Ain't Misbehavin', based on the 1929 Fats Waller tune of the same name, is more of a revue than an actual musical, and pays tribute to the triumphs and contributions of America's black musicians. And it's coming back to town, as performed by the Pacific Jazz Institute. So if you missed it last time, you're fresh out of excuses. more ›

A friend recently asked me where I got new music recommendations from, and without missing a beat I responded: “YouTube”! Thanks to the exhaustive efforts of uploaders like jazzhole13, PolidoNobre and 240252 (to name just a few), the site has become the ultimate collectivist campfire for finding, sharing and discussing classic tunes. more ›

In the current Sight by Sound production of The Connection, director Gavin Reub has chosen to transfer the play to a reality television context. Presumably this would form a basis for a critique of reality television. Unfortunately Mr. Reub has made some crucial mistakes that undermine the production completely and weaken any possible critique. more ›

It's true, most of the music coverage we have on Seattlest leans toward Americana and Folk. There's just a lot of great stuff going on in that genre and we're in love with where that scene is headed. We are painfully aware, however, that there are quite a few other musical genres being left out in the cold, and hopefully they'll starting popping up more and more in our coverage. To get the ball rolling, this week's Kickstarter spotlight is pointed on a documentary entitled In Between the Raindrops. It focuses on Jazz music and the legends that got their start right here in the Emerald City. more ›

The musicians in the Improvised Music Project are bringing the sounds of Seattle's improvised music scene out of the basement of the UW Music Building onto the streets, and into the clubs. more ›

On Thursday night, saxophonist David Sanborn with his trio, along with Joey DeFrancesco on the Hammond B-3 organ, will be taking over Dimitriou's Jazz Alley for three nights of jazzy fun. Although Sanborn has found commercial success with his saxophone making smooth jazz music, his work has spanned the genres to include rock 'n' roll, R&B, and pop. Since his first album Taking Off debuted in 1975, Sanborn's discography contains over 20 records, several of which are Grammy Award-winners. His prominence on the music scene since the 1980s has contributed to keeping the sound of the saxophone modern throughout the last couple decades. Most recently, Sanborn was featured in a 2007 song by Ween, "Your Party," and that same year, he sat in with the Allman Brothers Band at the Beacon Theater in New York City. more ›

WAR may be rooted in the 1970s, but the American funk band proved it is still kicking with quite the following during its long weekend showcase at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. On opening night on Thursday, WAR packed the house for two back-to-back shows, bringing out a large middle-aged crowd to see the diverse band play its hits. Although the lineup is quite a departure from the original crew, the sounds of WR sounded crisp and familiar to a crowd that was more than eager to dance and sing along to hits including "The Cisco Kid," "Low Rider" and more. Lead singer/keyboardist Lonnie Jordan was a comical and entertaining host who gave all six other band members their chances to shine during the band's lengthy two-and-a-hal-hour set. Check out photos from the show below, with more available on Flickr. more ›

Last night at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, TONY Award-winning musical "Ain't Misbehavin'" made its weeklong debut to the delight of what turned into a hootin' and hollerin' audience. The musical takes its name from a song of the same title written by Thomas "Fats" Waller, and is a tribute to black musicians of the Harlem Renaissance. The lively cast of five bring this delightful musical to Seattle from New York, and they had the snazzy on-stage costumes and personalities to match. Backed by a three-piece band (piano, drums, bass), the show takes its audience through thirty musical numbers that encapsulate the various moods of the Harlem era. more ›

We don’t know what jazz brings to mind for you. Perhaps it’s a smoky, sultry dive accompanied by the sexy sounds of a tenor saxophone. Maybe you think of big bands blasting in 1940’s dance halls. Or (hopefully not) you think of Kenny G. We really hope you don’t think of Kenny G, even if he is from Seattle. Anyway, the point is, jazz means lots of things to lots of people. From Glenn Miller’s “Moonlight Serenade” to John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”; Chet Baker’s “My Funny Valentine” to Miles Davis’ “So What”; Ella Fitzgerald singing “Mack the Knife” or Astrid Gilberto’s vocals in “Fly Me to the Moon,” chances are you’ve heard some jazz and liked it. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of the genre. more ›

AN EAGLE NAMED FREEDOM is one of the better memoir titles we've heard in a long time. Jeff Guidry is a musician living in Monroe, and his book is about his eagle Freedom, other animal rescue operations, and his struggles with cancer. It sounds adorable x5. more ›

Add this to the list of things that make us feel like slackers: Sonny Rollins was recording with Babs Gonzales, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell and Miles Davis before he turned twenty. Now, after a 15 year gap, Sonny Rollins is bringing his tour through Seattle again. more ›

As this show is part of The Earshot Jazz Festival, it stands to reason that the set might trend toward the jazz/R&B end of her spectrum, putting her jamming conglomerate to full use. It’s sure to please. more ›

SILENT SCREEN: Trader Joe's Silent Movie Mondays at the Paramount is back and focusing on the speechless girls of black-and-white. Words fail you when discussing Cecil B. DeMille's The Godless Girl anyway--Judith and Bob are young atheists who naturally end up in a reform school run by sadists. This is an ur-Girls Gone Wild visual text and will count for credit if you are a student of this kind of counter-history. The important thing is, Judith and Bob learn that those fires of hell are real and they burn, thus making Christianity something more than an academic choice. more ›

As if Sasquatch, Bumbershoot and concert series at Marymoor Park, wineries, and the zoo weren't enough, also coming up: Sounds Outside, the fourth annual free avant-garde music festival presented by the Monktail Creative Music Concern. Dubbed "a celebration of adventurous music and community," this year's fest takes place on two non-consecutive Saturdays, July 25th and August 15th, at Cal Anderson Park. Full lineup after the jump. more ›

MvB is off to Annex Theatre tonight for Love's Tangled Web; Saturday night is Bosco's jazz gig/CD party at The Mix in Georgetown. Sunday he hopes to be kissed--with tongue--by the spring sun's rays. more ›

We spoke with Seattle jazz composer Andrew Boscardin about his new album Four-Color Heroes, the kind of inspiration you get from comic books, and what jazz that wears tights and a cape sounds like. Download the song "Professor Kubert" here, or listen to "Grimm's Waltz" on Jazz NW. more ›

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WRITERS GROUP: It's a daylight meetup of the Seattle Writers Group. They're gathering at Greenlake's Revolutions Espresso (across the street from Gregg's Greenlake Cycle) for 45 minutes of writing followed by 15 of discussion. Here is the thing that will help set your writing career on the path: "onsite bakery." It's sort of an insider's thing but behind every great writer is a choice pastry. Joyce=scone with currants and orange peel. True story. more ›

The stage at Jazz Alley was cramped for a nine-person band. Before funkified sax master Maceo Parker and his crew hit the stage, the drums were shoved hard against the rear curtain like a belt buckled tight around a pair of empty pants. When Jerome Thomas took to his kit, he had to squeeze through and climb around, and he played much of the set like only the funkiest rhythm could release him. It was fitting accompaniment to a set that included songs with titles like "Off the Hook," "Make it Funky," "Shake Everything You've Got," and "Funky Fiesta." more ›

DIAL M-A-C-E-O: You know how some people are so funny (Steve Carell, Ellen DeGeneres) that just looking at them makes you laugh? Well, that's kind of how Maceo makes us feel, but instead of making us laugh, he makes us get funky. He's played with everyone who matters—from James Brown to Prince—and he's here tonight and for the rest of the weekend to bring the funk to you. How lucky you are! more ›

TODAY IS WORLD REFUGEE DAY! The International Rescue Committee is hosting a benefit night of poetry, music, dance and crafts from our local refugee community at the Seattle Center, and John Hilde's Made In China (a documentary about his father's childhood in pre-WWII China) is screening at the NWFF with proceeds going to Mercy Corps' work in the devastated Sichuan province of China. Be a good neighbor and enjoy these artsy celebrations of diversity and tradition! more ›

SALMAN RUSHDIE: He'll be hitting Town Hall tonight to read from his latest effort, The Enchantress of Florence. According to the press release, it sounds like it's one of those quasi-fictional tales pitting opposites against each other (and, possibly, in the process, showing how opposites attract?). Tickets are available at University Bookstore for $5 a pop, or you can just buy a copy of the novel and use that as your entry. more ›

Hiphop's King of Ballard, an inspired young emcee named Grynch, sat down with us over chicken satay (which he thought was delicious, and said so several times) to discuss everything from backpack rap to The Program. Here's what the man has to say. And catch his set tomorrow night at The Sunset--it's your last chance until June! more ›

Part of the reason we Zipcar-ed out to Ballard was to see the space that The Space (aka the 608 Club, at 608 NW 65th) is in. We found a door that said 608 on it and walked into a foyer crammed with electric organs and keyboards and a couch. People glanced up at us, but we kept on, down a hall to a small merch table that also contained a paper bag filled with small brownie squares. To the right was a larger room with instruments at one end, a few chairs at the other. We ended up sitting on the floor for the shows (Faun Fables sat next to us during Estradasphere's set). People--mainly Estradasphere, we think--live upstairs. more ›

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Even though he grew up in Seattle and has recently joined the UW jazz studies faculty, and even though he had an intriguing-looking gig at SAM during last fall's Earshot Jazz Festival, we still haven't managed to catch a performance by trumpeter Cuong Vu. But we'd sure like to catch him tonight at UW's Meany Hall and finally hear him in person. more ›