For Immediate Release
MEDIA ADVISORY
Contact: John Gilbreath, Earshot Jazz, Seattle (206) 547-6763
End date: July 8, 2015
Press Photos available at https://www.earshot.org/press/SecondCentury.html
Earshot Jazz Announces Lineup For “Jazz: The Second Century” Series, July 9, 23 & 30
Earshot Jazz, Seattle’s non-profit jazz support organization, is pleased to announce artists and ensembles participating in the annual “Jazz: The Second Century” series, running July 9, 23, and 30 at the Chapel Performance Space in Wallingford. The series showcases Seattle-area artists presenting original work in a concert setting.
This lineup was selected and programmed by a peer panel of Seattle artists through a “blind jury” process. In response to a call for submissions, more than 20 ensembles submitted projects they felt question and expand the jazz form. “Jazz: The Second Century” is a continuation of one of Earshot’s core programs, begun as New Jazz/New City in 1986. This year’s participants are:
Thursday, July 9, Triptet and Bloom
Triptet is a trio of Tom Baker (guitar), Greg Campbell (drums), and Michael Monhart (saxophone, electronics), performing original compositions by integrating interactive electronics into the continuity of the jazz tradition.
Making its debut this summer, Bloom is an ensemble of recent UW grads. Formed by trumpeter/composer Brennan Carter, the quartet includes Levi Gillis on tenor saxophone, Mark Hunter on bass, and Jarred Katz on drums. Bloom’s aesthetic is characterized by rich and earthy timbres, playing off of and highlighting each individual’s musical personality.
Thursday, July 23, Bad Luck w/ Lorraine Lau (dancer), Frank Kohl Trio, and Citizens Band
Duo Bad Luck – Neil Welch (saxophone/electronics), Chris Icasiano (drums) – perform collaborative composition R.B.G. with dancer Lorraine Lau. This composition, which originally debuted at the Ballard Jazz Walk in April 2015, constructs a landscape where sound and physical motion ring in equal measure through a room.
Guitarist Frank Kohl, originally from New York State, learned music in his high school jazz band, got inspired at clubs in New York City, studied at Berklee in Boston, and returned to New York City as a professional, before eventually migrating to the Pacific Northwest with his Seattle-born wife. After a 10-year hiatus, Kohl’s creative flame has been rekindled, and he is ready to ignite audiences with his incendiary guitar playing, along with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer Brad Boal.
Citizens Band is Ivan Arteaga (reeds), Chris Icasiano (drums), and Jeff Johnson (bass), a new trio that focuses on playing original jazz pieces with room for lots of improvisation and spontaneity. Arteaga and Icasiano, younger musicians in the Seattle music scene, paired with veteran bassist Johnson to explore and foster communication through improvisation across two generations of jazz musicians.
Thursday, July 30, Action Figure and Meridian Big Band
Originally formed for a single performance during bassist Birch Pereira’s Charlie Haden tribute concert in October 2014, the group received such enthusiastic reviews from the audience that they decided to continue gigging under the name Action Figure. The trio – Seth Alexander (alto), Dave Abramson (drums), and Birch Pereira (bass) – plays original music inspired by Ornette Coleman, Henry Threadgill, and Eric Dolphy.
The Meridian Big Band is a 15-piece ensemble that brings together some of the Northwest’s finest creative musicians to play original compositions by Simon Henneman, rooted in classic jazz and blues with elements of free jazz, swing, exotica, 20th century classical music, and hip hop. The ensemble is Simon Henneman (director and guitar), Neil Welch, Kate Olson, Kenny Mandell, Dick Valentine, and Evan Smith (reeds), Robbie Beasley, Michael Van Bebber, Christian Pincock, and Bill Kautz (brass), Dave Abramson and Mark Ostrowski (drums), John Seman and Geoff Harper (bass), Jacques Willis (vibraphone).
Tickets for the concert are on a sliding scale, with a suggested donation of $5-15. Tickets are available through the Earshot website or office at 206-547-6763.
For more information, contact Earshot Jazz at 206-547-6763 or go online to www.earshot.org.
About Earshot Jazz: Founded in 1984, Earshot Jazz is Seattle’s non-profit, jazz-support organization. In addition to concert presentations, which include Seattle’s premiere annual jazz festival, Earshot provides jazz education programs and publishes the monthly Earshot Jazz magazine. More information is available at www.earshot.org or by calling 206-547-6763.
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