Gary Hammon Photo by Daniel Sheehan LETTER from the DIRECTOR EARSHOT JAZZ a Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community
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A Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community November 2018 Vol. 34, No. 11 EARSHOT JAZZSeattle, Washington Gary Hammon Photo by Daniel Sheehan LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR EARSHOT JAZZ A Mirror and Focus for the Jazz Community Falling Up! Executive Director John Gilbreath Managing Director Karen Caropepe Programs Manager Tara Peters Marketing & Development Associate Lucienne What an incredible festival!! The music has been so deep and rich, with Aggarwal each day offering a fresh experience, remarkably different than the night Earshot Jazz Editor Caitlin Peterkin before. Thank you all—musicians, audiences, media, funders, educators, Contributing Writers Lucienne Aggarwal, and YOU—for making this 30th anniversary Earshot Jazz Festival the Levi Gillis, Ian Gwin, Steve Kohl, Andrew best ever. Luthringer, Peter Monaghan, Paul Rauch Duke Ellington once said, “Jazz is a good barometer of freedom. In its Calendar Editors Casey Adams, Jane beginnings, the United States of America spawned certain ideals of free- Emerson & Caitlin Peterkin dom and independence through which, eventually, jazz was evolved, and Photography Daniel Sheehan the music is so free that many people say it is the only unhampered, unhin- Layout Tara Peters dered expression of complete freedom yet produced in this country.” And Distribution Karen Caropepe, Dan Dubie & Earshot Jazz volunteers though it may seem like the country is actually becoming more polarized and less focused on ideals of actual freedom, it’s clear that jazz is bringing Send Calendar Information to: 3429 Fremont Place N, #309 the good news about a future that is full of potential for both individual Seattle, WA 98103 expression and harmony. email / [email protected] About twelve days into this year’s festival, I had a clear dream image that Board of Directors Danielle Leigh all of the weight had come off of the word JAZZ. Pinned to the floor at (President), John W. Comerford (Vice first—by a society in apparent cultural decline, by stark economic realities, President), Jon Perrino (Secretary), Viren and even by the limits of expectations that its own history has projected Kamdar (Treasurer), Sue Coliton, Sheila onto its future—JAZZ suddenly took off, falling up into the sky and open- Hughes, Chris Icasiano, Maurice James, Chris Nutter, Gail Pettis, Ruby Smith Love, ing up wide over the gusts of ideas, expressions, permission, and potential Diane Wah that were flying up from every direction. (Okay, I get a little delirious after a couple of weeks and a couple of dozen concerts, but the image is still Emeritus Board Members Clarence Acox, there for me, and I’m grateful for it.) This is a remarkably fertile time for Taina Honkalehto, Hideo Makihara, Kenneth W. Masters, Lola Pedrini, Paul jazz, and we’re happy to be able to share it with you here in Seattle. Toliver, Cuong Vu Of course, in coming to our work every day we have to negotiate the Founded in 1984 by Paul de Barros, intersection of Art and Commerce. Looking both ways before proceeding, Gary Bannister, and Allen Youngblood. it’s clear that Art Boulevard is wide and busy, constantly flowing, with no Earshot Jazz is published monthly by beginning or end in sight. Commerce Street, on the other hand, often only Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle and is runs for a few blocks at a time, and is busy with detours, dead ends, pot available online at www.earshot.org. holes, and barricades. A festival like ours, however rich artistically, typi- Subscription (with membership): $35 cally offsets only 50% of its costs through ticket-sales income. And before 3429 Fremont Place #309 artists are engaged and venues are secured, funding for each year has to be Seattle, WA 98103 phone / (206) 547-6763 in place. We need your help. If you’ve been moved by the music, or seen it hit home in your favorite Earshot Jazz ISSN 1077-0984 Printed by Pacific Publishing Company student, please join us in this work. Become a member, drop us a sugges- © 2018 Earshot Jazz Society of Seattle tion, and join us in our upcoming annual campaign. Support what you love. Jazz already has a home in Seattle, but there are a lot of new citizens here. Let’s build continuous and positive additions on this jazz community, MISSION STATEMENT this cultural community, this civilization. To ensure the legacy and progression Thank You!! of the art form, Earshot Jazz cultivates –John Gilbreath, Executive Director a vibrant jazz community by engaging audiences, celebrating artists, and supporting arts education. 2 • EARSHOT JAZZ • November 2018 NOTES Arts Innovator Awards ing sound is a pioneering voice in the Applications for 2019 Jack Straw contemporary world music movement Artist Residencies Now Available Funded by the Dale and Leslie of the late 20th century. Chihuly Foundation, the Arts The Jack Straw Artist Residency Pro- The Jackson Street Music Program is grams offer established and emerging Innovator Award is an unrestricted a volunteer organization that teaches award of $25,000 given annually artists in diverse disciplines an op- youth about the business of the mu- portunity to explore the creative use to two Washington State artists of sic industry. More information at any discipline. The award recognizes of sound in a professional atmosphere jacksonstreetmusicprogram.org. through residencies in our recording artists who demonstrate innovation Tickets for the event can be pur- in their art practice. Applications studios and participation in our vari- chased online at thetripledoor.net. For ous presentation programs. Applica- are due November 12. Learn more more information about this event, tions for the 2019 program are now at artisttrust.org. visit jazzinthecity.com. available at jackstraw.org, with a dead- Jazz in the City Presents: On the Horizon line of November 1. Artists may apply Hiroshima to only one program per year. Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio Jazz in the City presents multi- December 31, 7 & 10:30pm Help the Jazz Around the Sound Grammy Award-nominated jazz band, Triple Door, 216 Union St Calendar Hiroshima, in a fundraising event for Join celebrated B-3 organist and Please email news and an- the Jackson Street Music Program on bandleader Delvon Lamarr in his last nouncements about jazz gigs, con- Saturday, November 10, at the Triple Seattle performance before he moves certs, and community events to Door. to Austin, Texas, in 2019! Lamarr jazzcalendar@ earshot.org. Hiroshima, a group whose music leads his organ trio with guitarist Jim- News’n’Notes falls between R&B, pop, world music, my James and drummer Doug Port in and jazz, has long had its own niche. a celebratory night of soul, jazz, funk, Email news about Seattle-area jazz The band integrates traditional Japa- and rock to ring in the New Year with artists and events for Earshot Jazz nese instruments into their musical two hard-hitting sets at the Triple Notes to [email protected]. blend and has created a rich sound Door. both unique and relatable; the result- ON THE RADIO 88.5 KNKX hosts Saturday Jazz events of the regional jazz scene. For with Gordon Todd at 1am Tuesdays. Matinee, Jazz Sunday Side Up, Ken JazzNW podcasts of archived pro- Shows can be streamed anytime at Wiley’s the Art of Jazz, and Jazz grams, see jazznw.org. kbcs.fm. Northwest, in addition to its weekday 90.3 KEXP, late-night Sundays, 91.7 KSVR Mount Vernon, Doctor NPR and late-night and prime-time features Jazz Theater with John Gil- Dee hosts two nights of jazz, Fourth jazz programs. Full schedule and info breath, 1am. Full schedule informa- Corner Jazz, featuring recordings of at knkx.org. tion is available at kexp.org. live performance in Northwest Wash- Abe Beeson hosts The New Cool, 91.3 KBCS, features creative and ington, Sundays, 6-7pm, and The Saturdays, 3pm, featuring 21st cen- improvised music on Flotation Device Doctor’s Den, Mondays, 8-10pm. tury jazz inspired and informed by the with John Seman and Jonathan Law- 102.9 KLOI-LP Lopez Island, sounds of today, hip-hop, funk, elec- son, Sundays at 10pm. The Monday Mondays & Fridays, 3pm, Joy Spring tronic & punk rock, followed by Rob- night lineup includes The Caravan with Gary Alexander, classic jazz and in Lloyd’s Jazz Caliente, 5pm, where with John Gilbreath at 7pm, Straight the Great American Songbook. jazz meets Latin rhythms. No Chaser with David Utevsky at Jim Wilke’s Jazz Northwest, Sun- 9pm, Giant Steps with John Pai at days, 2pm, features the artists and 11pm, and The Shape of Modern Jazz CONTINUED ON PAGE 23 November 2018 • EARSHOT JAZZ • 3 PROFILE Gary Hammon: Last of the Tribe GARY HAMMON PHOTO BY DANIEL SHEEHAN By Steve Kohl at Garfield High School. In 1969 he descending flats in order to shift the went on to attend the New England Real Book standard toward a slower I first meet Gary Hammon on a sun- Conservatory as part of its first intake and more mysterious mood. I also ny autumn day at the Ethiopian Com- of black students. After a career that notice his generosity as a bandleader: munity Center down on Rainier Av- took him coast to coast and through how he will encourage his fellow play- enue South. He’s playing a gig to help almost every modern musical genre, ers through their solos, often uttering the Center mark the end of its season. Gary returned to Seattle 15 years ago a “Yes sir!” at the end of a bar, or how Surrounded by the smell of incense in order to devote himself to the full- occasionally he will end his own solos and roasting coffee Gary sways, his time care of his ailing parents.