Event, venue search:
Best Bets Classical Music Theater Books Movies Visual Arts Dance Pop Music Jazz Cheap Thrills

Fall Arts
Jazz: More fests, more venues

By Paul de Barros
Seattle Times jazz critic

Jazz musician McCoy Tyner plays Jazz Alley through Sept. 12.

E-mail this article Print this article Search archive Most e-mailed articles

Other links Search event listings

The news for Seattle jazz fans this fall, as for popular music generally, may be that there's too much of a good thing. There are now two fall jazz festivals — Earshot and Ballard — two major clubs featuring touring jazz acts — Jazz Alley and the Triple Door — and a plethora of venues where local jazzers play: Tula's, the New Orleans Restaurant, the Musicquarium at the Triple Door, the Century Ballroom, Polestar, the Thai-Ku Restaurant in Ballard, Bake's Place in Redmond and the Eastside Jazz Series at Sherman Clay, in Bellevue. Can the jazz audience support all these venues? Hope so, but winter may tell a different tale.

CRITIC'S PICKS

McCoy Tyner Trio and Bobby Hutcherson. Jazz giants don't always hit it off, but pianist McCoy and vibist Bobby have something special, even though they both play thousands of notes. Still three days left of this classic duo. Through Sept. 12, Jazz Alley.

	Norah Jones plays KeyArena on Sept. 28.

Norah Jones. Now, now, my fickle friends. Jones may have made a sleepy second album, but she's still one of the most creative, original and compelling young songwriters to arrive in a long time. Sept. 28, KeyArena.

Earshot Jazz Festival. Some artists promised thus far on the lavish bash include hypnotic South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim; gently architectonic guitarist Jim Hall; the saxophonist and composer Benny Golson (who appears in the film "Terminal"); the eccentric Brazilian composer and wind player Hermeto Pascoal; the Dutch-free improvising ICP Orchestra; wacky clarinetist Don Byron; piano heroes Jason Moran, Brad Mehldau and Vijay Iyer; the iconoclastic "downtown" New York band, Sex Mob; "machine gunning" German saxophonist Peter Brötzman; West Coast saxophone legends Bud Shank and Pete Christlieb; trumpeter Nicholas Payton; and Seattle collaborators Wayne Horvitz (keyboards) and Bill Frisell (guitar). Oct. 17-Nov. 7, multiple venues in Seattle and surrounding area.

Lincoln Center Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Hearing this ensemble of crackerjack New York Latin musicians play Chico O'Farrill's "Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite" a few years ago was a back-of-the-neck-tickler. Integrating Latin jazz into its program is one of the smartest moves Jazz At Lincoln Center has made. Nov. 12, Paramount Theatre.

Putumayo Presents: "Latinas, Women of Latin America." A rare opportunity to see three South American rising stars: the lively and original Colombian, Totó La Momposina, who wowed WOMAD crowds here; Chilean nueva cancion singer/songwriter, Mariana Montalvo; and graceful Belô Velloso, niece of Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso (yes, their names are different for some reason). Nov. 23, Moore Theatre.

ONE TO WATCH

	JOHN ABBOTT Eric Alexander plays the Anacortes Jazz Festival, Sept. 18.

Eric Alexander, the most consistently exciting straight-ahead tenor saxophonist in jazz, continues to grow and grow with every album.

Alexander, who hails originally from Olympia but lives in New York, has a tough, old-school tone, complete command of harmony, and he swings like mad.

He plays at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at this year's Anacortes Jazz Festival (Sept. 17-19), which also features Floyd Standifer, Larry Fuller, Greta Matassa, Ray Vega, Thomas Marriott, Dee Daniels, Mel Brown and Darren Motamedy.

Paul de Barros, pdebarros@seattletimes.com

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

E-mail this article

Print this article

Search archive

More pop music & nightlife headlines...