Preview: Earshot Jazz Festival – Oct. 4 – Nov. 6

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Festival Preview: 31st Annual Earshot Jazz Festival – October 4th – November 6th
by Lisa Hagen Glynn 

Brian Blade – photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn

A chill in the air and the first autumn leaves signal the start of Earshot Jazz Festival season in Seattle. The festival is presented by the nonprofit music organization Earshot Jazz, which has served greater Seattle since 1986. Unlike traditional single-weekend festivals, Earshot Jazz is a month-long event series held at venues across the region, from the intimate club Timbre Room to the spacious Benaroya Hall. 

This year’s stunning lineup features several Grammy Award winners, including drummer Chick Corea, pianist Chucho Valdés, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, drummer Brian Blade, trio Kris Davis’ Diatom Ribbons, guitarist Julian Lage, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts (with Orrin Evans Trio). The festival highlights acts from around the world, as well as staples of Seattle’s thriving local jazz scene. Several Seattle-raised artists who now reside in New York City—pianist Aaron Parks, drummer–rapper Kassa Overall, and pianist Carmen Staaf (with Parlour Game)—will be returning home for the festival, too. With over 50 shows that span big-band to Latin to rap to avant-garde, the 2019 festival promises concert options for almost any jazz fan. 

The official event runs from October 4 to November 6, with a Brian Blade: Life Cycles “festival warm-up” that happened on September 27. Visit the Earshot web site for the schedule and tickets (including student, military, and senior discounts). 

Show Review & Photos: Marissa Nadler @ the Tractor

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Marissa Nadler @ the Tractor – 10/19/18
Show Review & Photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn
Memory Lane Series, part 66

Marissa Nadler – photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn

Gothic-folk artist Marissa Nadler played a pretty and melancholic opening set at the Tractor Tavern on October 19, 2018 . Her tour supported her September 2018 release, For My Crimes, which also features prominent vocalists Angel Olsen, Sharon Van Etten, and Kristin Kontrol. Like all her albums, it has been critically acclaimed.

Nadler played nine songs from across her discography, alternating among electric, acoustic, and 12-string guitars. At times she was accompanied by a mysterious guitarist–vocalist shadowed behind a cattleman hat. 

Nadler is a seasoned vocalist whose live performances can be indistinguishable from her studio albums. Although her show did want for the texture of her small string section and ethereal double-tracked harmonies, it didn’t cost any haunting beauty. There is a palpable darkness to all her music, and her lyrics confirm pervasive themes of loss: in this set, the passing of a cherished car, a lover moving to the South, and even an inmate on death row. But tossing devastation aside, Nadler joked between tunes and greeted fans warmly afterward. Seattle is fortunate that she always schedules a stop here.

Headlining 1980s avant-garde rockers Mercury Rev put on a quirky, high-energy set with plenty of fog and onstage dancing. The horns of the T.T. cow skull were decorated for Halloween—a little bit—with a strand of polyester spider web.

Late edit: Nadler returns to Seattle on October 9th, 2019. Be sure to catch her show at the Neptune.

Marissa Nadler – photos by Lisa Hagen Glynn

Photos: Squeeze & X @ the Showbox

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Squeeze & X @ the Showbox, 9/9/19
Photos by Peter Dervin

Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze – photo by Peter Dervin
X‘s Exene Cervenka – photo by Peter Dervin

Squeeze and X appeared at Seattle’s Showbox on September 9th. What a very cool show to catch! The combination of London’s Squeeze and Los Angeles’ X is fantastic. In addition, Seattle’s Eddie Vedder popped up to perform with X. Photographer Peter Dervin took photos of the evening, plus X let him shoot the whole show – cool and thank you. More details: X recently celebrated their 40th anniversary, while Squeeze is now 45. They’ll both always be awesome.

Squeeze – all photos by Peter Dervin
X – all photos by Peter Dervin
Squeeze – all photos by Peter Dervin
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Show Preview: Earshot Jazz Presents Brian Blade @ Town Hall, Fri. 9/27

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Show Preview: Brian Blade @ Town Hall – Fri. 9/27
~Dagmar

Brian Blade – photo by Daniel Sheehan

Louisiana’s Brian Blade performs tomorrow evening (that’s Friday, September 27th) at Town Hall. Blade, who’s working with several musicians for the project Life Cycles, including John Hart, Jon Cowherd, Doug Weiss, Myron Walden, Rogerio Boccato and Monte Croft, has won three GRAMMY awards.

Known as an amazing and soulful jazz drummer, Blade created Life Cycles in 2001. It’s now become a tribute to Bobby Hutcherson, the late jazz vibraphonist. Life Cycles wanted to record with Hutcherson; so sad that never happened. Blade’s worked as a solo artist and with a huge and impressive roster of other artists: Herbie Hancock, Jane Siberry, Laura Veirs and Iron & Wine among them. Thank you to Earshot Jazz for bringing Blade to Seattle, and please head over to Town Hall’s event page for more details and tickets.