Abe Beeson
New Cool & Jazz HostAbe grew up in Western Washington, a third generation Seattle/Tacoma kid. It was as a student at Pacific Lutheran University that Abe landed his first job at KNKX, editing and producing audio for news stories. It was a Christmas Day shift no one else wanted that gave Abe his first on-air experience which led to overnights, then Saturday afternoons, and started hosting Evening Jazz in 1998.
At the end of 2015, just as the campaign to save 88.5 began, Abe debuted his modern jazz show The New Cool. Saturday afternoons from 3 to 5 p.m., you can hear 21st-century jazz inspired and informed by the sounds of today: hip-hop, & funk, Electronic music and punk rock — the future of jazz has arrived.
His most memorable KNKX radio moments include introducing Dave Brubeck, Ray Charles, Oscar Peterson, and other greats; attending jazz festivals in Spain and Argentina with groups of KNKX jazz fans; and locking himself out of the station on a particularly cold winter night.
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Pianist Noah Haidu brought a world class rhythm section with bassist Buster Williams and drummer Lenny White to the KNKX studios.
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Entering 8th grade at Risdon Middle School in Newcastle in the fall, 12-year-old Elijah Washington is the KNKX School of Jazz guest DJ.
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Bluesman Cedric Burnside visits the KNKX studios for an exclusive solo session performance.
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Miami-based singer Nicole Henry sang the music of Bill Withers, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Maria Muldaur in a trio session at the KNKX Seattle Studios.
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Seattle saxophonist Peter Daniel has a new quartets project featuring Marina Albero and many others in a modern jazz context.
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Drummer Willie Jones III leads his band at KNKX with singer Christie Dashiell, saxophonist Justin Robinson and trumpeter Giveton Gellin.
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Seattle-based singer Nancy Erickson Lamont made her third KNKX Studio Session appearance with original songs from her new album Through the Passages.
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Mustard n'Onions is the third album from funk jazz group Ghost Note, they'll be at Seattle's Neptune Theatre July 11.
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Ben Thomas, Seattle vibraphonist and bandoneon player, leads the Ben Thomas Tango Project in this KNKX Studio Session.
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Pianist Rachel Z releases Sensual with her trio, including husband Omar Hakim drumming. They'll be performing in Seattle June 6.