This feature is derived from KNKX's Tree of Jazz, taking you through the eras, from the roots to the new budding leaves, with a weekly deep dive into iconic artists, albums, and instruments.
Percussionist Brian Kirk is a longtime Seattle resident who’s lived a full life in music.
He was born in Indianapolis, where his father Dr. Willis Kirk played drums and performed alongside jazz greats, including the Montgomery Brothers, Wes, Buddy and Monk.
The Kirk family moved to San Francisco in the late '60s when Brian was 9 years old. Kirk went on to study classical percussion and spent years as a percussionist on Broadway in New York City, and touring the world with the Pointer Sisters and Jimmy Scott.
All that eventually brought him to Seattle, where he started the Seattle Central College jazz program in the mid-’90s.
In 2025, KNKX’s Justus Sanchez talked with Kirk about his career. Here are some excerpts from the conversation. Kirk also shared some music with KNKX, which you can hear on the Jan. 11 episode of Tree of Jazz.
Interview Highlights
Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
On his early years in Indianapolis and his father, Dr. Willis Kirk
Growing up, my dad was a music teacher in the Indianapolis public school system, plus he taught drums at home privately. He was teaching five days a week and working six nights a week. So, I just remember him always being in and out, and students [coming] in and out, and guys came by the house, all the Indianapolis musicians, either to play or hang out. And so that's my first realization that my dad was a musician playing gigs and doing his thing.
He grew up across the street from Wes, Buddy and Monk Montgomery’s grandmother's house. So he, Wes, Buddy and Monk used to play all the time because they rehearsed at their grandmother's house.
I grew up with Buddy and Monk coming by the house, because Wes Montgomery died in 1968. I remember so many different musicians — all the time — coming by the house. Like Kent Brinkley, who my dad mentored as a bass player. He played with the Crusaders for a little while. There's a new album that just came out by Bill Evans, Portraits at the Penthouse: Live in Seattle, and Joe Hunt, the drummer on it, was also my dad's student.
On Studying Classical Percussion and Overcoming Challenges
I actually went to Indiana University (IU) to study classical percussion, but, around '77, I was told by Professor George Gaber that he would not accept me into the percussion department on my audition. He told me Black people couldn't play classical music. He said I should be a jazz major. And so he put me on what they call a preliminary or probationary percussion major. I drove all that way, did all those auditions on tape, got there and was told that I was not accepted into IU as a percussion major, that I would have to study with a graduate student, and I had to gradually build my skills. I was looking around, and some of the guys already in the percussion department couldn't play as well as me on marimba or vibes. It was a very eye-opening experience.
So I went back home, and I was determined to come out stronger and be able to play mallet percussion, as well as drum set, as well as timpani, as well as the things that you would do in a symphony orchestra or musical theater. So I left IU in 1979 and I went home to study at California State University, East Bay. I got my classical percussion degree in 1982.
On his first experiences in Seattle
I first came to Seattle years ago, playing with Jimmy Scott, before I actually moved here, at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley. And so we were there for, I think, a two-week engagement. I think it was ‘91, during our first tour of the West Coast with Jimmy.
And then when I came here in ‘95 with the Pointer Sisters tour. It was a whole year - ‘95 through ‘96 - and I was playing drums in that show. Seattle was about two weeks, and we were at the Paramount. It was the Ain’t Misbehavin’ show, the Fats Waller musical.
On moving here from New York City
I have a cousin here that's a retired counselor at Shoreline Community College, and she had a friend that wanted to start a jazz department at Seattle Central College. I was like, “Oh, you know, I got a job on the road,” and she said, “You should just talk to her.”
During the tour, my cousin’s friend called me and said, I got a job for you. I was like, “Well, I already got a job.” She said, “I want a jazz department. And my president, Dr. Charles Mitchell, wants a jazz festival, but I really want to start a jazz department. And it'll be a part-time job, and we can make it full-time within the tenure process of three quarters.”
Sherman Wilcox, a good friend of my dad's, had actually started the photography department there, and he said it was a good school.
So I talked to Christine, my wife, and she said, “Okay, but just so you know, when you leave New York: This was not my idea. It was your idea.” So I took the job, and it started part-time. I started with seven students at Seattle Central College. I eventually started the jazz improvisation and theory department, and then later on after about 10 years, the electronic music production class.
On the Seattle scene at the time
It was an amazing scene. I started playing with Andrienne Wilson, who was a vocalist here. She introduced me to all the people here. Plus, I knew some other cats from coming here with Jimmy [Scott]. So I was sitting in with bass player Buddy Catlett, [I] played a couple of sessions with Reuel Lubag. There were a lot of cats here, like Brian Nova. I got introduced to him and then to the scene at Tula's Restaurant and Jazz Club.
What happened was, because I had a jazz ensemble that actually could play, after about two years, I started taking them out to Tula's and we started having concerts there. It was bustling, it was seven nights a week of jazz. It was wonderful in Belltown.
On the 2016 Nu Trio project with Nathan Breedlove and Phil Sparks
This is a record we actually self-produced, myself with Phil Sparks. It’s called the Nu Trio, and we actually formed this group rehearsing at Phil's house. We recorded it in my studio that I created at Seattle Central Community College. This record came out of a need to really work on some things that we wanted to do ourselves and make a statement with just bass, trumpet and drums.
This is kind of what they call “free jazz,” or just a wide open sound with no piano. There's a lot more places the soloist can go without the harmonic restrictions of the piano, because harmonics, the chords, they put you in a box at times. It was really nice to be able to play free like this because I've had been playing structured jazz for so long.
On shedding vibraphone during the pandemic
My wife, she was saying, “You know, you need to play the vibes more, it's a beautiful sound. It's one of my favorite instruments and after this pandemic is over, you know, they're not going to be hiring as many large groups anymore.” And it turned out she was right: it's been a lot of solo, duo, trio things that are happening, and without drums. So, I did some practicing and soul-searching and I said, let me get back into really playing this instrument and learning to play it melodically, soulfully, harmonically.
Hear some music featured here and more with Brian Kirk on the Jan. 11 episode of Tree of Jazz.
