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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A rebellious decision to ditch music school and tour with a saxophone legend was the catalyst for trumpeter Terell Stafford's illustrious career in jazz. -
Leading harpist in jazz today, Brandee Younger, is carrying on trailblazer Dorothy Ashby's legacy as she ushers the tradition of jazz harp forward. -
Cytrus, a Lynnwood, Wash.-based fusion group, blends funk, rock, psychedelia and the language of jazz. -
During two visits to the KNKX studios, the late Roy Hargrove shared his influences, a humbling bandstand moment, and an uncanny relationship he had with a Seattle piano. -
Saxophonist and senior at Interlake High School jazz band Vikram Jagannathan shares his favorite jazz with KNKX listeners. -
Formed in 1973, The Headhunters have been jazz fusion pioneers for more than fifty years, blending improvisation with funk, rock, and world music sounds. -
In this KNKX studio session, trombonist and educator Conner Eisenmenger joins an ensemble from Edmonds-Woodway High School, directed by Jake Bergevin. -
Jazz clarinetist Anat Cohen highlights her passion for choro, an emotive musical form that combines the musical traditions of indigenous Africans and Western Europeans living in Brazil. -
Aaron McCracken, a guitarist in Ballard High School's jazz band, shares an hour of his favorite jazz with KNKX listeners. -
Despite a comical mishap surrounding the Japanese release of his debut record, Larry Fuller has had a noteworthy jazz career as a sideman and trio leader.
