EyeShotJazz | Jazz Photography

Friday Oct 24th at the Royal Room, the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented New York saxophonist/ vocalist Jessica Lurie, another returning hero of the Seattle jazz community, reuniting with electric bassist Arne Livingston, and drummer Dale Fanning, for a jazz-festival recreation of the great, forward-looking, and absolutely slamming power trio of the late 1990s Seattle scene, Living Daylights. After forming in 1995, the Daylights performed locally and toured with artists like John Scofield, Groove Collective, Robert Walter, Maceo Parker, and Soulive. They also joined Wayne Shorter’s Highlife band in the 1995 Earshot Jazz Festival.

The Stranger once wrote of the group: “Living Daylights has a lot more wattage than the usual pallid jam band. They get their jazz-rock groove on, but with a little outer-Balkan edge.” We are delighted to showcase this landmark recreation of a distinctly Seattle phenomenon. Expect guest artists and additional wattage on the late set.

As a solo artist, Lurie creates a pulsing, brimming, and expansive sound, pushing stylistic barriers not simply to ramble from one genre to another, but to construct new musical landscapes. Lurie’s musicianship is born from her discipline to life-long music composition and improvisation. She has expanded to many projects, including 2012’s Megaphone Heart by the Jessica Lurie Ensemble. near the end of the first set Kate Olson and Naomi Siegel came up and joined them.
Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

The 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented Syrinx Effect, the magical duo of Kate Olson (saxophone) and Naomi Siegel (trombone), two bright lights in the scene of Seattle women in jazz opening the bill on Friday night at Royal Room. The performers play contemporary, improvised chamber music, using technology. Siegel incorporates guitar pedals with her brass instrument and Olson plays soprano saxophone with laptop and other aural toys. The duo got their start curating the Racer Sessions in Seattle, and have gone on to perform and collaborate often in the Seattle jazz and improvised music scene, making music that is authentic and expressive, employing everything from simple folk melodies to abstract, ambient noise. Jessica Lurie and
Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

On Thursday Oct 23 at Cornish College the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festiva; presented the wonderful Greg Osby Quartet
Veteran alto saxophonist Greg Osby, regarded for his insightful approach to composition and performance, takes the stage with his quartet – Simona Premazzi (piano), Martin Nevin (bass), and Adam Arruda (drums).

Osby has made an indelible mark on contemporary jazz as a leader of his own ensembles and as a guest artist with acclaimed jazz groups, for the past 20 years. He has earned numerous awards and critical acclaim for his recorded works and passionate live performances.

Born in St. Louis, Osby began his professional music career in 1975 after three years of private studies on clarinet, flute and alto saxophone. In 1978, Osby furthered his musical education at Howard University, where he majored in Jazz Studies, then at the Berklee College of Music.

Upon relocating to New York, Osby quickly established himself as a notable sideman for artists as varied as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, and Jaki Byard, as well as with many ethnic and new music ensembles in the area. In 1985, he was invited to join Jack DeJohnette’s innovative group Special Edition.

Osby signed his first recording deal in 1987 with German label JMT; he later signed with Blue Note Records in 1990. In 2008, Osby launched his own label, Inner Circle Music.

Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

Last Weds night at Cornish College the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented the Jacky Terrasson Trio.
The scintillating French pianist and 1993 Thelonious Monk Piano Competition winner performs with bassist Dave Robaire and drummer Jamire Williams. Terrasson is renowned for his carefully controlled velocity, exquisite phrasing, and affinity to everything from the French Romantics, like Fauré, to American pop icons, like Michael Jackson.

Terrasson was born in Berlin and grew up in Paris. He started to learn the piano at age 5 and, after studying classical piano in school, studied jazz with Jeff Gardner. An encounter with Francis Paudras played an important role in his initiation into jazz. Terrasson later went to the United States to attend the Berklee College of Music.

In 1993, after winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk award, he began touring with Betty Carter. One year later, The New York Times introduced Terrasson as one of the 30 artists most likely to change American culture in the next 30 years. He then signed with the Blue Note label, for which he made three trio recordings. He has collaborated with greats such as Dee Dee Bridgewater, Jimmy Scott, Leon Parker, and Ugonna Okegwo. He performs regularly in solo and trio in the great jazz and piano festivals, and in countries around the world.
Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

Monday Oct 20th at the Triple Door the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented the Garfield High School Jazz Band.
Garfield High School’s jazz culture is so strong that it maintains multiple levels of jazz bands in its curriculum for over 75 students. Under the leadership of Clarence Acox (now in his 42nd year as a music educator), Garfield continues to bring to young people the jazz traditions of such big bands as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Woody Herman.
The program’s Jazz Ensemble I has won every major competition on the West Coast, including the Reno Jazz

Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival (named Outstanding Festival Band six times), Clark College Jazz Festival (seven-time Sweepstakes Award winner) and Mt. Hood Jazz Festival. Jazz Ensembles II and III have also competed successfully in events around in the Northwest.

Garfield is a frequent participant in the Essentially Ellington National Jazz Band Competition and Festival at Lincoln Center in New York City, the most prestigious high school jazz competition in the United States. Since 1999, Garfield has been selected as one of the 15 Essentially Ellington finalists thirteen times, including an unprecedented four first-place trophies (in 2003, 2004, 2009 and 2010), as well as second place finishes in 2002 and 2008 and third place in 2006.

Graduates of the Garfield jazz program have gone on to study at leading music schools throughout the country, such as the Berklee College of Music, The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, The New England Conservatory of Music, USC Thornton School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music and Cornish College of the Arts.
Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

Also on Sunday Oct 19th at Town Hall, the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented one of the highlights of the series Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar.
The quintessential brass Balkan band, and universally acknowledged as the best, BMMO originates from Vladicin Han, southern Serbia, a twelve-piece band wholly defined by their own Roma lineage while giving a knowing nod toward other musical and cultural backgrounds closely related to that of the Romani’s.

Boban and the Orkestar have won all of the most prestigious accolades available to players in Serbia, and the last 8 years have seen
the orchestra perform in excess of 700 shows around the world.

Boban’s son, Marko, a musical phenomenon, joined the ensemble at age 14, in 2002. He has subsequently become the main soloist as well as composer and arranger of new material. Now, with Marko as the visionary, they’re driving off in new directions, transporting the traditions to the world and bringing the world back home. This night of Roma celebration and dancing with the world’s most revered Balkan brass juggernaut is sure to be legendary.
Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

On Sunday Oct 19th at Cornish 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented the Ben Flocks Trio.
Santa Cruz-born, Brooklyn-based rising saxophone star Flocks has earned critical acclaim with performances at the Bern, Umbria, and Monterey Jazz Festivals. Growing up, Flocks took advantage of a multitude of musical opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area, attending shows at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center and camp at the Stanford Jazz Workshop, performing with both the SFJAZZ All-Star High School Ensembles and the Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Band, and studying with trumpeter and arranger Ray Brown.

In May 2011, Flocks graduated from the New School in New York City, earning a BFA in Jazz Performance, and during the summer completed a two-year mentorship program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop. Flocks now serves on faculty at Stanford and at the Calhoun School in New York. He also teaches throughout New York City schools as part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Jazz for Young People programs. Flocks released his debut album Battle Mountain in February, to rave reviews.

On Thursday last week 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival presented Johnaye Kendrick at Cornish College.
Frequently seen on prestigious New York stages, vocalist Johnaye Kendrick has enriched the Seattle jazz community and mentored many other vocalists since becoming Associate Professor of Jazz Voice at Cornish College of the Arts in recent years.

Kendrick is respected for intelligent, soulful, and highly personal original compositions as well as fresh interpretations of beloved jazz and blues classics. Focusing on graceful renditions of originals and jazz standards Kendrick often accompanies herself on harmonium, violin, viola and percussion, playing and recording in the company of pianist Dawn Clement, bassist Chris Symer, and drummers Byron Vannoy and D’Vonne Lewis.

Kendrick earned a Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University (2005), where she received a DownBeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Jazz Vocalist and was featured in an honors recital with pianist Fred Hersch. She then earned an

Artist’s Diploma from the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, having worked with jazz masters including Terence Blanchard, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Danilo Perez, and Brian Blade. She received a master’s degree in jazz studies from Loyola University in 2009.

Kendrick has performed at numerous festivals, concert halls and jazz clubs, traveled extensively with the Nicholas Payton SEXTET, and has also been a featured vocalist with the Ellis Marsalis Quartet and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (a collaboration that won a Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album for their release Book 1).

In 2013, she was nominated for an Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award as Northwest Vocalist of the Year. In 2014, she recorded, produced and released her debut CD of original compositions, Here, for the johnygirl label.

Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule

The 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival continues and last Thursday presented Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba at the Triple Door.

Master of the West African ngoni, a forerunner of the banjo and guitar, Bassekou Kouyate has graced the recordings of countless Malian musicians, from Ali Farka Toure to Oumou Sangare. With his band Ngoni Ba, he released a power-packed masterpiece, I Speak Fula, on Seattle’s SubPop label.

An ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa, the ngoni is the key instrument for the griot culture. Unlike the kora, whose history goes back only a few hundred years, the ngoni has been the main instrument in griot storytelling going back to the 13th century during the days of Soundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire. The repertoire Kouyate plays is Bambara music from the region of Segu. Bambara music is pentatonic in nature and as close to the blues as you can get in Africa.

Kouyate was born in a village called Garana, almost 40 miles from Segu, in the remote
 countryside on 
the banks of the
 Niger River. He
 was raised in a
 traditional mu
sical environment, his mother a praise singer
 and his father
 and brothers exceptional
 ngoni players.
 He moved to
 Bamako when 
he was 19 years
 old, where he
 met the young 
Toumani Diabate. By the late 1980s Kouyate was part of Diabate’s trio, and they recorded their first albums together, Songhai and Djelika.

In 1996, Kouyate married the singer Amy Sacko (the “Tina Turner of Mali”), and they have been in high demand for the traditional wedding parties that happen in the streets of Bamako. After many years of being a sideman to many musicians both in Mali and globally, Kouyate has now put together his own band, Ngoni Ba (“the big ngoni”), Mali’s first ngoni quartet.

Here is a link to the 2014 Earshot Jazz Festival Schedule