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The New Cool: Busy Weekend In Ballard

Parker Miles Blohm
45th Street Brass on Ballard Ave opened the festival last year.

Not much of a post this week, I've dedicated my writing to preview the Ballard Jazz Festival. I hope to see you in the clubs Saturday night!

The experimental, modern leaning local record label Table & Chairs are your main source of modern jazz cool at the Festival on Ballard Ave upstairs at the Salmon Bay Eagles Saturday night. Here's the good word from T&C's Haley Freedlund:

"Neil Welch's Concepcion Picciotto - Concepcion Picciotto is Seattle saxophonist and composer Neil Welch’s most ambitious large ensemble work to date. Totaling nearly 30 minutes, the piece was inspired by the life and death of Concepcion Picciotto, a homeless peace activist who held a 35 year nonstop vigil for nuclear disarmament at the gates of the White House. In the ensemble writing, Neil aspired to capture the dynamism of Concepcion’s tireless mission. The work is scored for saxophone section, string trio, rhythm section, mezzo-soprano vocal soloist and tenor saxophone soloist. Concepcion uses lush orchestration, embedded with Neil’s signature multiphonics (acoustically generated saxophone chords) into the part writing itself. The sweeping landscapes in Concepcion are contrasted by powerful vocal melodies and driving rhythmic grooves.

February - Bassist Kelsey Mines' band and compositions, the quartet features Mike Gebhart on drums, Andrew Olmstead on synthesizer, and Matt Williams on vibraphones. They're also in the studio this weekend recording! Busy babes.
 
Multi-disciplinary artists Elizabeth Schiffler and Erin Lynch are collaborating on a performance piece that is a sort of dance between recited original poetry, film visuals, and massive, handmade puppetry. I saw a WIP version at On The Boards a few months ago and it was beautiful.
 
Trombonist and composer Christian Pincock will be presenting his project Scrambler, a palette-based Soundpainting ensemble that is relatively new and always fun."
 
To repeat, the Ballard Jazz Festival has something for everyone. Take a chance on the genre-busting music and art happening upstairs at the Salmon Bay Eagles!
 
On this week's radio show, enjoy the stylings of The New Cool Collective (the Dutch latin funk/boogaloo group, no official connection to our radio show), The Bad Plus (covering Nirvana), and a studio session exclusive performance from The Westerlies. The trumpets and trombones quartet returns home to the Northwest for a live show at the Royal Room on Wednesday!

The New Cool airs Saturdays from 3 to 5p, hosted by Abe Beeson and produced by KNKX Public Radio in Seattle.