Broadcaster Jim Wilke Retires

After more than 3,100 shows with no reruns, long-time “Jazz After Hours” host Jim Wilke will step down October 1. For over 30 years, Wilke has been the voice in weekend, late-night syndicated jazz broadcasting. Last year, “Jazz After Hours” won the Willis Conover-Marian McPartland Award for Jazz Broadcasting from the Jazz Journalists Association and also topped the JazzTimes Critics’ and Readers’ Polls for best jazz show. New host Jeff Hanley, based in Silicon Valley, has engineered over 500 shows for Wilke, went on to host a popular Sunday morning jazz show on KZAM Seattle and was the creator and first program director for 24/7 jazz station KJZZ Seattle. Listen for Hanley as guest host, with Wilke, on July 25, August 16 and 17, and September 13 and 14.

JJA Awards

Jazz Journalist Association award recipients were announced at a JJA awards party on June 11 at the Blue Note Jazz Club, NYC. Recipients from our region: Bill Frisell, guitarist of the year. More at jjajazzawards.org.

Bake’s Place: Best New Restaurant

425 Magazine has named Bake’s Place the “Best New Restaurant” in its 2014 readers’ poll. This is the second year that the popular Bellevue bistro has been honored by the magazine. Bake’s Place has become a lively gathering place for downtown residents and workers, as well as food and music aficionados. Including its weekly shows, Bake’s also hosts a slew of traveling artists and is a featured venue during the Bellevue Jazz Festival. Bake’s Place is located at 155 108th St., Suite 110, Bellevue. For more information, visit: www.bakesplacebellevue.com.

4Culture Arts Projects Recipients

The 4Culture Arts Projects program funds groups and individual artists residing in King County, for the creation and presentation of projects in all arts disciplines. In 2014, among the 4Culture Arts Projects individual recipients: Samantha Boshnack, Global Concertos for Soloist and B’shnorkestra; Fred Hoadley, an Introduction to the Music of Cuba; Kevin McHugh, Seattle Meets Tokyo: Modern Jazz Connections; Ahamefule Oluo, Now I’m Fine; Michael Owcharuk, String Quartet #1: The Upward Spiral; Steve Peters, Deep Songs; Jovino Santos Neto, Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto Video Production 2014; Abdoulaye Sylla, Increasing Access to West African Drumming. More information at 4culture.org.

Music Educator Award Quarterfinalists

A total of 222 music teachers from 208 cities across 41 states have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by The Recording Academy and the Grammy Foundation. The Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (K-college, in public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. Nominated for the award, area music teachers Jake Bergevin, Edmonds-Woodway High School, Elizabeth Fortune, Washington Middle School, Micah Haven, Meeker Middle School, Jim Rice, Inglemoor High School, Don Rose, Curtis Senior High School.

Jazz Radio

88.5 KPLU hosts Saturday Jazz Matinee, Jazz Sunday Side Up, Ken Wiley’s the Art of Jazz and Jim Wilke’s Jazz After Hours and Jazz Northwest, in addition to its weekday NPR and late-night and prime-time jazz programs. For KPLU’s full jazz schedule, see kplu.org/schedule.

Jim Wilke’s Jazz Northwest, Sundays, 2pm, features the artists and events of the regional jazz scene. For JazzNW podcasts of archived programs, see jazznw.org.

90.3 KEXP, late-night Sundays, features Jazz Theater with John Gilbreath, 1am, and Sonarchy, midnight, a live-performance broadcast from the Jack Straw Productions studio, produced by Doug Haire. Full schedule information is available at kexp.org and jackstraw.org.

Sonarchy’s July lineup: July 6, Bert Wilson and Rebirth, this recording was first aired in 2004, with the late, great Mr. Wilson with Nancy Curtis (flutes), Craig Hoyer (piano), Chris Symer (bass) and special guest James Zitro (drums); July 13, CLEE, six members of the Cornish Live Electronics Ensemble in full exploration mode; July 20, The Luna Moth, after shoe-gazing, stoner post-rock comes the heavy sister with her drone rock flag flying, with Mark Schlipper (guitar), Levi Fuller (bass) and Mark Colovito (drums); July 27, The Melbatones, original folk compositions for jazz quartet led by David Milford (violin), with Stephen Fandrich (piano), Geoff Harper (bass) and Greg Campbell (drums).

91.3 KBCS, on late Sundays and prime-time Mondays, features Floatation Device with John Seman and Jonathan Lawson; Straight, No Chaser with David Utevsky; Giant Steps with John Pai. More about jazz on KBCS at kbcs.fm.

94.9 KUOW, Saturdays, 7pm, features Amanda Wilde’s the Swing Years and Beyond, popular music from the 1920s to the 1950s. More at kuow.org/swing_years.php.

In One Ear News

Email news about Seattle-area jazz artists, for In One Ear, to editor@earshot.org.