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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The Wood Brothers, bassist Chris Wood and guitarist Oliver Wood, celebrate their latest album Heart is the Hero in a KNKX studio session.
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Kamasi Washington announces his new album Fearless Movement with upcoming tour dates.
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Featuring current students and recent grads of Seattle's Eckstein Middle School, all-fem combo Hot Mess brought infectious enthusiasm to a studio session honoring Women's History Month.
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New York-based trumpeter Riley Mulherkar released his long-awaited debut album with a concert for his hometown Seattle fans.
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Modern jazz group Last Ark Out releases Lift, a new collection of modern jazz fusion and grooves from Canada.
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The Cookers — made up of veteran musicians Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Donald Harrison, Craig Handy, George Cables, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart — keep pushing the music forward.
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Seattle jazz fans benefit from Biamp Portland Jazz Festival artists playing both cities in February and beyond.
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Pianist Jahari Stampley, winner of the prestigious Herbie Hancock Jazz Competition, plays an exclusive trio set in the KNKX Studio X accompanied by his mother D'Erania Stampley and drummer Miguel Russell.
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Get ready for a fresh collection of songs from guitarist Ari Joshua, pianist Francesco Crosara and trumpeter Riley Mulherkar.
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Lakecia Benjamin brought her saxophone and her quartet to Studio X to celebrate her new album Phoenix.