py Orchestra, deservedly nominated

12 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 include Cracker Factory, RL Heyer’s folk tunes, even the polytonal music of working with William Parker’s Little Sweet Action, and the Bob Curnow Charles Ives.” Huey Creative Music Orchestra and Big Band. many other space-creating vanguard- Similarly, bassist Damian Erskine is International Playstory Trio jazz projects. all over the scene. An adjunct profes- Sunday, November 15 sor at Portland State University who KNKX presents Piano Starts 6:00pm regularly teaches in Shanghai, Bang- Here: The Music of Bud kok, and other world cities with Jazz If Cooper-Moore is not the best Powell/Count Basie Education Abroad, his list of musical known of piano innovators, it’s prob- collaborations is a mile long. ably because he has kept company Wednesday, November 18 with many of the edgiest, exploratory 7:30-8:40pm Robin Holcomb & Wayne forward thinkers. That began when he If you’re talking piano style, you go Horvitz: Solos and Duets was in Boston in the late 1960s and through Count Basie, who was as styl- formed a band with tenor titan David Sunday, November 8 ish as any, and Bud Powell, who was S. Ware and drummer Marc Edwards. 7:30-8:30pm among the first of the great innovators Between then and now he has re- in the expansions of the art form from Two cherished Seattle-based pia- mained in that mode—often playing the 1950s on. nist composers on the same bill. The improvised instruments of his own That’s the history celebrated by prospect of hearing each play always design, he has performed and recorded KNKX radio in its series Piano Starts is enticing. To hear them together is a with the likes of saxophonist Daniel Here.This month, it’s offering a school- guaranteed great treat. Carter and William Parker’s In Order ing in the roots and emergence of They will perform improvised and to Survive. Susie Ibarra, Darius Jones, swing with the music of Count Basie. composed music for solo piano, and more than a dozen albums under his But it’s also providing guidance on piano with Holcomb’s voice. own name… It’s a long list. bebop and beyond, through the vir- Each is expansively distinctive, highly Cooper-Moore’s accomplishments tuoso “Charlie Parker of the Piano.” expressive, and hugely accomplished. were recognized in 2017 with a Life- Channeling those titans, on the Royal They have made music together since time Achievement Award from the Vi- Room’s Steinway B grand piano, will they met in 1975 at UC Santa Cruz. sion Festival in New York. be Matt Williams, Casey MacGill, On the so-called Downtown Scene In International Playstory Trio, he Jake Sele, Tim Kennedy, and Alex in Manhattan, they collaborated with is with bassist Clayton Thomas, orga- Guilbert. nizer of Sydney’s cutting-edge NOW a who’s who of musicians from those For more information, please visit the- now festival, and baritone saxophonist circles: Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Bobby royalroomseattle.com Previte, William Parker… Dave Sewelson, a fixture of expansive They have been in Seattle since 1990, jazz circles in New York for decades, always at the center of fertile musical growth in the city. Horvitz’s accomplishments are many and varied. Among recent ones is his premiere of a concerto for the Seattle Symphony featuring guitarist Bill Frisell. If you’re on the Seattle jazz scene at all, you don’t need a detailing of all he has done – you’ll just log on and listen. Similarly with Robin Holcomb. Composing for several artistic genres, recording on major labels, she creates what the New York Times has called a “new American regionalism, spun from many threads—rock, minimal- ism, Civil War songs, Appalachian

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 13 FOR THE RECORD New Music from Women in Jazz

Maria Schneider Orchestra has been superseded by screen time. Data Lords Fanfare-ish brass, ominously evoking “Taps,” continues the mournful mes- Artist Share sage in “Don’t Be Evil,” a jab at Google, Any new release by the great com- followed by the eerie, outer-space feel poser and bandleader Maria Schneider of “CQ CQ Is Anybody There?” which is cause for celebration, but her new Schneider composed using morse code one, Data Lords, is especially power- signals as a rhythmic skeleton. Donny ful—and timely, too, given Big Data’s McCaslin’s braying tenor sax and Greg frightening control over our world. A Gisbert’s eerily altered trumpet abet the long composition in two parts named fierceness. Scott Robinson’s incompara- for competing realities—“The Digital bly beautiful baritone sax invites us into World” and “Our Natural World”— “Sputnik,” another voyage to extrater- One of the many pandemic-induced it features some of the darkest, most restrial territory, this time hearkening disappointments for Seattle jazz lov- disturbing music Schneider has ever back to the innocent optimism of 1957. ers was the cancellation by the Maria written. Fans may be startled at first, But not for long. “The Digital World” Schneider Orchestra (which features but will soon discover Schneider is still closes with “Data Lords,” which almost Spokane-bred trombonist Ryan Ke- a brilliant master of reed-brass tim- seems to luxuriate in the dark side be- berle) and the new, all-women’s super- bres and developing her themes with fore slowly grinding to a halt, as if the group, Artemis. Luckily, both ensem- a seamless weave of composition and planet had just run out of steam. bles have released new albums. In the improvisation. But Schneider is an optimist at heart, spirit of honoring jazz women, here’s a The Minnesota-born musician pierces and would never leave us there. “Our look at those albums as well as a newly to the dark heart right off the bat with “A Natural World” offers uplift with retrieved live set by Ella Fitzgerald. World Lost,” a sad elegy for childhood’s “Look Up,” especially the singing solo –Paul de Barros imaginative world, which she fears by trombonist Marshall Gilkes; the brief but perky “Braided Together”; and the pastoral “Bluebird,” which Gary Versace’s accordion explores like a supping bee. Schneider’s survey of the organic, pre-disrupted world also features the gorgeous “Sanzenin,” named for a thousand-year-old Bud- dhist garden in Japan; the dancing “Stone Song,” with Steve Wilson’s soprano landing like flecks on Versace’s accordion; and the impressionistic “The Sun Waited For Me,” an instrumental reprise of a track from Win- ter Morning Walks, which swells to a close, reassuring us that the natural world is still there to nurture and inspire us. If only we could look up from our phones long enough to see it.

14 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2020 released on the album “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie” and repeats only two selections from the earlier Berlin effort, “Summertime” and, of course “Mack the Knife,” a hit at the time for both Bobby Darin and Louis Arm- strong. Fitzgerald notoriously forgot the lyrics of that classic in the 1960 show. This time, she gets them, but can’t remember what city’s she’s in! But never mind. Here is one of the greatest jazz singers of all time, in Artemis Ella Fitzgerald her prime, making you believe there’s nothing better than dancing “Cheek Artemis The Lost Berlin Tapes to Cheek,” and that “Taking A Chance Blue Note Verve on Love” would be just the thing to do. “Cry Me A River” flies into the Jazz sisterhood has been growing ex- The music on this album was recorded crowd with trumpet-like force, “Some- ponentially the past few years, so the in 1962, but unreleased till October one to Watch Over Me” caresses the emergence of an all-female band fea- 2020. room with pleading vibrato, and “Jer- turing veteran stars Cécile McLorin One of Ella Fitzgerald’s greatest al- sey Bounce” lands with swing-era pa- Salvant (vocals), Ingrid Jensen (trum- bums of all time was Mack the Knife: nache. Ella turns Berlin’s Sportspalast pet), Anat Cohen (clarinet), Renee Ella in Berlin, a Grammy winner re- into a revival tent with “Clap Hands Rosnes (piano) and Allison Miller corded in 1960, and it’s not an exag- Here Comes Charlie,” puts her own (drums), plus the more recently hailed geration to say that this new find, done sunny stamp on the Billie Holiday sig- Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana two years later in the same city, is in nature, “Good Morning Heartache,” and newcomer Noriko Ueda (bass), is the same league. Accompanied by her and gives Ray Charles extended props both timely and welcome. Cohen, Al- swinging trio—Paul Smith (piano), on a finger-popping “Hallelujah I Love dana and Rosnes contribute to a set list Wilfred Middlebrooks (bass) and Stan Him So.” Of course, “Mr. Paganini” that also features composers Lennon Levey (drums)—Ella’s in top form, gets his turn, too—no crowd would and McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Lee relaxed, in consummate control and allow her to leave him out – and she Morgan and Rocco Accetta, who wrote obviously enjoying herself. The set ends her set with a rarity for her, a the seldom-sung ballad, “Cry Butter- emphasizes tunes Fitzgerald had just blues. cup Cry,” a Maxine Sullivan choice from the ‘40s covered here with cool clarity by Salvant. Other highlights include Rosnes’ fiercely swinging “Big Top,” which, appropriately, evokes the kaleidoscopic colors of a circus; Ueda’s “Step Forward,” a snappy and singable melody featuring Cohen’s champagne clarinet; and Aldana’s quietly flowing “Frida.” The horn front line sizzles on Miller’s hard-driving “Goddess Of The Hunt” (whom the Greeks called Artemis); McClorin invokes a timely message with Wonder’s “If It’s Mag- ic”; Cohen and Jensen have a spirited conversation on the clarinetist’s “Noc- turno’” and the trumpeter turns “The Fool On The Hill” into a wonderfully mysterious jazz meditation.

November 2020 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 15 NON-PROFIT ORG EARSHOT JAZZ U.S. POSTAGE 3417 Fremont Ave N, #221 PAID Seattle, WA 98103 PERMIT No. 14010 SEATTLE, WA Change Service Requested

SASSY BLACK PHOTO BY TEXAS ISAIAH

IN THIS ISSUE... A $35 basic membership in Earshot brings the newsletter to your door and entitles you to Contents EARSHOT JAZZ discounts at all Earshot events. Your member- MEMBERSHIP ship also helps support all our educational Letter from the Director: Paying for Change____ 2 programs and concert presentations. Profile: SassyBlack: Forging Ahead______4 Type of membership Individual ($35) Additional tax-deductible donation ______Earshot Jazz Festival in November______6 Household ($60) Patron ($100) Sustaining ($200) Gerald Clayton & John Clayton______6 Other Reggie Goings Quartet______6 Sr. Citizen – 30% discount at all levels Thomas Marriott’s Trumpet Ship______7 Canadian subscribers please add $5 additional postage (US funds) Ab Baars Solo______7 Regular subscribers – to receive newsletter 1st class, please add $10 Benjamin Hunter Quintet______8 for extra postage Fred Hersch Solo______8 Contact me about volunteering FILM: Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance______9 ______NAME Community Conversations: The Beth and Kelly Show____ 9 ______Sunday Morning Playlists: Gabriel Teodros______9 ADDRESS

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