KNKX Studio Sessions: Recent Episodes

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In an energetic KNKX Studio Session, 10-piece band Khu.éex' filled the space with their unique blend of jazz, funk, rock, and spoken word in Indigenous languages Tlingit and Haida.

Currently led by bassist Preston Singletary, powerhouse band Khu.éex' formed a decade ago after Singletary met keyboardist Bernie Worrell, a former member of George Clinton's Parliament Funkadelic who passed away in 2016. Their collaboration lives on through an ever-evolving group of musicians highlighting the perspectives and struggles of Native American communities through music.

After a quick moment of gratitude shared by Gene Tagaban,the band opened with their first song, "Angry Bear." It began with a low, dreamlike poem from Sondra Segundo, spoken in her native Haida language, followed up by foot-stomping rock-fusion grooves reminiscent of Carlos Santana. The song follows a raven spreading love “for the people.”

They followed up with a warm yet melancholy song "Shapeshifter." Segundo revealed that she wrote this song for her 23-year-old son, who had been struggling with mental health. Tagaban’s haunting lyrics of the shape-shifter give a glimpse of the inner turmoil that is part of such a struggle. Segundo’s empowering lyrics of “you are here for a reason” serve as a powerful reminder of our purpose.

Khu.éex' rounded out their set with "Prophetess / Woman Warrior Song" a perfect example of how they amplify their messages through music. "Prophetess" focuses on the women of the endangered communities that Segundo represents. "Woman Warrior Song," written by Lil’Wat Nation member Faye Nelson, highlights the strength of women through nurturing and building community.

Singletary called Khu.éex' the “largest unknown band in the Pacific Northwest.” He said he looks forward to playing more for communities in the region.

The band is staying busy, with recent performances at Seattle Peoples Indigenous Day and Earshot Jazz Festival. They are also developing a documentary about the band, called The Magic of Noise.

Get to know Khu.éex', their spirit and message in this KNKX Studio Session.

Musicians:

• Preston Singletary - Bass
• Captain Raab - Guitar
• Tim Kennedy - Keys
• Larry Mahlis - Drums
• Denny Stern - Percussion
• Gordon Brown - Saxophone
• Jason Cressey - Trombone
• Kate Olson - Baritone saxophone
• Sondra Segundo - Vocals
• Gene Tagaban - Vocals, spoken word/native flute

Songs:

1. Angry Bear
2. Shapeshifter
3. Prophetess / Woman Warrior Song

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Trumpeter Keyon Harrold was in town performing at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley Oct. 8th-9th. The St. Louis native brought his swagger to the KNKX studios for this session, performing tunes from his 3rd album as a solo artist, Foreverland.

Coming into the spotlight for his work as the trumpet voice of Miles Davis in the Grammy-winning film, Miles Ahead, Harrold’s career spans back to the early 2000s. He has performed as a sideman for Common, Robert Glasper and a variety of artists who’ve shaped his current sound.

Foreverland is a sonic experience effortlessly weaving through multiple genres and presents interesting themes of love, longing, and “finding your peace of mind.”

The journey to peace began with Harrold opening with the first track of the album, “Find Your Peace.” A statement or mantra more than a song title, with repeated instructions to find your peace, Harrold provided an immediate boost for the live audience.

We made a stop at “Foreverland,” featuring vocalist Malaya, a burgeoning star in the making, and powerhouse drummer Brian Richberg, who turned heads with his drumming. Through “Foreverland,” Harrold creates an equal-parts utopia, boundless from any labels.

The final song, “Don't Lie,” was written after a rough breakup and featured dueling vocals from Harrold and Malaya. In it, Harrold subtly reveals the highs and lows of a relationship and his experience dealing with them. The true beauty of the performance was the spontaneity of Harrold and Malaya, who took turns pleading to the audience to “not lie.”

Like a true basketball point guard, Harrold recognized the hot hand as Malaya completely took the song over, weaving in vocal references to Anita Baker and Slum Village.

Check out this studio session from Keyon Harrold.

Musicians:

• Keyon Harrold - Trumpet
• Asar The Ambassador - piano
• Matt Sewell - Guitar
• Dan Winshall - Bass
• Malaya - Vocals
• Brian Richberg - Drums

Songs:

1. Find Your Peace
2. Foreverland
3. Don’t Lie

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Alto saxophone great Vincent Herring brought a soulful feeling and a new all-star band to Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley, visiting the KNKX studios for an exclusive performance while they were in Seattle.

The inspiration for his new Something Else! band came from Herring attending Motown revues as a kid.

“The Temptations, Diana Ross… it was so fun to go to that concert because you knew all these songs,” he told KNKX.

Herring took that idea and ran with it. Something Else! puts a soul jazz twist on some of the most popular songs in jazz.

“As an audience participant,” Herring said, “I would like to go to that concert!”

The band he’s put together really is something else: James Carter (tenor and soprano sax), Freddie Hendrix (trumpet and flugelhorn), Paul Bollenback (guitar), Dave Kikoski (piano), Essiet Okon Essiet (bass) and Jerome Gillespie (drums) had the KNKX studio audience cheering wildly.

As a kid in the 1960s, Herring said he listened to whatever the pop music of the day was, until playing a new instrument drew him in a new direction.

"Once I started playing saxophone, I wanted to hear more saxophone, and then I started getting into jazz,” he said.

His new group merges those jazz skills with the music of his youth.

The group’s debut album, Soul Jazz, was recorded live in New York City and includes soul jazz favorites like “The Chicken” by James Brown band member Pee Wee Ellis and “Filthy McNasty” by Horace Silver. The group’s talent and personality really shine with their uniquely funky versions of jazz standards.

In the KNKX studios, Something Else! performed three songs they plan to record for their next album: Cedar Walton’s “I’m Not So Sure,” Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight,” and John Coltrane’s “Naima.”

There were fiery solos in each, but it was the backbeat provided by Essiet and Gillespie that gave the songs a soulful, celebratory feeling. As Herring said after the session, these aren’t just great songs, they are a whole lot of fun to play.

We think they’re also a lot of fun to listen to. Please enjoy this exclusive performance from Something Else!

Musicians:

• Vincent Herring - alto saxophone
• James Carter - tenor saxophone
• Freddie Hendrix - trumpet
• Paul Bollenback - guitar
• Dave Kikoski - piano
• Essiet Okon Essiet - bass
• Jerome Gillespie - drums

Songs:

1. I'm Not So Sure (Cedar Walton)
2. 'Round Midnight (Thelonious Monk)
3. Naima (John Coltrane)

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No stranger to the Pacific Northwest, José James returned to the Emerald City to perform for two nights at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. Along the way, this jazz singer for the hip-hop generation stopped by the KNKX Seattle studios for a smooth, soulful performance of tunes from his newest album 1978.

The album’s crisp production harks back to classic names like Quincy Jones and Leon Ware and is matched by socially conscious lyrics that resemble Marvin Gaye and Prince. Named after James’ birth year, 1978 consists of two themes: party and social activism. James seamlessly balanced the contrasting energies of disco party-themed and politically charged tunes in this KNKX Studio Session featuring a trio of some of today's top musicians in jazz and hip-hop.

James opened with “Let's Get It,” the lead track off 1978. It's a sensual groove from James that's served best on quiet storm radio stations. Much like the title, James’ eagerness to "get it" with his lover is evident through his yearning lyrics.

On “Black Orpheus (Don’t Look Back),” James called this “where Marvin Gaye meets Greek mythology.” After the performance, James emphasized the importance of moving forward as an individual, pointing to the story of Orpheus, and his only job, which was "to not look back."

These two songs served as checkpoints in 1978. From romance to activism, James finished off the three-song set with a powerful tribute to George Floyd called "38th & Chicago."

An album that took five years to complete, James’ 1978 is a mixture of what he experienced throughout the last five years, including the social unrest that took place in his birthplace of Minneapolis, Minnesota, his diverse and socially active upbringing, culminating in what he calls his own autobiography.

Check out José James’ latest studio session.

Musicians:

• José James - guitar, vocals
• Adar the Ambassador - keyboards
• David Ginyard - bass
• Jharis Yokley - drums

Songs:

1. Let's Get It
2. Black Orpheus (Don't Look Back)
3. 38th & Chicago

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BrandonLee Cierley made his debut eight years ago in the KNKX studios for a School of Jazz studio session as a college student. Now a driving force in Portland, Oregon’s music community, Cierley returned to the studios with a new band and the same passion for jazz.

The saxophonist from Tacoma relocated south during the Covid pandemic at the urging of his South Sound friend, Machado Mijiga. A multi-instrumentalist, Mijiga had made the move south himself, and has become Cierley’s musical “right-hand man.”

Cierley’s quartet included Puget Sound area musicians Anand Landon on guitar and Moe Weissner playing bass. The whole band did great work interpreting the saxophonist’s original songs.

Two brand new compositions and a song from Cierley’s recent album Camaraderie share Cierley’s sonic style — smooth-toned, soulful melodies with a hint of hip-hop swagger.

Cierley is planning a video-game themed EP with Mijiga soon and also broke more news to our studio session audience. He’s working on an album of dedications. “I haven’t told anybody this – you’re getting the first scoop!”

One of those dedications, “Naia’s Lullaby,” was written for a friend's new baby. Introducing it got him choked up, catching the bandleader and our audience by surprise. “I’ll just play it for you,” Cierley said quietly as he began the beautiful ballad.

Since our first introduction to “college kid” BrandonLee Cierley, he’s grown into a great person and a wonderful musician, and he’s becoming the jazz ambassador of I-5.

“Me and Machado are trying to bridge this gap,” he explained. “Seattle, Tacoma and Oregon – we’re so close! Why not… make a community out of it. We’re all just trying to make music and get it together.”

Musicians:

• BrandonLee Cierley - saxophone
• Anand Landon - guitar
• Moe Weisner - bass
• Machado Mijija - drums

Songs:

1. Cherry Blossoms
2. Naia's Lullaby
3. Harper & Cora

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When asked if they’d looked to great albums of the past to inspire their vocals-piano duets tour, Kurt Elling and Joey Calderazzo answered quickly and definitively: “No.”

This KNKX Studio Session was a meeting of two great improvising minds. Their music is the result of pure collaboration, bringing more than 60 years of combined jazz experience together with no expectations.

The Chicago-native Elling has been at the top of the jazz vocal world from his earliest records, a modern musician with a mastery of standards and daring vocalese.

A New Yorker, Calderazzo is best known for playing with saxophone icons Michael Brecker and Branford Marsalis. His several albums as a band leader have made him one of the most respected pianists in jazz, though not as well-known as Elling.

The connection between the two marks a bright moment in both of their impressive careers. These talented improvisors pushed and challenged each other through three great jazz standards in their performance at KNKX's Seattle studios.

Starting with “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” Elling and Calderazzo kept the melody close while finding numerous opportunities to embellish and rearrange the Nat Cole classic.

Billy Strayhorn’s beautiful ballad “Day Dream” received a similar treatment. Elling joked the 1939 composition was a “more modern” song, but the hip factor hit a crescendo with their set closer.

Calderazzo and Elling played Thelonious Monk’s bebop favorite “Straight, No Chaser” with dramatic flair, leaving out or moving notes of the familiar but angular melody nearly into abstraction.

It was a thrilling sight for the audience as Elling leaned over the piano mere inches from Calderazzo’s smiling face. The pair shared their joyful, intimate performance with a grateful audience in the KNKX studios. Now it’s your turn.

Musicians:

• Kurt Elling - vocals
• Joey Calderazzo - piano

Songs:

1. It's Only a Paper Moon (Arlen/Harburg/Rose)
2. Day Dream (Strayhorn/Latouche)
3. Straight, No Chaser (Monk)

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While in Seattle for shows at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, legendary trombonist Fred Wesley brought his New JB's band to the KNKX studios for an exciting studio session that showed Wesley is more than just a James Brown sideman.

Wesley spoke with Grooveyard host Stephanie Anne Johnson about his incredible history playing with Brown and his sideman, saxophonist Maceo Parker. He also talked about his time with the Count Basie Orchestra and the diversity of music he plays with his new band.

Introducing themselves as the "New JBs, phase four," Wesley's band launched into the JB's 70s classic "Damn Right, I Am Somebody" with trumpeter Gary Winters and saxophonist Brandon Wright sharing the front line.

Guitarist Reggie Ward locked in with rhythm section mates Coleman Woodson III on keys, Dwayne Dolphin at the bass and Bruce Cox drumming to set up the funky backdrop for the busy horn players. The band was celebrating their latest album, From the Blues and Back.

Describing his love of the blues, Wesley added his own vocals to the R&B classic "Trick Bag," with call-and-response from Woodson. They wrapped up with "For the Elders," a song Wesley dedicated to the great jazz musicians who cleared the path for the musicians who followed.

Wesley noted that the Jazz Crusaders are one of his favorite groups and an inspiration for his current ensemble. The Crusaders' classic trombone-saxophone combination was a clever connecting point for the pulsing, dynamic post-bop groove of this final song.

In his 81st year, Fred Wesley said he may have lost a step or two, but his band brings the rich legacy of his career through funk, blues and jazz to a new audience. Enjoy this exclusive performance and the charming personality and music of Fred Wesley and the New JBs.

Musicians:

1. Fred Wesley - trombone, vocals
2. Coleman Woodson III - piano, keyboard, vocals
3. Brandon Wright - saxophone
4. Gary Winters - trumpet
5. Reggie Ward - guitar
6. Dwayne Dolphin - bass
7. Bruce Cox - drums

Songs:

1. Damn Right, I Am Somebody
2. Trick Bag
3. For the Elders

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The ever-modest but equally dedicated saxophonist Kareem Kandi brought together an incredible group of musicians, including renowned artists, drummer Ali Jackson, George Colligan on piano and Greg Feingold on bass.

The exclusive session culminated the quartets' weeks-long tour of the Pacific Northwest. Jackson, who once lived in Washington, returns for a few weeks each year to play and teach.

During the interview, Kandi, Jackson, and Colligan shared their views on the music and the preeminent importance of community while creating and learning.

Musicians:

Kareem Kandi - saxophone
Ali Jackson - drums
George Colligan - piano
Greg Feingold - bass

Songs:

1. Shufflonzo (Jackson)

2. For Kenny (Jackson)

3. 2K Blues (Jackson)

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Bill Anschell is one of the Northwest’s most beloved jazz pianists, though his new album Improbable Solutions was created with computer technology. The two sides of his music converged in the KNKX studios with Anschell’s acoustic piano leading a quartet though his new compositions.

His love of progressive rock and emerging electronic music as a college student eventually led Anschell to pursue the jazz idiom, but he never gave up on the digital world. The extra time allowed by pandemic closures gave him a path to complete his years-long creative dream.

“Finally! This was all headed toward combining electronics with acoustic instruments and real people,” Anschell told KNKX.

After releasing the album, Anschell had to work out what songs he could play live. Of the nine songs on Improbable Solutions, he performs five of them.

“A couple of the tunes really are more like progressive rock," Anschell explained. "We’re not really the band for that.”

The band in the KNKX studios included drummer Brad Boal and two musicians who appear on the new record: bassist Chris Symer and guitarist Brian Monroney.

“It’s been interesting to try to replicate those (electronic sounds)," Anschell said. "We’re really lucky to have Brian… he kind of replaces my synthesizers by being the ‘textures guy.’”

This quartet was up to the challenge. “Ambulator” begins the session with acoustic piano and electric guitar pushing and pulling through catchy melody and harmony lines, while Symer and Boal provide the important rhythmic support.

The live version of “Gentle Persuasion,” often played on KNKX, glided along at a calm tempo before a dramatic piano solo launched Monroney into his own feature with smartly chosen guitar effects.

Anschell’s quartet completed their set with a song from his 2006 album More to the Ear than Meets the Eye, the complex and funky “Faster Than the Speed of Mildew,” with driving contributions from all four musicians.

Dig into the world of Bill Anschell and his music, ably performed by his great quartet in the KNKX studios. Lighter on the synthetic sounds than his new album, this performance was still forward thinking and thoroughly modern.

Musicians:

• Bill Anschell - piano
• Brian Monroney - guitar
• Chris Symer- bass
• Brad Boal - drums

Songs:

1. Ambulator
2. Gentle Persuasion
3. At the Speed of Mildew

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The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra kicks off their 30th season this August with a KNKX Studio Session and two nights at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Over the course of 30 years as the Northwest's premiere large ensemble jazz band, the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra has helped keep the big band music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and more alive and vital.

They've also created a strong collection of original music, some of which they shared in a quintet setting at the KNKX studios. Leading the group was SRJO's artistic director, co-founder and saxophonist Michael Brockman.

Brockman talked about the band's origins playing the Sacred Music of Duke Ellington in 1989. The band saw a demand for performing great big band music live in concert and the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, which Brockman co-founded with now-retired drummer Clarence Acox, was born.

This special performance at KNKX also included SRJO favorites Dan Marcus on trombone, Randy Halberstadt at the piano, Phil Sparks on bass and D'Vonne Lewis drumming, whose composition "Hope" was the beautiful waltz in the middle of this exclusive session.

Brockman's soprano sax was featured on his tune "Malcolmesque," a spirited and complex piece cleverly arranged and performed by the quintet. The song's inspiration came from Brockman and Marcus playing in the orchestra for a recent Malcolm X opera.

Brockman told the KNKX studio audience, "you just heard the world premiere of that piece, just completed about three days ago!"

They closed with "Acox Ramble," their recently written tribute to SRJO's co-founder. Although rarely played in a quintet setting, the driving hardbop melody — reminiscent of Clarence Acox-led bands in Seattle's vibrant jazz scene of the 1980s and 1990s — sounded just right with heir apparent Lewis' note-perfect drum solo and undeniable groove.

Noting the experience of Lewis and bassist Sparks, Brockman explained that "it's hard to find room for a younger player to come in." However, the addition of musicians like Sidney Hauser, Alex Dugdale and Kate Olson show that the SRJO is a group with a past worth celebrating, and with an exciting future ahead.

The 2024-2025 season will see the 17-piece band perform a Ray Charles tribute, Ellington's "Far East Suite" featuring vocalist Jacqueline Tabor, and conclude with two June concerts featuring special guest saxophonist Branford Marsalis. "He's my hero," Brockman enthused.

SRJO's outreach in their Jazz Scholars program and Jazz4Kids concerts further demonstrate a community of musicians dedicated to keeping the tradition alive while passing it on to the next generation. Play on!

Musicians:

• Michael Brockman - saxophones
• Dan Marcus - trombone
• Randy Halberstadt - piano
• Phil Sparks - bass
• D'Vonne Lewis - drums

Songs:

1. Malcolmesque (M.Brockman)
2. Hope (D.Lewis)
3. Acox Ramble (M.Brockman)

Editor's note: Abe Beeson is a member of SRJO's board of directors.

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Pianist and composer Francesco Crosara led a quartet of top-tier Northwest musicians in the KNKX studios, celebrating a new album with the Italian native’s new Northwest friends.

Crosara was raised in Rome, Italy, by a mother whose broadcasting connections and love of jazz brought legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Corea, Duke Ellington and more who inspired the budding musician.

“I had the pleasure to basically see and interact with these giants at the kitchen table,” Crosara said.

His musical talent was further developed at USC in Los Angeles, and he later moved on to the Midwest and Hawaii before landing in Poulsbo, Washington, in 2017.

Crosara joined the Music Discovery Center, a non-profit in Bremerton focused on music education and support in the Western Puget Sound. He was excited to help underserved music lovers of the Kitsap Peninsula and to have opportunities to play with young music students, saying, “I’m not hoity-toity.”

The new album Circular Motion collects 40 years of Crosara’s compositions, from new songs like the jazz fusion of “One Day Honey, One Day Onions” to songs that he’s updated.

“I certainly was not happy with the way that 21-year-old Francesco wrote a samba. It was a little immature,” he said.

Over his life as a composer, Crosara has written music influenced by his many travels. Circular Motion visits Argentina with “Julia’s Tango” and Japan with “Kurama,” as well as the Middle Eastern sound of “Maktoub” and a Spanish tinge of “Preludio Flamenco.”

Circular Motion also circles through three different sets of the Puget Sound area’s best bass players and drummers.

The elder statesmen Clipper Anderson and Mark Ivester form what Crosara said is his “acoustic group,” while the popular Farko Dosumov and D’Vonne Lewis make up his “fusion trio.”

Finally, Crosara’s “world trio” features Osama Afifi and Xavier LeCouturier, the youngest of the groups.

In this exclusive performance in the KNKX studios, Crosara was joined by Dosumov, Lewis, and saxophonist Alexey Nikolaev. Crosara even lamented, half-joking, “Had I met him (before he recorded Circular Motion), I would have said, let’s do a quartet!”

Extended versions of three great tunes from Crosara’s new album show that his music is constantly changing, always connected to the moment he shares with his fellow musicians and audience.

Look for Crosara’s terrific trio album andthe talented pianist in a variety of musical settings around Western Washington – including the hungry jazz fans away from the city lights.

Musicians:

• Francesco Crosara - piano, keyboards
• Alexey Nikolaev - saxophones
• Farko Dosumov - bass
• D'Vonne Lewis - drums

Songs:

1. Preludio Flamenco
2. Julia's Tango
3. One Day Honey, One Day Onions

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New York-based, British Columbia-born, trumpeter and singer Bria Skonberg celebrates her new album What It Means in a KNKX studio session. She was in town for shows at Dimitrou's Jazz Alley.

In the years since Skonberg’s aptly titled 2020 album Nothing Never Happens, she has weathered the tumultuous pandemic times and, like many of us, witnessed a social justice movement, emerging political divisions and new global conflicts. She described these years as “disorienting,” and in the realm of her music, she was “trying to find a way forward and a way back at the same time.”

The search for a way forward led her back to New Orleans, a city full of sounds that was central to developing her passion for music when she was younger. Skonberg grew up in Chilliwack, BC, where her parents set her up to explore the wide world of music at a young age.

“I'm a product of really great parents who encouraged both me and my siblings to play instruments...” said Skonberg.

In seventh grade, she started playing trumpet. Skonberg said her dad played the instrument back in high school, so they already owned one.

Skonberg said her passion for jazz grew thanks, in part, to a long-running festival in her hometown dedicated to the early stylings of jazz, including the music of Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Sydney Bechet.

Now Skonberg is returning to those roots and the sounds of New Orleans on her recently released album What It Means. She recorded in the Crescent City and connected with a living jazz legend, drummer Herlin Riley.

“He's a wonderful, absolutely magical human being. And when you listen to it, as I do, I go, ‘how is he playing all those things at the same time?’" Skonberg said.

Since her last record, Skonberg has also become a mother. She described motherhood as a lot of fun and full of learning: “It's a lot. It's more than you could ever experience. And just like the amount of growth, the learning curve is obviously incredibly steep.”

With motherhood, she took a step back from playing the trumpet. Skonberg said she took almost three months off and credits revered trumpeter John Faddis with helping her regain her chops.

“We often are told that we cannot take more than two days off the horn or we'll never play again..." She said, “I think I play smarter, stronger than I have before.”

Musicians:

• Bria Skonberg - trumpet, vocals
• Steve Treseler - saxophone
• Chris Pattishall - piano
• Grayson Brockamp - bass
• Darrian Douglass - drums

Songs:

1. Comes Loves (L. Brown, S. Stept, C. Tobias)
2. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans? (E. DeLange, L. Alter)
3. The Beat Goes On/Sidewinder (S. Bono, L. Morgan)

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Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano stopped by the KNKX Studios last week to give us a preview of their new album Vacilón Santiaguero.

Originally from Santiago, Cuba, Valera primarily plays locally here in Seattle. He’s been a bandleader for as long as he can remember, starting by taking over his family’s band when he was a teenager.

During this studio session, Valera told the audience how he found his way to Seattle and explained why this style of music is still significant today.

"It's a matter of tradition," Valera said, "always trying to preserve the roots, the essence. I decided to give it more freshness, a more modern touch."

Vacilón Santiaguero is not only a celebration of the music from his hometown, but Valera also puts his own stamp on the tradition of “Son” to make it his own and keep the music alive.

Musicians:

• Kiki Valera - Cuban cuatro, coros
• Javier Maru - guitar, vocals
• Julian Weisman - bass
• Steve Smith - bongos
• Joe de Jesus - congas, vocals
• Carlos Cascante - lead vocals, percussion
• Victor Castillo - lead vocals, percussion

Songs:

1. Este Vacilón (Félix Valera Miranda)
2. El Ají de Cocina (Félix Valera Miranda)
3. Sobre Una Tumba Una Rumba (Ignacio Pineiro)

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The band Ghost Note was formed almost by accident. Snarky Puppy drummer Robert “Sput” Searight and percussionist Nate Werth attracted attention with their live solos. They both half-jokingly promised fans that they were recording as a side project.

Regarding the pair’s first recordings as Ghost Note, “Nate kind of manifested it,” Searight said in an interview following the band’s recent KNKX studio session.

Achieving success early, the pandemic slowed Ghost Note’s efforts until the release of their new fourth albumMustard N’ Onions.

Ghost Note’s funk was extra tight in the KNKX studios as the band – featuring the saxophones of Jelani Brooks and Jonathan Mones, guitarist Peter Knudsen, keyboardist Dominique Xavier Taplin, bassist J-Mack and full-throated vocalist Mackenzie – bounced through three songs from the new album.

The signature sound of Ghost Note comes from the propulsive beats of the Searight-Werth rhythm section. “We’re a group of guys,” said Searight, “who love funk, love Prince and James Brown, and we’re all frustrated jazz musicians as well.”

James Brown is name-checked in Ghost Note’s new song “JB’s Out!” and group vocals brought extra energy to “Slim Goodie.” Dialing in the complex melody of “Bad Knees” by the album’s bassist, MonoNeon, Searight sang the hook before counting off a third crowd-moving blast of fun.

You’re sure to be smiling along listening to this joyful, funky session performance from Ghost Note. They're no joke!

Musicians:

• Robert "Sput" Searight - drums
• Nate Werth - percussion
• Jelani Brooks - saxophone
• Jonathan Mones - saxophone
• Peter Knudsen - guitar
• Dominique Xavier Taplin - keyboards
• J-Mack - bass
• Mackenzi - vocals

Songs:

1. JB’s Out! (Do It Babay)
2. Slim Goodie
3. Bad Knees

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Guitar virtuoso Eric Gales was at KNKX for a very special solo session. He is considered one of the best, if not the best guitarist on the planet. The praise has come from all over the music world, from people like Joe Bonamassa, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King and Carlos Santana, who is his godfather.

If you listen to KNKX's radio show All Blues, you’ll hear him just about every night. He is arguably one of the most important and expressive guitarists of our time, in any genre. Starting at age 15, he’s made 19 studio albums and his most recent album, Crown, was nominated for a Grammy award in 2022.

Gales first held a guitar in his hands at the age of 4 and devoted himself entirely to learning his way around the instrument, guided by his older brother Eugene Gales. Eugene, who is 17 years older, introduced young Eric to a wide range of music that included blues, but also jazz, country, soul, rock and even classical music.

Through his mother, Eric also became familiar with gospel music and his father even jammed with Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Eric described his obsessive fascination with the guitar, often staying in his room for days without eating, so that he could learn how to play what was in his head.

Though he’s considered a “blues” player, his interests range far and wide to include guitarists like Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, Wes Montgomery, Chet Atkins, and of course Jimi Hendrix, to whom he’s often been compared.

He was signed to a major label record deal at 15, but kept that fact from his classmates, because he didn’t want to be treated as a rock star. But when he appeared as a child prodigy guitarist on the Arsenio Hall Show, his secret was out, and his professional career began.

Eric was a gracious and giving guest, baring himself and the deep emotions he conjures with his guitar. We talked about the origins of blues that came from the African American experience of slavery, and that blues music evolved as a way to find joy in a world of suffering. As a Black man in America, Eric told us that as much as 90% of his music comes from his internal pain.

He became emotional talking about the deep hurt that he feels inside, but that he is able to channel and transform that pain into joyful expression. He sees his talent as a gift and his role to evoke deep emotion with his music.

Eric stopped by KNKX while in the Northwest for a show July 8 at Marymoor Park, and also made an appearance at the Winthrop R&B Festival Saturday July 20.

Songs:
1) The Storm
2) My Own Best Friend
3) Little Wing

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Grammy-nominated singer Karrin Allyson joined us in the KNKX studios for her 10th session when she visited Seattle for her concerts at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Allyson wears many musical hats including singer, songwriter, composer and pianist. Her latest project spotlights Brazilian music – specifically singer-songwriter Rosa Passos who joins Allyson on a couple tunes on the new release A Kiss for Brazil.

Allyson said she was drawn to samba in her early years singing jazz. It was on a visit to Brazil over a decade ago where she met Rafael Barata who joins her in this session on drums. Both spoke of their love of bossa nova and specifically the feel and nature of Brazilian music.

She opened up about how music can be an escape from life’s challenges, her Grammy nominations, and how she enjoys collaborating with talented musical contemporaries. Allyson also detailed her musical and songwriting processes.

Enjoy the behind-the-scenes stories and three great songs from her most recent album in Karrin Allyson's latest KNKX studio session. We know it won't be her last.

Musicians:

• Karrin Allyson - vocals, piano
• Vitor Gonsalves - piano, accordion
• Jeff Johnson - bass
• Rafael Barata - drums

Songs:

1. Manha de Carnaval (Luiz Bonfa)
2. Dunas (Fernando de Oliveira)
3. So Many Stars (Sérgio Mendes, Alan and Marilyn Bergman)

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For more than 20 years, singer and songwriter Spencer Day has graced stages worldwide with his honey-golden voice. For the first time in more than five years, he was in Seattle for shows at Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley.

Day had created original songs with a keen pen that unfolds life’s complexities in novel ways and is an adaptive interpreter of many styles ranging from Broadway songs, the great American songbook, modern pop and Mexican folk.

Since his major label debut, Vagabond in 2009, Day has continued on his journey with music. It has taken him from his hometown in rural Utah to Southern California, New York, London, San Francisco and Mexico.

Day began finding his gift for music in his late teens. He said it was a “divine intervention” of sorts when he got a Casio keyboard from a friend and began playing and writing songs. “It gave me a place to take all of these heavy feelings I was having,” he said during our session.

Day cites Chet Baker and Julie London as two of the first singers he heard who helped develop his style. He cites Miles Davis, Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington as some of his early jazz favorites.

He played two originals at KNKX’s Seattle studio, “Till You Come to Me” and “Movie of Your Life,” and, for the first time in public, the Mexican song “Sabor A Mi.” Day and guitarist Brian Monroney discussed the song and decided to play a rendition after sharing a love for one of Mexico’s quintessential folk songs.

Mexican music is not completely foreign to Spencer. During the pandemic, he spent time in Mexico City and Guadalajara. He was semi-stranded there during the early days of the pandemic.

He told the audience during his studio session about being “a gringo in the right place at the right time” and found himself recording pandemic-related public service announcements in Guadalajara.

But playing music during his time there greatly impacted his upcoming project La Frontera which features musicians from the Mexican band Mariachi Vargas.

Musicians:

• Spencer Day - vocals, piano
• Brian Monroney - guitar

Songs:

1. Till You Come To Me (Spencer Day)
2. Sabor a Mí (Álvaro Carrillo)
3. Movie of Your Life (Spencer Day)

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The nostalgia was thick in the air at Seattle’s Jazz Alley as pianist Monty Alexander celebrated his 80th birthday on a stage he’s played hundreds of times. Alexander spent part of the visit reconnecting with an old friend, John Dimitriou, the owner of Jazz Alley since its opening in 1980.

Alexander's birthday, June 6, also marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when allied forces landed in northern France in 1944 and changed the direction of World War II. It's impossible to forget when you're born on such a famous date.

“You’re reminded your whole life," Alexander said. "And when your parents name you after the British General (Field Marshal "Monty" Bernard Law Montgomery) you’re aware of it.”

His new album D-Day includes a couple songs from the era and several original songs by the prolific pianist. It also arrives with moving message, no matter the decade.

"It’s about saying, ‘War is not the answer’ and we need to fight for peace. As musicians, that’s what we do. We want to see people come together,” Alexander explained.

Alexander and Dimitriou first came together in the 1970s when the latter left his hometown of Seattle and was running Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. It's now the longest running supper club in the nation.

KNKX's Abe Beeson spoke with Monty Alexander at Jazz Alley about his life, latest album and his longtime friendship with Jazz Alley owner John Dimitriou.(Parker Miles Blohm / KNKX )“He had the desire to be a drummer,” Alexander recalled.

“I was a bad drummer – it was the best thing that happened to me!” Dimitrou exclaimed.

Alexander pointed out the lasting impact of Dimitriou’s time in the other Washington.

“I was there when John came and spruced up the place, that was the beginning of Blues Alley stepping up," he said. "And he met his wife to be!”

Dimitriou's now been married to his sweetheart Carla for 49 years. He called Alexander a real jazz musician because “he makes people feel good about his playing and that’s extraordinary, and there are few people who do that.”

In the end, the point for Alexander and Dimitriou is to bring people together. The pianist directed the club owner to a portrait of Louis Armstrong that hangs on the wall at Jazz Alley as a poignant example of what they’re both trying to do.

“Maybe John doesn’t realize how important it is,” Alexander said. “To see Louis Armstrong over there looking at you… that was my hero. I saw him in Kingston, Jamaica in 1956. It was like a church meeting! There’s something about music. I don’t just hear it, I feel it. I smell it. It’s the joy of life. It’s fun!”

You’re sure to hear and feel (and maybe smell?) the fun Monty Alexander shared with bassist Luke Sellick, drummer Jason Brown and John Dimitriou on stage at Jazz Alley.

Musicians:

• Monty Alexander - piano
• Luke Sellick - bass
• Jason Brown - drums

Songs:

1. Think Twice
2. Look Up
3. River of Peace

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Takuya Kuroda is a humble artist. When told the interview would be with just him, Kuroda expressed a little embarrassment, saying he didn't want his bandmates to feel subordinate. Making his Seattle debut as a bandleader at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Kuroda was a confident leader in a KNKX studio session performance of his original music.

To be sure, everyone in Kuroda's band is worthy of his praise. Craig Hill made a strong impression on saxophone, bringing a strong new element to a band that has matched trumpet with Corey King's trombone for more than a decade.

It was his big brother's trombone and love for big bands that first inspired Kuroda, but when he first arrived on the New York scene, his mind was blown.

"It was Robert Glasper, Keyon Harrold and all those 'monsters' from this generation. And then I had to come here to see and learn what was going on," Kuroda said.

Since his 2014 break-out- album Rising Son, produced by vocalist Jose James, Takuya Kuroda has moved further into the world of producing and adding programmed elements to his music.

He said thinking about production has changed the way he writes music, but he still uses a clever composing trick.

"I started trying to not write down the melody that I came up with and go to sleep. Next day, if you still remember the melody, then give it a go."

Kuroda has already gone into the studio. His next album is nearly finished, and Kuroda credited his drummer, David Frazier, for helping get the right drum sound. "When it comes to production," Kuroda explained, "the sound of drums is the most important when you're producing music like this."

Along with Frazier and Hill, bassist Kyle Miles kept the band snugly inside the pocket. Takahiro Izumikawa did double duty, ripping through dramatic solos on piano and adding sonic textures on synthesizer.

Takuya Kuroda and his band had a great time in the KNKX studios, and his bandmates weren't at all upset to give this incredibly talented trumpeter the spotlight.

Musicians:

• Takuya Kuroda - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Craig Hill - saxophone
• Takahiro Izumikawa - keyboards
• Kyle Miles - bass
• David Frazier - drums

Songs:

1. Midnight Crisp
2. Mala
3. It's OK

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Trumpeter Jun Iida grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and had his first experiences on stage turning music pages for his mother, a semi-professional koto player who encouraged a connection to music and the family’s Japanese heritage.

Iida’s love of music gradually overtook his education and early career as an engineer. He moved around the country, studying in Pittsburgh, Cleveland and then moving to Los Angeles, where he worked his way into the jazz scene.

The pandemic hit while Iida was in Southern California working on the music destined for his debut album, Evergreen. The album title (and song title) refers to his move to Seattle during that time, though it was actually an engineering job that led to his relocation.

Inspired by musicians, including those in his studio session band – guitarist Martin Budde, pianist Dylan Hayes, bassist Michael Glynn and drummer Xavier LeCouturier – Iida made his commitment to life as a professional musician.

Evergreen’s original songs include Iida’s trumpet matched by guitar on the album and in the studio, creating an upper range for the songs that lends them a lightness equaled by clear melodic and harmonic ideas.

Iida also blends the Japanese folk, classical and blues music he heard as a kid in St. Louis with the hip-hop of his teen years to bring a modern perspective to mainstream jazz reminiscent of his trumpet hero, Roy Hargrove.

The strength of his first album has earned Iida plenty of positive attention from critics, musicians and music lovers. Most importantly, his mom likes it. “That’s been the most fun,” Iida said, “being able to share the music with everybody who’s closest to me.”

With musical connections in Seattle that seem built to last, we’re sure to keep this now New York-based trumpeter coming back to share music with his close friends and fans in the Northwest.

Musicians:

• Jun Iida - trumpet, flugelhorn
• Martin Budde - guitar
• Dylan Hayes - piano
• Michael Glynn - bass
• Xavier LeCouturier - drums

Songs:

1. Akatombo
2. Evergreen
3. Forgotten Memories

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Pianist Noah Haidu’s love of the jazz tradition, and his modern perspective on the music, make him one of the hottest musicians in New York City today. Playing two nights at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in Seattle, Haidu was joined by a pair of jazz icons to honor Keith Jarrett’s standards trio.

In recent years, Haidu’s regular trio is anything but “regular,” with rhythm section legends Buster Williams and Billy Hart on bass and drums. The three recently released Haidu’s Standards II, a second collection of tunes from the Great American Songbook.

While Hart recently visited the KNKX studios with The Cookers, Haidu's trio for this session was rounded out by the great Lenny White on drums.

Williams and White are best known for their work with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Miles Davis and others in the fusion era. The two more than kept up with their younger bandleader.

Haidu spoke with KNKX about finding his voice as a composer and how the complications of bringing a band together to play his original music led to his current focus: improvising around the most loved songs of the past century.

We also heard about the most influential pianists for Haidu’s rhythm section mates.

Williams pointed to Jazz Messengers pianist Sam Dockery, a mentor who let the young bassist come to his house “from breakfast until dinnertime,” helping prepare Williams to “play in the big time.”

White credited Corea with giving him an opportunity to lead and compose his own songs. “I grew up as a man and composer being in his band,” White said.

Haidu led the trio through an abstract version of “Someday My Prince Will Come,,” and a beautiful reading of the ballad “What a Difference a Day Makes,” before picking up the tempo on “Just One of Those Things” that featured passionate solos from all three musicians.

Haidu remained coy about his next musical moves, saying: “I keep my projects under wraps to keep a little guesswork and mystery around it.”

Whatever the future holds for the musicians in this trio, KNKX is proud to present this sparkling improvisational occasion to you.

Musicians:

• Noah Haidu - piano
• Buster Williams - bass
• Lenny White - drums

Songs:

1. Someday My Prince Will Come
2. What a Difference a Day Makes
3. Just One of Those Things

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Cedric Burnside made his first trip to the KNKX studios on May 23 for a solo studio session, performing songs from his new album Hill Country Love.

He and his band were on their way to the Tractor Tavern for a show that night.

Burnside won a Grammy award in 2022 for Best Traditional blues album with I Be Tryin’, and is a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship, the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

His grandfather “Big Daddy” R.L. Burnside is perhaps the most famous musician to play North Mississippi or “Hill Country blues,” and so the younger Burnside carries both the legacy and future of North Mississippi blues. Burnside went on the road at age 13 as Big Daddy’s drummer, but these days is standing up front, singing and playing his guitar.

During his visit to the KNKX Seattle Studios, he treated the studio audience to an impromptu demonstration contrasting traditional and Hill Country blues.

Burnside explained that Hill Country blues does not stick to a rigid format, like the more familiar 12 or 16-bar blues that have chord changes at predictable intervals. He talked about using unorthodox rhythms and described it as “droning” and “mesmerizing.”

Burnside learned to play drums as a child by watching other drummers in the area and began drumming himself at age 10 at a local juke joint.

That led to discussion about the role that juke joints played in everyday life, serving as music venue, school and community center. Burnside said that a juke joint was not necessarily a permanent venue but could happen anytime that someone opened their house to the public.

Burnside went on to say that he’s been actively looking to open his own juke joint in his hometown of Ripley, Mississippi.

The new album Hill Country Love, released in April 2024, was produced with Luther Dickinson from the North Mississippi All Stars, another successful Hill Country band. He and Dickinson have been friends since they were 15 years old, and Burnside said that working with him in the studio was a “spiritual time.”

The album contains a mix of original songs as well as some key songs from Hill Country history. Burnside said including the traditional songs was his way of showing appreciation and respect to his elders and wanted to carry on the musical legacy of Hill Country blues.

We wrapped up the discussion talking about his interest in birds, and how he is training to be a falconer. Listen to Cedric Burnside flying high with the blues in this KNKX studio session.

Musician:

• Cedric Burnside - vocals, acoustic guitar

Songs:

1. Comin' Real to Ya
2. Closer
3. Toll on They Life

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The feeling was comfortable and casual when Nicole Henry came to the KNKX studios for her session performance with Seattle's Brian Monroney and Tim Kennedy at the guitar and piano.

This intimate KNKX session started off with a congenial discussion of song arrangements between the three, and when they began playing for our studio audience they sounded like lifelong collaborators.

Henry came late to jazz, singing with dance bands before an attentive bass player saw her potential and suggested she learn a few standards. That was just the beginning, as Henry found her individual style singing unique versions of soul and pop songs, as well as the occasional jazz standard.

With Monroney and Kennedy, Henry worked out a set of music by Bill Withers, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Maria Muldaur. Each melody caressed by Hunter's silky-smooth voice becomes a new song all her own.

Henry was raised in the Philadelphia area, but she split for college in Florida, which she now calls home, and where she nurtures her community.

"Any change we make in the world is going to happen on a local level," Henry said. "I try to do whatever I can to give back to the community."

Along with a Northwest-based quartet backing her shows at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley, Henry welcomed guest solos from Tacoma saxophonist Cliff Colon and Seattle trumpeter Thomas Marriott.

The connections Henry made on this trip to Seattle, with musicians and fans, came into sharp focus in the KNKX studios. Enjoy this wonderful, collegial performance and be a part of that connection yourself.

Presented in partnership with Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

Musicians:

• Nicole Henry - vocals
• Brian Monroney - guitar
• Tim Kennedy - piano

Songs:

1. The Same Love That Made Me Laugh (Bill Withers)
2. Until It's Time for You to Go (Buffy Sainte-Marie)
3. Midnight at the Oasis (Maria Muldaur)

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Willie Jones III is a top-tier drummer who has spent more than 30 years dedicated to the timeless jazz art form. Surrounded by an ensemble of talented musicians from multiple generations, Jones brought forth a dynamic session at KNKX's Seattle Studios. He was in Seattle for a pair of shows at Dimitrou's Jazz Alley.

Jones and the other veteran players of the group, Gerald Cannon on bass and Justin Robinson on saxophone, have known each other for more than 20 years. This includes their time together in the band of legendary trumpeter Roy Hargrove. They were joined by vocalist Christie Dashiell, Sam Hirsh on piano, and trumpeter Giveton Gelin rounding out the sextet.

One of Jones' landmark qualities is his commitment to independence and control of his own musical destiny.

Since 2000, he has released his music, and music from his peers, on his record label WJ3 Records. Jones told the studio audience that his commitment to this kind of independence was instilled in him by jazz legend Billy Higgins. WJ3 Records has released music from some of this generation's most gifted players including Cyrus Chestnut, Jacques Lesure, Eric Reed, and Justin Robinson.

Jones’ most recent album as a leader, 2021's Fallen Heroes, honors his friends and mentors who have passed away from the physical world. The album features songs for Roy Hargrove, Larry Willis, Jimmy Heath and Ndugu Chancler.

Musicians:

• Willie Jones III - drums
• Christie Dashiell - vocals
• Justin Robinson - saxophone
• Giveton Gelin - trumpet
• Sam Hirsch - piano
• Gerald Cannon - bass

Songs:

1. Libra (Gary Bartz)
2. But Not for Me (Gershwin brothers)
3. Bye Bye Blackbird (Henderson/Dixon)

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Singer-songwriter Nancy Erickson Lamont dropped her fourth release the very day of her third KNKX Studio Session recording.

Through the Passages was produced by Johnaye Kendrick, a Grammy-winning member of the vocal quartet säje, who also plays multiple instruments on the recording.

Lamont was joined in the KNKX studios by her co-writer for the album's all-original songs, pianist Shawn Schlogel. He talked about their writing process compared to the method Lamont used with another co-writer, Los Angeles-based pianist Josh Nelson, who also plays on the release.

Lamont spoke about the poetic influences in her writing, which grew beyond her own personal experience to others in her life. One song on Through the Passages is from the perspective of her daughter when she first met her husband, who happened to be Lamont’s bassist.

Join Nancy Erickson Lamont and her band on a personal journey through three songs from the new album in this special performance.

Musicians:

• Nancy Erickson Lamont - vocals
• Shawn Schlogel - piano
• Moe Weisner - bass
• Stefan Schatz - drums
• Jean Chaumont - guitar ("Haiku New Love")

Songs:

1. Haiku New Love
2. Ghost
3. Tick Tock

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Ben Thomas’ passion for music has led him down many different paths. He's studied percussion, improvisation, and, most recently, tango music. With the tango’s signature instrument, the bandoneon, he has infused those influences into enchanting modern compositions.

Thomas picked up the instrument after taking dance lessons. He became enthralled with the tango's romantic rhythms and dynamic compositions. The discovery of the style overhauled what Thomas had learned about music previously. He said he’s been writing almost exclusively in the style over the last five to six years.

“It's made me a very different musician, as a percussionist and a composer. As a percussionist, you don't have to worry about breathing…with a bandoneon the bellows get so wide, and then you run out of lung. And so, it's made me write different phrases and play differently than when I'm playing drums and vibes,” he said.

The concertina, an accordion-like instrument, traveled with German and Italian immigrants to Argentina in the early 1900s. It inspired the bandoneon, which became a key instrument in ensembles playing music for tango dancing.

Thomas and his ensemble visitedKNKX’s Seattle Studios to preview some new compositions that he’ll be showcasing with the Ben Thomas Tango Project at the Royal Room in Seattle on May 9.

They started with the “El Choclo," aka “Kiss of Fire,” a traditional tango often covered by jazz artists. The band closed with one of Thomas’ modern tangos that infuses jazz harmonies and room for improvisation called “An Unapologetic Shift of Perspective.”

Enjoy this modern perspective of celebrated tango music in this exclusive KNKX Studio Session performance.

Musicians:

• Ben Thomas - bandoneon
• Gabe Hall - Rodriguez - piano
• Steve Shermer - bass
• Libby Phelps - violin

Songs:

1. El Choclo (Ángel Villoldo)
2. An Unapologetic Shift of Perspective (Ben Thomas)

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Singer, songwriter and celebrated improviser Cyrille Aimée visited the KNKX studios in April on the heels of her latest album à Fleur de Peau. Her 2024 tour is taking her around the world, including a performance in Seattle at the Triple Door.

The album combines her French and Dominican heritage, the influences she gathered from living in New Orleans and New York City, and her inspiring new home in, Costa Rica to deliver her most personal album yet.

“This record is the most intimate I've ever been….I'm really being very vulnerable. And it was scary. It almost felt like I'm releasing my personal diary. But it's so gratifying because every time I perform these songs, I'm really sharing who I am on a human level,” Aimée said.

The literal translation of à Fleur de Peau is “on the surface of the skin” but it is a French expression used to describe someone who is in tune with the world, community and their self. Aimée said it’s how she feels performing and writing music.

“It means when you're very in touch with everything around you, and you see the beauty in everything and you're very emotional; everything affects you and you're moved by the smallest things. And I find myself in that state a lot, especially when I'm writing music,” she said.

Aimée, accompanied by the exciting pianist Mathis Picard, brought deeply personal songs for the KNKX studio audience. “Back To You,” written while in a long-distance relationship; an ode to the power of community called “Beautiful Way,” and she picked up the ukulele for the freshly composed “Benjamin."

Musicians:

Cyrille Aimée – vocals, ukulele

Mathis Picard – piano

Songs:

1. Back To You (Aimée)
2. Benjamin (Aimée)
3. Beautiful Way (Aimée)

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Ruthie Foster is a Texas-based singer/songwriter who seamlessly weaves together blues, soul, gospel and even reggae. You can hear several of her songs on both KNKX jazz and blues programs. She’s been nominated five times for a Grammy Award and won multiple Blues Music Awards.

Her latest album Healing Time came out in 2022 and received one those Grammy nods in the Best Contemporary Blues Album category. Foster visited Seattle earlier in April, putting on a show at The Triple Door, and stopping by the KNKX Seattle Studios for a performance and conversation with KNKX All Blues host John Kessler.

Foster has described herself as a shy child who tried to blend in with her church choir. Then the day came for her to sing a solo and she very quickly learned to be confident about her voice.

Foster talked about how her newest album Healing Time was written, recorded and released amidst the pandemic. Something different about this recording was that she worked with her band members writing and arranging all the music, leading to a more organic feel and one that did in fact serve as literal “healing time” for them.

Joining Foster were her longtime bandmates Scottie Miller on piano, Larry Fulcher on bass and Brannen Temple on drums. All of these musicians have very impressive recording and touring credits.

Miller is a member of the Minnesota Blues Hall of Fame who has released 11 solo albums as a singer-songwriter. Larry Fulcher is an elite studio bassist whose credits include Smokey Robinson and The Crusaders, as well as numerous reggae artists including The Wailers and Third World. Temple is a three-time Grammy winner himself having played with Robben Ford, Eric Burdon, Lizz Wright and Eric Johnson.

It was a treat to have all of these musicians in our studios, and with Ruthie Foster running the show we know you'll love these blues.

Musicians:

• Ruthie Foster - guitar, vocals
• Scottie Miller - piano, backing vocals
• Larry Fulcher - bass, backing vocals
• Brannen Templer - drums, backing vocals

Songs:

1. Soul Searching (Ruthie Foster)
2. The Ghetto (Staples Singers)
3. Healing Time (Ruthie Foster)

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Jazz Overhaul looks to the past for inspiration – the not-so-distant past when the cold, rainy nights around Puget Sound were pulsing with the sounds of “grunge.” It’s a magic combination that hopes to bring younger music fans to the world of improvised music.

Saxophonist and bandleader Cliff Colón said he’d noticed older jazz standards weren’t resonating with younger audiences, but they could recognize modern melodies even without lyrics.

Once the band members were set, with Jake Sele on keys, Osama Afifi on bass and D'Vonne Lewis on drums,Jazz Overhaul fully embraced the music of the "Seattle sound.”

Many American cities are known for their music: Detroit's Motown soul, New Orleans' second line funk, Washington D.C.'s go-go scene and more. Seattle, for better or worse, is known for the heavy rock music of the late '80s and early '90s

Colón takes lessons from the long history of jazz musicians reworking popular music, like John Coltrane’s version of “My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music.

"We’re really fortunate in Seattle that we have our own genre," Colón explained. "So why not cover all those tunes?”

Jazz Overhaul often welcomes special guests ranging from singer Jacqueline Tabor to the brass brothers Thomas and David Marriott, to guitarists R.L. Heyer, Andy Coe and Brian Monroney.

“The guitar players know the songs better than we do,” Colón joked.

There's a long list of quality songs from the Seattle and greater Pacific Northwest’s grunge era, many of which are nostalgic hits for Generation X music lovers. With their musical overhaul, Jazz Overhaul does justice to this era of bands.

If you know the material – the band also performed versions of Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun” and Alice In Chains’ “Would?” in KNKX’s Studio X – Jazz Overhaul might blow your mind. If you’re less familiar, you can simply enjoy their smart arrangements of powerful, catchy melodies.

Along the way, you might learn something about the history of Northwest rock and the music that made Seattle famous. Check out Jazz Overhaul at Bake’s Place in Bellevue on May 11.

Musicians:

• Cliff Colón - tenor saxophone
• Jake Sele - keyboards
• Osama Afifi - bass
• D'Vonne Lewis - drums

Songs:

1. Would? (Alice in Chains)
2. Black Hole Sun (Soundgarden)
3. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)

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They strut on stage like the coolest cats in music, but they'll tell you it's not them. but there is more to them than that. TheTrue Loves secret is no secret at all. It's simply about making great music.

The True Loves celebrate 10 years of creating soulful grooves this year, including making their debut at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. Before their second night at the venerable jazz venue, the septet brought their deep pockets filled with funk to the KNKX studios.

Rhythm is at the heart of everything the True Loves play. Guitarist Jimmy James, the band's reluctant frontman, pointed to James Brown's beat-focused bands to explain the True Loves' rhythmic philosophy. The legendary bandleader famously viewed every instrument in his band as connected to the drum.

There's also that feel. True Loves music just feels good. James is locked tight with Bryant Moore, David McGraw and Iván Galvez on bass, drums and percussion, each of them moving to the infectious groove.

Seattle Jazz Hall of Famer Skerik said he was honored to play baritone saxophone with the True Loves. The experience he gets on this lesser-used horn in his collection is valuable, but it's clear the Seattle jazz icon loves his role with this group.

Trombonist Greg Kramer talked about his appreciation of hip-hop and how his compositions bring modern elements to the neo-retro soul of the True Loves.

Tenor saxophonist Gordon Brown detailed the challenges of organizing this fantastic collection of first-call musicians. It can be difficult, but when the True Loves get together, it's magic for the band and their loyal fans around the Northwest and around the world.

After these two nights at Jazz Alley, the True Loves have a handful of shows out of state this Summer and plans to tour Europe for a second time. They hope to play again in Seattle as soon as possible, but it could be a while considering the band members' busy schedules.

Enjoy this Studio X performance from the True Loves now, and anytime you need to feel groovy.

Musicians:

• Jimmy James - guitar
• Bryant Moore - bass
• David McGraw - drums
• Iván Galvez - percussion
• Skerik - baritone saxophone
• Gordon Brown - tenor saxophone
• Greg Kramer - trombone

Songs:

1. Mary Pop Poppins
2. Good Weed & Red Wine
3. The Grifter

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The Wood Brothers recently visited the Pacific Northwest, performing shows to promote the release of their latest album, Heart is the Hero. They stopped by KNKX's Studio Xfor an exclusive trio performance with All Blues host John Kessler.

The Wood Brothers are Oliver Wood on guitar, Chris Wood on bass, and honorary brother multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix. They are not easily categorized and draw on many influences including folk, gospel, blues and jazz. As The Wood Brothers, they have made nine studio albums since 2006 and five live albums.

While living in Atlanta, Oliver played with well-known bluesman Tinsley Ellis, before forming the popular roots-rock band King Johnson.

Chris, the younger brother, studied at the New England Conservatory of Music. Later, he started the world-renowned jazz-fusion band Medeski, Martin and Wood.

Rix is a studio drummer and pianist who joined The Wood Brothers around 2011. He plays a variety of instruments, sometimes simultaneously.

The brothers talked about growing up in a house full of music and poetry. Their father was a musician who played with Joan Baez during the folk music revival of the 1960s, and their mother was a writer and poet.

They played music together as teens but did not start a “brother band” at the time, something they both are thankful for. In retrospect, they are both glad that they waited until they had experience with their separate careers, before joining forces.

At one point, Oliver’s band King Johnson was booked to open for Chris’ band Medeski, Martin and Wood. This was the first and only time that happened.

Chris said that when Oliver jumped on stage to sit in with them, they became aware of the brothers’ “instant chemistry.” That led to their first project together as The Wood Brothers in 2006 and is now the primary focus for both of them.

On their latest release, Heart is the Hero, they decided to forego the common practice of recording digitally and instead used 16-track analog tape. Digital recording offers endless possibilities with few constraints and is controlled mostly through the visual medium of the computer screen.

In contrast, the so-called limitations of analog recording forced them to concentrate on the “feel” of their music and be more present while recording and listening back.

We were also treated to Rix's innovative musicianship. Rix played piano with his right hand while drumming with his left and also singing harmony vocals, a feat that the Woods call being “omni-dextrous.”

Musicians:

• Oliver Wood - acoustic and electric guitars
• Chris Wood - bass
• Jano Rix - drums, shuitar, piano

Songs:

1. Line Those Pockets
2. Rollin' On
3. Pilgrim

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A founding member of the acclaimed brass quartet The Westerlies, trumpeter Riley Mulherkar has spent the last five years preparing his debut as a leader. On the day of his album release, he celebrated with a performance in the KNKX studios.

Mulherkar is a known quantity in music, especially to his family and friends in his native Seattle and his current community in Brooklyn. He’s sure to gain more attention with this impressive collection of standards and originals in Mulherkar’s unique style.

The new album Riley has origins going back five years. It shows off Mulherkar’s incredible facility on the trumpet playing century-old standards and his bright new compositions in a modern context with detailed digital production.

Mulherkar explained that the repertoire for Riley was settled at the beginning of the process, but he allowed himself the time to let each song take its own path.

Riley was a committed collaboration between Mulherkar and his producers, Rafiq Bhatia and Chris Pattishall. These two worked closely with the trumpeter from beginning to end.

Pattishall himself joined Mulherkar in KNKX's Studio X with bassist Russell Hall and Seattle-based drummer Chris Icasiano to play three songs from the album. Mulherkar added that this performance was his first attempt to perform the songs live with electronics.

“I’m really excited with how it’s sounding,” Mulherkar said with a smile.

“Consider everything an experiment," he said, quoting musician John Cage's Rules for Students and Teachers.

"We’re just experimenting and seeing what we can find, and I’m sure that years down the road it could be totally different and that’s great too,” Mulherkar added.

Listen to his back-beat-focused version of the early jazz classic “King Porter Stomp,” the modern fusion of original tune “Ride or Die” and the sweet duet with Pattishall on “Stardust.” We know you’ll join us in finding Riley Mulherkar’s studio session experiment to be a great success.

Musicians:

• Riley Mulherkar - trumpet
• Chris Pattishall - keyboards
• Russell Hall - bass
• Chris Icasiano - drums

Songs:

1. King Porter Stomp (Jelly Roll Morton)
2. Ride or Die (Riley Mulherkar)
3. Stardust (Hoagy Carmichael)

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Formed around 2007 as a tribute to the classic 1965 live album Night of the Cookers, the seven all-stars of The Cookers returned to the KNKX studios for a performance for the ages.

This supergroup, defined by its members extensive experience, is still going strong. They played two shows at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle when they took some time for this recording at Studio X.

Band leader David Weiss is one of three younger Cookers, with saxophonists Donald Harrison and Craig Handy, all at around 60 years old.

The veterans include Weiss’ fellow trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist George Cables and drummer Billy Hart who are all around 20 years older than Weiss. The elder statesman is 88-year-old bassist Cecil McBee.

Far from reliving past glories, the mission of the Cookers has always been pushing the music forward.

Weiss explained, after performing dynamic post-bop originals from Cables and McBee, the band plays mostly music they’ve written. This group of legends has become a serious band with a sound all its own.

The gentlemen drew on their original inspiration after their session to share stories of their favorite moments on stage.

Henderson described his night in the audience for the Night of the Cookers recording with his mentor, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, while Hart pointed to performances with Herbie Hancock’s famed early '70s fusion band.

McBee topped them both with a double header: After an early evening performance in 1966 Los Angeles, he was surprised after the gig with kudos from the bass legend Ray Brown who’d been in the audience.

Then McBee drove to the Monterey Jazz Festival and rushed on stage just in time for a late-night performance with sax and flute great Charles Lloyd’s band. The performance was recorded and became Lloyd’s legendary live album Forest Flower.

The Cookers could keep you entertained with stories from their amazing careers for hours. We know you’ll enjoy this interview at the KNKX studios, but probably not as much as you’ll love their music.

Musicians:

• Eddie Henderson - trumpet
• David Weiss - trumpet
• Donald Harrison - alto saxophone
• Craig Handy - tenor saxophone
• George Cables - piano
• Cecil McBee - bass
• Billy Hart - drums

Songs:

1. Blackfoot (G.Cables)
2. Peacemaker (C.McBee)
3. The Mystery of Monifa Brown (G.Cables)

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The excitement level was high as pianist Jahari Stampley opened his session in the KNKX Studio X, and it came from the audience as well as Stampley himself.

"Oh my God," he exclaimed as his trio brought his energetic and demanding tune "Unlimited" to a close. Then he called out his bandmates, drummer Miguel Russell and his mother D'Erania Stampley who was busy switching from saxophone to keyboards to the upright bass.

Her son beamed with pride throughout the performance, bragging that "she learned bass eight months ago, and she just got her pilot's license!"

A multi-talented, multi-instrumentalist, D'Erania has also been nominated for multiple Grammy awards. Jahari obviously wasn't exaggerating with his compliments, but it's the 24-year-old pianist who's been in the jazz world's spotlight recently.

Jahari won the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz piano competition last year and in December was named the "Chicagoans of the Year in Jazz" by the Chicago Tribune. Most exciting, though, was the release of his debut album Still Listening.

Joining host Abe Beeson in a post-performance interview were four students of the KNKX School of Jazz: Stephen Filippov, a pianist at Decatur High School; Miles Wieland, a pianist from Bainbridge High School; and two students from Lynnwood High School, saxophonist Tryston Gronning and trumpeter Jaeden Rubio.

Filippov and Wieland had previously recorded KNKX studio sessions with their school ensembles and Rubio will host a guest DJ show later this spring.

The students talked with Jahari about what inspired him to switch from drums to creating music on piano, which cultures outside of American jazz influence his music, and the most important universal lesson he could share about learning music.

"I think it's important to learn how to master your technique in a way that allows you to be comfortable," Jahari advised. "You don't want to injure yourself playing, you want to prolong your playing."

Jahari's playing in this exclusive performance was passionate, dynamic and filled with the youthful energy of the pianist and his favorite drummer. Russell's explosive electronic-beat-meets-progressive-jazz-rock style had the studio audience and his bandleader rising to their feet with excitement.

Enjoy this striking, flowing set of music from Jahari Stampley's trio and the charming conversation he shared with our School of Jazz friends.

Musicians:

• Jahari Stampley - piano, keyboards, pedal bass, vocals
• D'Erania Stampley - saxophone, bass, keyboard
• Miguel Russell - drums

Songs:

1. Prelude Entrance
2. Unlimited
3. Power
4. Still Listening
5. To Be with You Again

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This KNKX Studio Session with saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin featured her quartet in a live performance that includes songs from her most recent album, Phoenix.

Benjamin had an incredibly prolific 2023: she was named Artist in Residence at the Monterey Jazz Festival, was featured on the March cover of Downbeat Magazine, and was nominated for three Grammys for Best Instrumental Composition, Best Jazz Performance, and Best Instrumental Album.

While performing at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley in January, Benjamin gave a stellar performance that took the audience on a journey spanning anguish, self-discovery and resolution. In fact, Phoenix was inspired by a near-death car crash in 2021 that left Benjamin with a broken jaw, three broken ribs and a new perspective on life.

The experience, she said, left her with a profound sense of gratitude for her life. She told studio session host Freddy Fuego: "We all have our own things that we're battling. The important thing is to be resilient and to really fight for the life that you want."

As we could see and hear, she's come back stronger than ever.

After her Seattle stop, Benjamin continued her West Coast tour. In March, she will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. before heading off to Europe to perform for two months. KNKX is already eagerly anticipating her return to the Pacific Northwest. Until then, enjoy this incredible performance from our Studio X.

Musicians:

• Lakecia Benjamin - alto saxophone
• Zaccai Curtis - piano
• Elias Bailey - bass
• E.J. Strickland - drums

Songs:

1. Trane
2. Amerikkan Skin
3. New Mornings

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Born in Denmark, Lee Oskar is a world-renowned harmonica virtuoso, composer, visual artist and manufacturer of Lee Oskar Harmonicas, widely considered the world’s gold standard.

Oskar is a founding member of the pioneering funk/jazz group WAR, with the hits “Low Rider,” The Cisco Kid,” “The World is a Ghetto,” and many others. He’s released 11 albums as a solo artist and the latest, She Said Mahalo, came out in September of 2023.

He also makes his home in the Pacific Northwest, which is one reason we could host some of the finest players in the region at KNKX's Studio X. Oskar played selections from his latest album, She Said Mahao, as well as from his album Never Forget, dedicated to remembering the tragedy of the Holocaust.

Musicians:

• Lee Oskar - harmonica, vocals
• Darian Asplund - saxophone
• Alex Mortland - guitar
• Mack Grout - keyboards, piano
• Dean Schmidt - bass
• Andrew Cloutier - drums
• Denali Williams - percussion

Songs:

1. Funky Rhetoric
2. Lee's Blues
3. She Said Mahalo
4. Low Rider
5. Far Away Dreams

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Grace Love brought her soulful Memphis roots to our KNKX studios. Dripping with passion and vulnerability, she performed songs from her newest EP, Work In Protest.

Now based in Port Townsend, Wash., Love keeps busy as a mother, while cultivating community and finishing up graduate school. On top of it all, she continues to create new music. Love took time out of her schedule and caught the earliest ferry down to Seattle for her very first KNKX studio session.

After performing with the Seattle Symphony, Quincy Jones, and The True Loves, she is no stranger to different ensembles. Love's newest band of Pacific Northwest musicians truly captures the raw, garage-band-like sound of Work In Protest. Featuring a quintet of instrumentalists and three vocalists, it was a full house. After a brief soundcheck, Love and the band were ready to perform for an eager audience.

The first song, “In Waiting,” is a soulful plea to a lover, waiting in hopes that they’ll return. The wonderful vocal trio of Eileen Neff, Holly Riccardi and Kathryn Farrellshined on this tune.

From the soft plea to the hard rock, the Betty Davis-esque “Broke” describes a person who’s done with, and “c’aint afford,” love.

Taking us on a rollercoaster of emotions, Love finished off the three-song set with a familiar tune: Steve Miller’s “The Joker” as seen through the lens of her personal love and style. The crowd swayed back and forth to the downtempo groove. Bandmates Park Evanstook a masterful guitar solo, Nate Omdalfollowed on his bass and even drummer Adrian Van Batenburggot in the mix.

Enjoy this KNKX studio session from Grace Love & The Grace Love Band.

Musicians:

• Grace Love - lead vocals
• Eileen Neff - vocals
• Holly Riccardi - vocals
• Kathryn Farrell - vocals
• Jason Parker - trumpet
• Brian Bermudez - saxophone
• Park Evans - guitar
• Nate Omdal - bass
• Adrian Van Batenburg - drums

Songs:

1. In Waiting
2. Broke
3. The Joker (Steve Miller)

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As much as I’ve enjoyed the recorded output of New Orleans pianist, guitarist, singer/songwriter, Jon Cleary, this studio session marked the first time I’ve ever heard him and his band, the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, ‘live.’ It was an absolute, monster delight.

The band consists of Cleary on piano, guitar and lead vocals, Cornell Williams on bass and vocals, A.J. Hall on drums and vocals, and percussionist Pedro Segundo. They rocked the house with New Orleans funk and blues.

Over the years, Cleary has become central to the blues and funk music scene in New Orleans—an outcome that probably felt unlikely to him when he arrived in New Orleans from Kent, England when he was in his late teens. When he got there, he was a guitarist and only intended to stay in New Orleans for a few weeks. Well, he’s still there, decades later, and is now one of that city’s preeminent pianists and songwriters.

In our interview, Cleary talked about his first night in New Orleans and how the music venue he visited that night, The Maple Leaf Bar, would become his home, his hang, his employer and his music school.

While painting the place, he absorbed the music of the immensely talented, immensely crazy pianist, James Booker. Booker’s influence, as well as that of Professor Longhair and other NOLA musicians set Cleary on the path he follows to this day.

The first song of their set is "So Damn Good." “I feel so damn good, I’ll be glad when I got the blues,” Cleary sings. It nicely sets the stage for what to expect from this band. It’s a funky, upbeat, cheerful invitation to party - to dance and sing along. The next song, "Frenchman Street Blues," is straight-ahead slow blues.

Frenchman Street is one of the most musical streets in New Orleans, leading out of the French Quarter to the Gentilly neighborhood. If you watched the HBO series Treme, you probably heard this song and saw Cleary and the band perform. "Got To More Careful" drags us a little deeper into the funk with its slanky rhythm and tempo. Greezy!

The final song was a bit like getting a bonus track. We were talking about a guitar riff that Cleary got from one of his British uncles and all of a sudden, he and the band unleashed the song Cleary had made from it, "Boneyard."

“Before I make it to the boneyard," Cleary sings, "I’m gonna have some fun.” A perfect end to an uplifting studio session from Jon Cleary ant the Absolute Monster Gentlemen.

Cleary’s new album, released earlier in 2023 is called So Swell. It certainly is.

Musicians:

• Jon Cleary - piano, guitar, vocals
• Cornell Williams - bass, vocals
• A.J. Hall - drums, vocals
• Pedro Segundo - percussion

Songs:

1. I Feel So Damn Good (Happy When I Get the Blues)
2. Frenchman Street Blues
3. Got To Be More Careful
4. Boneyard

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The quintet Butcher Brown makes music blending jazz, hip-hop, soul, disco, rock and more - a genre of their own with a dedicated and growing fan base. Performing in the KNKX Studio X, the band showed a rare acoustic side that was still quintessentially Butcher Brown.

Formed in 2009, Marcus "Tennishu" Tenney is the face of Butcher Brown as lead vocalist, saxophonist and trumpet player. During their visit, he and his bandmates discussed their varied musical upbringing and explained that the group's sound is both a direct result of each musician's current influences, and their influence on each other.

Butcher Brown's latest album Solar Music welcomes guests like rapper Pink Siifu, singer Vanisha Gould, guitarist Charlie Hunter and trumpeter Keyon Harrold. However, the album's diversity of styles is more a result of the band's diverse inspirations than the special appearances.

Drummer Corey Fonville mentioned that the band recently discussed how each performance on their tour would require adjustments. As an example, he said bassist Andrew Randazzo and keyboard player DJ Harrison rarely use the acoustic instruments played in this exclusive studio session.

Of course, after the band's careful deliberations, the performance was a unique version of their trademark modern music. Old fans and new will surely enjoy this special KNKX presentation of Butcher Brown.

Musicians:

• Marcus "Tennishu" Tenney - trumpet/saxophone/lead vocals
• DJ Harrison - keyboards/backing vocals
• Morgan Burrs - guitar/backing vocals
• Andrew Randazzo - bass/backing vocals
• Corey Fonville - drums

Songs:

1. Around for Awhile
2. I Can Say to You
3. Happy Hourrr
4. DYKWYD

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Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt had just celebrated his 47th birthday and was in a great mood when KNKX recorded an exclusive session with his quintet at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley. His band of young, talented musicians played beautifully and point to Pelt's commitment to supporting the next generation of jazz.

Pelt was celebrating his recent albums, Soundtrack and The Art of Intimacy, Vol 2: His Muse, but began his session with a song he wrote a couple decades ago called "Aesop's Fables."

Vibraphonist Jalen Baker, guitarist Alex Wintz and the young rhythm section of Leighton McKinley-Harrell and Jared Spears brought their ample skills and passion to Pelt's music. All of them found equal time in support and improvising around the dynamic, modern jazz.

In an interview, Pelt talked about his early career working in big bands and the need to connect with musicians. He also spoke about his series of books, Griot: Examining the Lives of Jazz's Great Storytellers. He said his inspiration came from a similar series of stories collected by drummer Art Taylor but featuring Pelt's own musical contemporaries.

Pelt has stories of his own to share, but on the Jazz Alley stage he was most comfortable sharing stories with his music. The band played a pair of Pelt's recent compositions, the ballad "For Whom I Love So Much" and the dynamic "Be the Light."

Pelt will return to Seattle in December to play Jazz Alley with the Heavy Hitters, an all-star ensemble including longtime friends Vincent Herring and Eric Alexander on saxophones. KNKX is thrilled, however, to present Pelt's own band in this exclusive studio session.

Musicians:

• Jeremy Pelt - trumpet
• Jalen Baker - vibraphone
• Alex Wintz - guitar
• Leighton McKinley-Harrell - bass
• Jared Spears - drums

Songs:

1. Aesop's Fables
2. For Whom I Love So Much
3. Be the Light

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Hit-maker singer-songwriter Curtis Stigers, known for the chart-topping song “I Wonder Why,” arrived at KNKX’s Seattle studios for a dynamic studio session on a sunny fall day.

The outgoing and effusive entertainer visited with a small audience before enthralling the group with a sweet and sentimental session that veered more singer-songwriter than his previous jazz-centric fare. It's a move Stigers is making in a calculated manner as he works to grow his U.S. audience by touring old-school style: with his band in a van.

After beginning with the dark and rootsy Bob Dylan tune “Things Have Changed,” he thrilled the KNKX Studio X audience with his jazz vocals and sax playing on the Harry “Sweets” Edison song “Centerpiece.” He made sure to give props to lyricist Jon Hendricks.

What stood out from his previous sessions at KNKX was his guitar playing. Stigers' strumming was on full display with “Then I Had this Dream,” an original tune co-written with Carole King, that held a rich and bluesy quality. The song appears on the 1999 release Brighter Days, which wasn’t a commercial success but spotlighted his writing and playing passions.

Later that night at Seattle’s Triple Door, Stigers split his combo playing and his solo work down the middle. The performance exemplified Stigers' winning trifecta of singing chops, storytelling prowess and guitar swagger.

Enjoy this exclusive Studio X performance and connect to three previous Curtis Stigers sessions in the KNKX archive.

Musicians:

• Curtis Stigers - vocals, guitar, saxophone
• Randy Ingram - piano
• Cliff Schmitt - bass

Songs:

1. Things Have Changed (Bob Dylan)
2. Then I Had This Dream (Curtis Stigers/Carole King)
3. Centerpiece (Harry Edison/Jon Hendricks)

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In his return to Seattle, the extraordinary bassist, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Richard Bona dropped by KNKX’s Studio X for a live session and interview with Justus Sanchez, host of KNKX Evening Jazz.

Bona hadn't been to Seattle since 2016, and he and his Asante Trio kicked off their tour through the United States and Europe with a pair of concerts at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley.

For decades, Bona has brought his melodic mix of jazz, African sounds and pure musicianship to audiences around the world.

With at least 20 solo albums and features galore, the Cameroon-born maestro often sings in Duala, an Indigenous language of Cameroon. “If I don’t sing this language, who’s gonna sing the language?” Bona said.

Although he considers himself a worldwide citizen, Bona moved to Miami from New York during the pandemic and took a break from touring. “I may as well die in a beautiful place,” he joked. That’s where he met pianist Jesus Pupo and drummer Harvel Nakundi who round out the trio.

Listen to the Asante Trio play a pair of Bona's original compositions and an encore performance of Rema's "Calm Down" that the Studio X audience cheerfully demanded before these wonderful musicians left for their soundcheck at Jazz Alley. Thanks to our good friends at the club if the trio was running a couple minutes late, we know you'll find it was well worth it.

Musicians:

• Richard Bona - bass, vocals
• Jesus Pupo - piano
• Harvel Nakundi - drums

Songs:

1. Muntula Moto (Bona)
2. Bilongo (Bona)
3. Calm Down (Rema)

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The vocal quartet säje – Sara Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Johnaye Kendrick and Erin Bentlage – spent an afternoon in the KNKX studios to record an exclusive session as they kicked off their first tour during Seattle’s Earshot Jazz Festival.

Several special guests color the group’s self-titled debut album, including singers Michael Mayo and Jacob Collier as well as trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. This special Studio X performance, though, found the four voices sparsely supported by guitarist Cole Schuster and bassist Michael Glynn.

Complex arrangements bring the säje singers together while focusing on the strengths of each musician. This modern vocal combo is a radical modernization of the great vocal groups like Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and the Manhattan Transfer.

Performing “Desert Song” for a KNKX studio audience, the first song they wrote together and their first Grammy nomination, säje showed off their unique vocal blend and their collaborative compositional skill.

The vocalists followed with a noteworthy cover of “Storm Comin’” by The Wailin’ Jennys that carried tons of blues roots soul. It’s an example of the wide range of styles these singers have loved throughout their lives and the skill they use to make the song their own.

As seriously as the singers take this project, they shared a laugh talking about how singing has been a part of their everyday lives. Bentlage noted that her nickname growing up was “chatterbox,” not because she talked a lot but because “there was always vocal creation going on!”

So have fun listening to this special performance from säje. It will only take one listen to marvel at their talent, but it's talent we expect you'll enjoy hearing again and again.

Musicians:

• Sara Gazarek - vocals
• Amanda Taylor - vocals
• Johnaye Kendrick - vocals
• Erin Bentlage - vocals
• Cole Schuster - guitar
• Michael Glynn - bass

Songs:

1. Desert Song (säje)
2. Storm Comin' (Wailin' Jennys)

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Singer and songwriter Maria Schafer uses inspiration from an early career full of jazz standards to write new songs that sound like lost classics. Schafer showed off three compelling original tunes in advance of her upcoming 2024 album that suggest a musician with a bright future.

The swinging "No Better Time" displayed the tender power of Schafer's vocals on a catchy melody you'll swear you heard Betty Carter sing. The singer's long-time musical collaborator, guitarist Shane Savala provided ample support and a tasty solo a la Herb Ellis.

The band behind Schafer also included bassist David Raynoso and drummer Karo Galadjian, both solid team players who laid out a firm foundation.

Schafer coaxed a bolero rhythm from her trio on the charming "A Chance to Make You Mine," and took a rich vocalese solo followed by a wonderful moment in the spotlight for Raynoso's bass.

Introducing "Got There Too Early" with the song's train station origin story, Schafer finds a pop angle to this upbeat bossa nova that hints at vintage Burt Bacharach.

Speaking with studio session host Abe Beeson, Schafer talked about her late arrival to singing standards and touring the world with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.

The new octet album Live at Norris Pavilion includes these songs arranged by Brad Black, but Schafer points to a new album due in 2024 as her current focus. "I've always loved the guitar," Schafer explained, "and I love to work on cultivating each individual player's strengths and learning new things together. It's easier to maintain that in a small group."

Enjoy these wonderful performances from Maria Schafer and her trio at KNKX, a performance we're sure to look back on as a breakout moment in a long career.

Musicians:

• Maria Schafer - vocals
• Shane Savala - guitar
• David Raynoso - bass
• Karo Galadjian - drums

Songs:

1. No Better Time
2. A Chance to Make You Mine
3. Got There Too Early

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Doug MacLeod came to visit us for a second time with a performance at KNKX’s new downtown Seattle studio.

While he is now an acoustic bluesman, earlier in his career he worked for many years as a sideman playing electric guitar for blues legends Big Mama Thornton, Lowell Fulson, Pee Wee Crayton and many others. He’s released 25 studio albums and is a multiple Blues Music Awards winner, including 2023 Acoustic Artist of the Year.

During the pandemic he worked with writer Debra B. Schiff to produce a “blues murder mystery” novel called Murder at the Crossroads, set in the Mississippi Delta.

As a singer/songwriter he has been telling stories onstage for decades, and for 10 years he wrote the column “Doug’s Back Porch” for Blues Revue Magazine, so this project came naturally to him. With all the things he witnessed during his time on the road with blues bands, MacLeod had plenty of detail to add to the book.

MacLeod’s guitar style is intricate and hearkens to earlier days of blues when players like Robert Johnson learned how to make one acoustic guitar sound like a full band. One teacher in particular, an obscure and unrecorded bluesman from Virginia named Ernest Banks, passed along his knowledge of blues guitar, importantly admonishing MacLeod to “never play a note you don’t believe.”

Macleod’s latest studio recording, Raw Blues 1, came out in March of 2023, and he said Volume 2 will be out soon. He was in the Northwest to do some work with United by Music North America.

UBMNA is a Gig Harbor, Wash.-based nonprofit organization that works with neurodiverse adults who demonstrate exceptional musical talent. The artists are paired with professional musician mentors who coach them to perform with the United by Music band at venues throughout the U.S.

Enjoy the music and stories of Doug MacLeod in this exclusive performance in KNKX's Studio X. Bluesy, beautiful and always honest, MacLeod's music left some of our studio audience wiping away tears.

Songs:

1. Money Talks
2. A Soul to Claim
3. Roll Like a River

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LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends showed off their chops and brought the soul to KNKX's Studio X for a great session. At 72, Bell’s sound is refined with heavy grooves and reflective lyrics, and his playing is spirited as ever.

Bell’s storied career as a guitarist, performer and songwriter has spanned more than 50 years. Along with songwriting partner Casey James, the duo known as Bell and James went on to release three albums and write chart topping hits for Elton John, Teddy Pendergrass, The Temptations, and many more artists.

Despite that legendary resume, Bell’s enthusiasm for music has never wavered, nor his love for collaboration.

After working with James, Bell formed the group LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends with bassist Terry Morgan. “I’m very fortunate to have these great players with me after all these years of having no friends at all. I’ve got about four good friends,” Bell said to a laughing audience.

Based in the Pacific Northwest, Leroy Bell & His Only Friends were excited to check out our new Seattle studios, and the veterans quickly made themselves at home, performing four original songs for our Studio X audience.

“Vodoo” began the session, emphasized by Bell’s powerful voice and the sounds of the organ from keyboardist Danny Walker. The audience couldn’t help but sway to the grooves of this tune that mixed elements of rock and roll, soul and funk.

“When I Close My Eyes” really highlighted Bell’s strengths as a songwriter with themes of romance, loss and friendship. No stranger to writing for other artists, this song could easily be heard on today's top 40 radio.

We were getting close to lunch time, or “Yaba-dabba-dee” time according to bassist Morgan, but Bell and Friends kept their minds and appetites focused.

“If I Should Die” is an autobiography of sorts, taking us on a journey of young LeRoy and his aspirations in life. “I never cared about school or anything, all I wanted was to play my music” he sang. “I’m happy where I am, with this guitar in my hand.”

The growls of stomachs were overshadowed by a loud applause from the KNKX audience. Bell and Friends were gracious enough to serve another song, a desert of sorts, with the two-step dance tune “Fly.”

Enjoy this tasty studio session, served up by LeRoy Bell & His Only Friends.

Musicians:

• Leroy Bell - guitar, vocals
• Ryan Watters - guitar
• Daniel Walker - piano, organ, backing vocals
• Terry Morgan - bass, backing vocals
• Ben Smith - drums

Songs:

1. Voodoo
2. When I Close My Eyes
3. If I Should Die
4. Fly

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Organ player and composer Delvon Lamarr returned for his sixth performance in the KNKX studios and his fourth as a leader. Playing at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley during this trip to Seattle, Lamarr's trio had a new look but the same deep commitment to the groove.

The DLO3 now includes soulful guitarist Josh Perdue from Austin, Texas. His dad led a "12-piece rhythm & blues Motown show band," Perdue explained.

"It was a university of some sort," he laughed.

After meeting and playing with Lamarr in Texas, Perdue said that "the chemistry was amazing!"

Drummer Ehsaan Karimi is a Seattle native with serious jazz chops earned at the Berklee College of Music. He acknowledged the challenges and joy of drumming in the pocket as well as an occasional solo that lets him cut loose.

Lamarr shared his globetrotting adventures with our studio audience, including his relocation to Portage, Indiana which he found out about from his manager/wife Amy Novo when he was touring in Europe. Lamarr exclaimed: "I came home from tour, packed stuff... and I live in Indiana now!"

There was an obstacle to this Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio studio session. The antique Leslie speaker Lamarr counts on for his organ sound had a broken tube bulb and there wasn't a replacement available anywhere.

"You play a 67-year-old instrument you get 67-year-old problems," Lamarr lamented.

Thankfully a backup did the job, but without the vintage Leslie vibrato, making this a special edition of the DLO3. Yes, these jazz musicians can always improvise. We think they sounded great, especially on a pair of songs that haven't yet been recorded. We hope you will, too.

Musicians:

• Delvon Lamarr - organ
• Josh Perdue - guitar
• Ehsaan Karimi - drums

Songs:

1. Chicken Leg
2. Get Your Mind Together
3. Fo Sho

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Both Martin Taylor and Bireli Lagrene have been called “undisputed champions” of the guitar. In KNKX's Studio X, the two sounded much more like teammates than opponents.

Taylor and Lagrene were visiting Seattle on their first tour together. It was a long time coming for this pair who first met through violinist Stephane Grappelli, who founded hot club-style jazz in the 1930s with guitarist Django Reinhardt. Taylor was 23, and Lagrene was just 13.

The demands of Reinhardt's music may have been good preparation for their successful careers, but both Taylor and Lagrene have shown versatility far beyond a single genre.

At this point, the pair are certainly masters of the guitar. However, they both shared with the KNKX studio audience that neither of them really practices. It just so happens, they play all the time because they love it. Taylor and Lagrene performed four wonderful duets in Studio X.

“Like we’ve never played before and never will again,” Taylor laughed.

Toots Thielemans’ hit “Bluesette” found the pair sharing solo and rhythm duties while the ballad “Body and Soul” was a study in melody and harmony, not to mention dexterity.

“Swing ‘42” by Django Reinhardt was a delightful reminder of Taylor and Lagrene’s shared musical background, as each had filled the guitar legend's role on this song when they were much younger.

The two concluded with a deconstructed “All the Things You Are,” a jazz standard loved by Tommy Dorsey swingers, Charlie Parker beboppers and even Barbra Streisand and other pop stars.

After the song, Taylor reacted to the audience’s positive response with surprise. “I thought that was a little ‘out’,” he said with a smile.

Enjoy this exclusive studio session from these masters of the guitar whose music is always "in."

Musicians:

• Martin Taylor - guitar
• Bireli Lagrene - guitar

Songs:

1. Bluesette
2. Body and Soul
3. Swing '42
4. All the Things You Are

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Kassa Overall keeps himself busy. He's a drummer, producer, emcee, singer and bandleader currently leading his sextet on a worldwide tour supporting his new album Animals.

Featuring guest stars like Laura Mvula, Danny Brown, Vijay Iyer, Theo Croker and many more, Animals is meticulously produced. The sounds of each instrument are just right, the arrangements are timed perfectly and the guests sound like practiced members of Overall's band.

Live on stage, though, the six versatile musicians take Overall's music to another level. It's more free-flowing and improvisational - more jazz, you might say.

Overall and his bandmates bring plenty of skill to their performances and they also respond and provoke each other to emotional musical moments an audience can't resist.

With Tomoki Sanders on soprano saxophone, percussion, drums and vocals; Bendji Allonce on percussion and vocals; Giulio Xavier playing upright and electric basses and singing; Ian Finklestein at the piano, the Kassa Overall band lit up our Studio X with a pair of songs from Animals, a favorite from his first album, and a cover of "Libra" by saxophonist Gary Bartz.

Overall has played and recorded with Bartz and will return to producing the jazz veteran's new album when this current tour settles down. That could be awhile. The Earshot Jazz Festival presents Kassa Overall and his band back in Seattle at Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute October 26, in a DJ set at the Royal Room October 27, and at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art's Within Earshot series October 28.

Enjoy this exciting studio session from Kassa Overall and consider catching the band in person next month.

Musicians:

• Kassa Overall - drums, vocals
• Tomoki Sanders - soprano sax, percussion, drums, vocals
• Ian Finklestein - piano
• Giulio Xavier - bass, vocals
• Bendji Allonce - percussion, vocals

Songs:

1. Find Me (Overall)
2. Libra (Gary Bartz)
3. Prison and Pharmaceuticals/Hot Music (Overall/Soho)
4. Make My Way Back Home (Overall)

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After helping celebrate the new KNKX Seattle studios on local TV, Dylan Hayes plays a studio session with his trio

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Performing on his own, guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli fills a room with joyful music and stories.

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When Lisa Fischer met the musicians of Ranky Tanky, it was a match made in heaven. They showed off this perfect combination during a performance at the KNKX studios.

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Portland's soul funk ensemble Outer Orbit previewed their outdoor concert in Seattle's Volunteer Park with a visit to KNKX's Studio X.

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Pianist Emmet Cohen returned with a new trio for his third KNKX studio session but this time, it was in a brand new space.

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Harpist Brandee Younger's trio performed three songs for KNKX at Dimitriou's Jazz Alley in Seattle.

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Matthew Whitaker has packed a lot of music into his 22 years. Playing his first keyboard at age three, taking classical piano lessons at five, exploring jazz at seven and picking up the Hammond organ and drums along the way.

More recently, Whitaker has been concentrating on arranging, composing and producing. He often sends complete recordings of specific instrument parts to his bandmates before rehearsals. New technology has made the world of music easily accessible to the voracious musician, who was born blind.

His third album Connections, from 2021, demonstrates Whitaker's artistic development. Check out the diverse set of compositions he performed in this studio session with guitarist Marcos Robinson, bassist Liany Matteo, drummer John E. Steele and percussionist Ivan Llanes.

Whitaker's band began with the organ burner "A New Day," a hint at an upcoming tribute to the jazz organ tradition he's been planning.

Next was the pianist's musical response to recent civil rights unrest, "Stop Fighting." Moody atmospherics and a dramatic melody mix Whitaker's acoustic piano and synthesizer, including the sound of a siren wailing deep in the mix.

Finally, the funky "Take a Break" provided a joyful conclusion to the session. Whitaker's keyboard-derived horn parts punched up the song's bouncy theme with brilliant solos on acoustic and electric keys.

Whitaker made his Seattle debut at Jazz Alley last month and returns to the Northwest for a Sunday matinee performance at Centrum's Jazz Port Townsend July 30. He'll be the musical director of a new Billly Strayhorn musical in Pittsburgh this fall, and is also the minister of music for his church.

Along with the upcoming Hammond organ tribute album, it would seem Whitaker's hands are full. After meeting him, there's no doubt he can handle it.

Artists:

• Matthew Whitaker - piano
• Marcos Robinson - guitar
• Liany Matteo - bass
• John E. Steele - drums
• Ivan Llanes - percussion

Songs:

1. A New Day
2. Stop Fighting
3. Take a Break

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(Parker Miles Blohm / KNKX )Lady Blackbird came to my attention with the release of her 2021 debut, Black Acid Soul. The album got rave reviews from The New York Times, The Guardian and NPR, and her song “It's Not That Easy” was on my list of “Best of the Blues” for that next year.

Lady Blackbird may be a new artist, but the person behind the persona, Marley Munroe, has been in the music business since she was a child. Munroe skirted the edge of stardom in the ultra-competitive world of pop and R&B, but now with Lady Blackbird, she has crafted a new sound and image for herself with a project aimed at a jazz audience.

A large part of the catalyst for change was guitarist, pianist and producer Chris Seefried, who asked Lady Blackbird (then Munroe) to sing on a demo of a song he had written, “Nobody’s Sweetheart,” which emulates the sound of classic jazz. The demo got such a strong positive reception that they decided to move their music in that direction.

“The idea came to really lean into that whole sound focused around my vocal. It sort of goes back to how record companies would treat singers in the '50s and '60s, whether it was Sarah Vaughn, Sinatra, Ella or Nat Cole,” she explained.

Another strategy that puts emphasis on Lady Blackbird’s voice is the absence of drums on the Black Acid Soul release. It was also the first time that she had recorded her voice live with the band in the recording studio, which allowed her further freedom to play with time and tempo.

Lady Blackbird’s voice has some of the same tone and timbre as Nina Simone. Once she and Seefried determined their new musical direction, the first song she brought in was Simone’s “Blackbird.” Ultimately, the song inspired her new name and appears first on Black Acid Soul.

Lady Blackbird and Chris Seefried were in Seattle for their first time ever to perform at The Triple Door. During their visit earlier this month, they were kind enought to perform two songs in this exclusive KNKX studio session, Seefried’s original “Nobody’s Sweetheart” and “I Am What I Am” from the musical La Cage aux Folles.

Listen to their performance above.

Artists:

• Lady Blackbird - vocals
• Chris Seefried - piano, guitar

Songs:

1. I Am What I Am (Jerry Herman)
2. Nobody's Sweetheart (Chris Seefried)

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From their home in Manchester, England, GoGo Penguin have redefined the sound of the piano, bass and drums trio for more than a decade. After a difficult period during the pandemic, they returned to Seattle with a new album, a new sound and a new drummer.

KNKX welcomed GoGo Penguin for an exclusive studio session this month featuring music from their new album Everything Is Going to Be OK. The title is a reference to family lost by pianist Chris Illingworth and bassist Nick Blacka, and also a call to recovery and emerging from adversity stronger.

Their sound has evolved to include more electronic elements, but retains the blend of classical, jazz and electronic styles that sound like no one but GoGo Penguin. New drummer Jon Scott is the most obvious example of that change, bringing more flexible improvisational skills and a focus on the sound of his instruments.

Producer and live sound engineer Joe Reiser acts as an unseen fourth band member. He meticulously dialed in the effects on Illingworth's piano, Blacka's upright bass and Scott's drums, even perfecting the headphone mix for each player before this KNKX session recording began.

GoGo Penguin brings together anthemic piano lines with powerful, intertwining melodies on bass driven by pulsing drums on instrumentals that sing.

The night before this studio session, GoGo Penguin performed for a rapturous Seattle audience at the Neptune Theatre. KNKX is elated to share this intimate performance with our audience.

Enjoy three brilliant songs from these jovial Englishmen and a revealing conversation with KNKX jazz host Abe Beeson. More than OK, everything is going to be tremendous.

Musicians:

• Chris Illingworth - keyboards
• Nick Blacka - bass
• Jon Scott - drums

Songs:

1. Glimmerings
2. Everything Is Going to Be OK
3. Parasite

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Pianist Billy Childs is an award-winning performer and composer and was a bit of a prodigy growing up in Los Angeles. He began college at 16 and launched his career shortly after in the band of legendary trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.

Childs' passion for music and love of the trumpet shines through on his complex and spiritual sounding new album The Winds of Change.

He found an abundance of inspiration for his new album in film noir, his hometown of Los Angeles, and his pianist friends. Mostly, though, this new album is about the communication between the pianist and his bandmates.

The Winds of Change includes trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire with Scott Colley and Brian Blade at the bass & drums. For his tour and this exclusive studio session performance, Childs worked with trumpeter Sean Jones, bassist Hans Glawishnig and drummer Christian Euman.

Childs explained that the live band works in an alternate reality from the quartet on the album. In this exclusive performance, the quartet were eager to collaborate, then jazz host Abe Beeson spoke with Childs about his new album and how it came to be. KNKX is excited to let you listen in on both conversations.

Musicians:

• Billy Childs - piano
• Sean Jones - trumpet
• Hans Glawischnig - bass
• Christian Euman - drums

Songs:

1. Master of the Game (Billy Childs)
2. The End of Innocence (Billy Childs)
3. The Black Angel (Kenny Barron)

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The new album Book of Queens from guitarist Eric Krasno and drummer Stanton Moore is a strong collection of songs by female composers. They were at Jazz Alley recently to share their new music with keyboardist Eric Finland and stopped by Avast! Recording to perform an exclusive session for KNKX.

The Krasno-Moore Project was formed about a year ago after the pair spent time together during the New Orleans Jazz Festival. They were determined to make a record together, and in consultation with their wives (both coincidentally named Laura) the pair committed to the songs of their favorite women in music.

Moore, relating the playlists his 18-year-old daughter makes for him, said they were determined to play the music of not only great soul musicians like Aretha Franklin and Sharon Jones but also the top stars of today. Interestingly, some of the strongest recordings on Book of Queens come from unlikely sources.

The heavy, mid-tempo funk of "Carried Away" by Grammy-winning pop star H.E.R. is built on a catchy guitar riff and a tight arrangement the trio spent extra time perfecting before the session began. "Slow Burn" by country star Kacey Musgraves is just that. The Krasno-Moore Project creates a relaxed, back-porch feeling on another charming melody that might be new to the fans of this trio.

Krasno said that their early attempts at "You Know I'm No Good" by Amy Winehouse confirmed to the group that the concept was strong. Their version hints at John Scofield's edgy tones while Moore adds subtle but creative syncopation anchored by Finland's solid organ work.

During the studio session, both Krasno and Moore praised the many talented women musicians they've collaborated with in their careers, including Irma Thomas and Ledisi. They also entertained the idea of furthering the concept on another album, whether as an immediate sequel or a project further down the road.

The Krasno-Moore Project is a soulful new group worth getting to know, and Book of Queens is a wonderful new collection of music by women worth saluting.

Artists:

• Stanton Moore - drums
• Eric Krasno - guitar
• Eric Finland - keyboards

Songs:

1. You Know I'm No Good (Amy Winehouse)
2. Slow Burn (Kacey Musgraves)
3. Carried Away (H.E.R.)

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The first KNKX session performance at our temporary location at Avast! Recording Co.'s Seattle studios was a family affair as Judith Hill shared her uniquely funky music with us.

Hill's quartet on this trip to Seattle included drummer John Staten and Hill's parents, funk veterans Pee Wee Hill and Michiko Hill on bass and keyboards.

The session kicked off in high gear with the ferocious funk of "The Pepper Club" from Hill's 2018 album Golden Child. The tightly wound funk carried the swagger of Prince, who produced her debut album, and included a charming piano solo from Michiko Hill.

Judith Hill next sang her passionate blues song "Burn It All" from her most recent album, with Michiko playing a churchy organ backing. It's a classic story of a "sugar man" who turns out to be a "dirty dog" as Hill puts this character in his place. Fuzzy bass and oddly effective synthesizer sounds from Hill's parental bandmates, and her own rocking guitar solo and yearning vocals bring a fresh energy to the song.

Concluding the session, Judith Hill played both piano and guitar on the extended ballad "Give Your Love to Someone Else," also from Baby, I'm Hollywood. This epic, soulful singer-songwriter effort is a showcase for Hill's incredible vocal power as well as her knack for a melody. Decorating the song's story of a failed relationship with a potent guitar solo, Hill was commanding and authoritative as a singer and bandleader.

She is also her toughest critic, maintaining recording studio standards even as those in attendance were knocked out by her incredible talent. Leaning toward a fourth take of her last song, her band and the lateness of the hour convinced her to call it a day. For the KNKX crew, it was a day we'll never forget.

These three tunes are a sampling of the musical diversity on her latest album, and Hill promises more to come on an already recorded (but not yet scheduled for release) next album. Still a young woman in her 30s, Judith Hill has lived an artist's life in a short time, singing backup for Michael Jackson, Prince and more. That experience and her passion and talent are sure to bring her and music fans around the world plenty of incredible music in many years to come.

Artists:

• Judith Hill - vocals, guitar, piano
• Robert Lee "Pee Wee" Hill - bass
• Michiko Hill - keyboards
• John Staten - drums

Songs:

1. The Pepper Club
2. Burn It All
3. Give Your Love to Someone Else

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Pianist and singer Kandace Springs' second solo studio session honors the past and looks to the future

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Grooving through their fifth decade, the Yellowjackets quartet play a KNKX studio session.

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Hawaiian ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro performs for KNKX listeners at the Moore Theatre in Seattle.

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Hear Cory Wong, master of rhythm guitar, performing with his band in the KNKX studios.

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Jazz fusion pioneers The Headhunters celebrated Public Radio Music Day and their first album in 11 years with an exclusive performance in the KNKX studios.

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Jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval brought his band to the KNKX studios for a third visit to celebrate a new album.

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Julian Lage performs solo guitar in the KNKX studios, celebrating his new album View with a Room from his trio and guest guitarist Bill Frisell.

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Watch the thundering drumming of jazz fusion legend Billy Cobham and his Crosswinds band.

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Flugelhorn player Dmitri Matheny celebrated the release of his new album "Cascadia" with a quintet performance in the KNKX studios.

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Jazz singer Jean Baylor and her husband, drummer Marcus Baylor brought their modern jazz-gospel group to perform in the KNKX studios.

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Jazz singer Sara Gazarek returned to Seattle and the KNKX studios to share her music and herself.

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Hear the music of Chick Corea from the globally inspired Seattle trio Duende Libre in this KNKX studio session.

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Curtis Stigers performs an exclusive KNKX studio session to celebrate his new album This Life.

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Even if you don’t know his name, you’ve probably heard Sonny Landreth. He’s a south-west Louisiana slide guitarist who played and recorded for several years with singer/songwriter, John Hiatt and his band ‘The Goners.’ He recently kicked off a 3-week tour on a double bill with boogie-woogie pianist, Marcia Ball and we got him in the studio for this very special solo performance.

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Stephanie Anne Johnson and The Hidogs stopped by KNKX studios and performed four songs from their new album, Take This Love. A Tacoma native, Johnson came to national attention as a finalist on NBC’s "The Voice" in 2013, and has developed a unique singing and songwriting style that draws on blues, soul and country.

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Seattle Opera's production of "Charlie Parker's Yardbird" opens Feb. 22, and we were thrilled to have the lead tenor Joshua Stewart come in for a conversation and a preview, with accompanist David McDade at the piano.

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The smiles were wide and contagious when Martin Taylor and Frank Vignola returned to the KNKX studios for a guitar duet performance. Regarded as two of the best acoustic guitarists in the world, our studio audience was thrilled to share their intense love of music and joy of playing that came shining through.

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The Tiptons Saxophone Quartet and Drums was formed in Seattle in 1988. Now with only Amy Denio still based in the Puget Sound area, the Tiptons roll on. A new album is due in March, and with their performance in the KNKX studios, the Tiptons showed they're at the top of their game.

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This ambitious CD project includes recordings of music made with her family in Barcelona in 2008, a series of improvised pieces with Marina and guest artists, and a collection of original material and jazz standards with her band.

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The Westerlies unique combination of two trumpets and two trombones, nothing else, has been described as "folk-like and composerly, lovely and intellectually rigorous." In the KNKX studios, these four Northwest natives, now based in New York, were simply four brass players having a lot of fun.

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Coss, a Seattle native, and a product of Washington Middle and Garfield High School jazz programs. She was able to compete in the Essentially Ellington competition in New York City three times as a teenager, which inspired her to move there and pursue a career as a jazz musician.

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Janiva Magness is one of our best known and most decorated singers, with 26 Blues Music Award nominations, and seven wins, among them BB King Entertainer of the Year. Her 2016 album Love Wins Againwas nominated for a Grammy, and she just released her 15th studio album, Change in the Weather.

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Guitarist Dave Peterson has been the "secret sauce" in the Seattle jazz scene for decades. He taught at Cornish College of the Arts for 35 years, and has added his graceful tones to countless performances and recordings. He's a composer, too, having penned more than 100 works for bands of all sizes.

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Pianist Emmet Cohen has a passion for music, and still in his late 20s, he's only begun to share that passion with audiences and fellow musicians. That love shone brightly in the KNKX studios as Cohen led his trio through a brief set of songs previewing his Earshot Jazz Festival concert that night.

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Cuban cuatro master Kiki Valera brought his band back to KNKX for a warm-up performance ahead of their Earshot Jazz Festival concert at Town Hall.

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On her last visit to the KNKX studios, singer and songwriter Madeleine Peyroux was debuting music from her then-upcoming album Anthem in a duet with pianist Andy Ezrin. On this return visit, Ms. Peyroux accompanied herself on guitar and brought in longtime friend Steve Cardenas on guitar for her recent single "On My Own," as well as an old favorite and a brand new original song.

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Having just flown in that day from Vancouver, the four men of Kneebody settled into the KNKX Seattle studios to briefly catch their breath and play a few songs. Their new album Chapters comes out Oct. 18, and their world tour is kicking into gear.

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On the afternoon of opening up for Kneebody, one of their favorite bands, our Portland friends Trio Subtonic played the same role in the KNKX studios. Spirits were high, and the trio brought a pair of exciting additions.

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Peter Daniel is a busy guy. He's the leader of the 45th St Brass, plays with the New Orleans-influenced funk group Super Krewe, appears on recent records from Lucky Brown & the SGs and Marina & the Dreamboats, and has toured with electro duo Odesza and alt-popper Father John Misty. "When you say it like that, it sounds like a problem," Daniel says.

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Like his mentors, Jontavious Willis brings a keen sense for history and for the earlier musicians who created the music we call blues. He says that blues is the foundation of most American popular music, including jazz, rock and rap.

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When singers Tierney Sutton and Ann Hampton Callaway visit the KNKX studios, it's always a pleasure and a thrill. When the two of them join forces, it's a superhero-caliber dynamic duo of jazz.

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Though some jazz fans around the Seattle area will always think of Sara Gazarek as the talented young singer with the Roosevelt High jazz band, her new album Thirsty Ghost is making waves around the world. Back in the KNKX studios, Gazarek told us how this album is different from previous efforts, and why the accolades it's receiving is so gratifying.

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About 25 years into his career, Kareem Kandi is one of the key figures in the Northwest jazz community. For his third visit to the KNKX studios, Kandi's interchangeable World Orchestra band featured one of Portland's finest musicians, George Colligan, for this delightful meeting of extended I-5 neighbors.