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Jazz Northwest

NPR

Jazz Northwest focuses on the regional jazz scene from Portland to Vancouver. CDs by the best resident musicians from Seattle, Portland and Vancouver are featured, and the program also includes news about the best places to go for live jazz in the region. In addition, Jim goes "on location" to concerts, clubs and jazz festivals to record performances by resident and visiting artists for playback on Jazz Northwest. These one-of-a-kind recordings are available nowhere else! 899328 Jazz Northwest is published by KNKX Public Radio.

Location:

Tacoma, WA

Description:

Jazz Northwest focuses on the regional jazz scene from Portland to Vancouver. CDs by the best resident musicians from Seattle, Portland and Vancouver are featured, and the program also includes news about the best places to go for live jazz in the region. In addition, Jim goes "on location" to concerts, clubs and jazz festivals to record performances by resident and visiting artists for playback on Jazz Northwest. These one-of-a-kind recordings are available nowhere else! 899328 Jazz Northwest is published by KNKX Public Radio.

Twitter:

@KPLU

Language:

English


Episodes

Jerry Granelli featured on Jazz Northwest

8/22/2021
Jerry Granelli died July 20 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the age of 80. Granelli was an important part of the Seattle jazz scene in the '80s when he was on the faculty at Cornish College of the Arts. The percussionist/composer was part of a boundary-testing group of musicians here at the time, including Ralph Towner, Gary Peacock, Julian Priester, Jay Clayton and Denny Goodhew. Music by this group will be heard on today’s episode of Jazz Northwest.

Duration:03:26:08

Jazz Port Townsend concert Part 2 on Jazz Northwest

8/15/2021
The second part of the Saturday afternoon concert from this Summer's Jazz Port Townsend will be featured today on Jazz Northwest. Like most events, the Festival was cancelled last year due to Covid-19, but returned this year in a smaller form, with master classes online the week before, and two sets on the mainstage at McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden with the audience of several hundred seated outdoors on Littlefield Green. This broadcast of the second set from this year's Jazz Port Townsend...

Duration:01:15:02

Highlights from Jazz Port Townsend on Jazz Northwest

8/10/2021
Jazz Port Townsend was back on a limited scale the last week of July after a year's hiatus due to Covid-19 restrictions last year. The Jazz Workshop was virtual, and there were two outdoor concerts by the jazz faculty on Saturday afternoon. For these concerts, the large doors of the McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden were open with the musicians on stage and the audience of several hundred was seated on the grass outside on Littlefield Green to allow for social distancing. There were two sets...

Duration:01:11:24

Jazz Northwest for July 25

7/25/2021
A new solo album by pianist and composer Jovino Santos Neto, "Luz" was recorded in one continuous session on a beautiful Fazioli piano at Northwest Pianos in Bellevue. Selections by Jovino and his mentor Hermeto Pascoal will be heard on this week's Jazz Northwest.

Duration:03:13:18

Jazz Northwest for July 11

7/12/2021
This week on Jazz Northwest, we'll hear Ernestine Anderson swingin' at The Penthouse in 1962, and Jay Thomas and Slim Gaillard with Jay McShann and Buddy Tate getting together in a London studio in 1982. There's also recent music from Tom Keenlyside in Vancouver and Dan Balmer in Portland as well as Jacob Zimmerman from Seattle, who's starting a new Friday night series at The Canal.

Duration:01:03:50

Jazz Northwest for July 4

7/4/2021
This week's Jazz Northwest includes music by composer arranger Milt Kleeb, as well as trombonist Ian McDougall, Rebecca Kilgore, Bud Shank and Shorty Rogers' Lighthouse All-stars, pianist Randy Halberstadt and others. The Lighthouse All Stars play Shorty Rogers' great arrangement of "America The Beautiful." Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at KNKX, NPR, Apple, or Google.

Duration:02:24:15

Jazz Northwest for June 27

6/28/2021
The cover story on guitarist Julian Lage in the July issue of DownBeat reminded us of a duo with Julian Lage and saxophonist Ben Roseth playing at Egan's in Ballard in 2008. Both were in their early 20s at the time, but were already making waves. We recorded the duo and share some music from that night on this week's episode. Also on this week's show, trumpeter Jay Thomas, saxophonist Harold Land's Quartet with Russ Freeman on piano at The Penthouse in Seattle in 1964, Vancouver singer Dee...

Duration:02:50:36

Jazz Northwest for June 20

6/21/2021
Veteran regional jazz stars are featured on this week's Jazz Northwest. Included is the late saxophonist Don Lanphere playing with his quintet at Tula's in 2000, and selections from a new studio recording by trumpeter Fred Radke and pianist Primo Kim. Vancouver BC guitarist Oliver Gannon fronts his quartet and Portland singer Nancy King sings with Randy Porter's Trio. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the...

Duration:00:50:20

Jazz Northwest for June 13

6/14/2021
Recent performances by The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra will be featured on today’s episode of Jazz Northwest. Included are selections composed, arranged and/or featuring Bill Anthony, Sidney Hauser and Jacqueline Tabor. The SRJO's final concert this season will feature bassist and composer Christian McBride on Saturday, June 19 at Benaroya Hall with limited seating and a livestream virtual concert. More info at srjo.org . Also, on this show is music by resident artists Tall & Small,...

Duration:04:03:37

Jazz Northwest for June 6

6/6/2021
This week's Jazz Northwest includes a range of artists in both historical and recent recordings. Included is more music from the legendary "Jazz From The Penthouse" series featuring Harold Land leading a quartet with Hampton Hawes on piano. Ernestine Anderson, Jay Thomas, Walt Wagner, and contemporary groups Duende Libre and Xavier Lecouturier are also included. Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced by host Jim Wilke and airs Sundays at 2 p.m. Listeners may also subscribe to the podcast at...

Duration:01:02:38

Harold Land 1962 broadcast

6/1/2021
Jazz Northwest features jazz artists from around the Pacific Northwest, this week including Seattle, Portland, Vancouver and Spokane. We'll also feature another track from the historic live broadcasts "Jazz From The Penthouse" from a new album featuring Harold Land on three different occasions at the Seattle club in the 60s. Also on this week's show are Anton Schwartz, Dave Peterson, Diane Schuur, Randy Porter & Nancy King, Randy Halberstadt, Steve Kaldestadt and the Whitworth Jazz Ensemble...

Duration:00:51:37

SJO concert highlights featured on Jazz Northwest

5/24/2021
Three original compositions by members of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra will be featured this week on Jazz Northwest. The selections are audio from the live streamed concert from Kirkland Performance Center on May 9. The concert was billed as "SRJO plays SRJO" and spotlighted original music composed by members of the orchestra, including these selections by Alex Dugdale, Jay Thomas and Michael Brockman. The full concert is available for streaming at srjo.org . Also, on this week's...

Duration:01:10:22

Jazz Northwest for May 16, 2021

5/17/2021
Jazz Northwest is our regular Sunday afternoon survey of the regional jazz sceene. This week, we have the Jill Townsend Big Band from Vancouver, Ingrid Jensen & Steve Treseler from The Royal Room and Jacqueline Tabor from The First Baptist Church in Seattle - and that’s just for starters.

Duration:01:04:14

Rebecca Kilgore Trio debuts new album on Jazz Northwest

5/9/2021
Portland singer Rebecca Kilgore has appeared on more than two dozen albums. The Rebecca Kilgore Trio has been playing around the Portland area for almost 10 years but has just issued their debut recording. Understated but with a solid swing and great phrasing, the trio includes three of the Rose City's top jazz musicians. We'll hear a couple of blue-tinged songs from their new release, "Vol.1" too.

Duration:01:13:57

Jazz Northwest for May 2, 2021

5/3/2021
Jazz Northwest features great regional artists and visitors every Sunday afternoon. Jay Thomas is one of our most active resident musicians and on this week's show, he's heard with visiting New York baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan. The two were recorded in studio during a time when Smulyan was Thomas' guest during an engagement at Tula's. Gary Smulyan has also been a regular on the jazz faculty at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend. They're heard here in Billy Strayhorn's beautiful "Lotus...

Duration:00:51:35

Jazz Northwest for April 25

4/26/2021
This week's Jazz Northwest is bookended by two excellent Vancouver musicians who lead their own groups in recent releases. Trumpeter Brad Turner leads off the show with a tune from his CD "Jump Up" and Tom Keenlyside closes the show with a standard from his all-flute CD "Fortune Teller." In between, the international flavor includes Brazilian-born Jovino Santos Neto playing solo piano for a festival in Brazil, German Oliver Groenewald's arrangements for Jay Thomas, and Cuban Kiki Valera's...

Duration:00:57:46

Jazz Appreciation Month: Northwest Favorite Jazz Broadcaster Jim Wilke

4/23/2021
He’s an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award Winner, broadcaster and originator of Jazz After Hours on public radio and champion of live jazz everywhere. For Jazz Appreciation Month, KNKX Music Director Carol Handley talked with Jim Wilke about his appreciation of the NW jazz scene and capturing it in live recordings.

Duration:00:04:27

Sneak peek (listen) to next in Jazz From The Penthouse series on Jazz Northwest

4/19/2021
This week on Jazz Northwest, you can hear a sample of saxophonist Harold Land appearances at The Penthouse, part of the legendary series of live broadcasts from the Seattle jazz club. Sourced from airchecks in 1962, 1964 and 1965 and not heard since, the album will be released on a vinyl, two LP set on Record Store Day, June 12, and on CD on June 18. Both packages will include extensive notes about the musicians, the club and the live broadcasts produced and mixed by Jim Wilke. These...

Duration:02:52:39

Floyd Standifer Quartet at The New Orleans

4/11/2021
This week's Jazz Northwest includes The Floyd Standifer Quartet playing at The New Orleans Creole Restaurant in Seattle, and the Bridge Quartet playing at LV's Uptown in Portland. We'll preview singer Rebecca Kilgore's new CD coming out April 30, and hear former Seattle pianist Gene Argel who's been performing on Maui for years. There's also music from Eric Verlinde, The BC Double Quartet and Ann Reynolds Clave Gringa.

Duration:01:04:02

Jazz Appreciation Month: Defining a music genre that's always changing

4/7/2021
Jazz is a music based on improvisation, and evolution. Moving through Dixieland, swing, bebop, free jazz, fusion and beyond can make describing what jazz is a difficult proposition. KNKX jazz host Abe Beeson spoke to three generations of musicians to find a definition.

Duration:00:04:18