The Off-Season:   The newest and sixth studio album by J. Cole, one of the figureheads of the rap game for the last decade, was released this Friday. Originally titled "The Fall Off", but now "The Off-Season" was teased on Cole's last major solo release, KOD. I’m a fan of this album but am pretty hot and cold with Cole overall. Either finding what he does interesting and impressive or a missed opportunity, given how good the focused and topical songs Cole has released are. Given that, I came into this album tentative. I’m gonna get the first three songs out of the way off the bat. To put ..read more

Fun show at Egan's with Jazz Abbey. Tight heads, cool set list. Tunes like Joe Sample's "Mystery Child", "Small Fortune" by Ray Obiedo, "Alan Weight Speaking" by Jim Culter, and "Tale of Debauchery" by Thomas Marriott. Baritone sax sounding good. Bass player had more effects pedals than the guitarist!  Al Keith joined for some tunes at the end, great tone! Set ran a little long and lost energy at the end, but overall thumbs up ..read more

Caught Marc Seales at Tula's closing weekend, loss of an institution with the demise of Tula's. Seales was great as usual, flipping between electric piano and the grand piano on stage. With Thomas Mariott on Trumpet, Seales' brother Jesse shredding on guitar, Jeff Johnson bass and didn't catch the drummer. Started with some originals and then did the Weather Report jam Birdland. Then did a Jeff Johnson composition Machu Pichu, very ethereal. Ended with Pusherman by Curtis Mayfield, funky.  Second set had another Seales tune and then Hendrix If Six Was A Nine that rocked. Did a really cool blue ..read more

Stoked to have Miles Okazaki play in Seattle. Amazing composer and monster shredder with psycho technique. Moments were Frippian, Crimsonian, but even farther out. Crazy time signatures, crazy lines that went and went and didn't let up.  Pedal kicked every now and then taking things from the timbre of jazz guitar to the overdrive of  metal.  Played some Thelonious Monk tunes admidst the originals, Round Midnight and a couple others. Also a standard ballad, Someone To Watch Over Me?  The other musicians were on it: Matt Mitchell – piano,  Anthony Tidd – bass, Sean Rickman – drums. The four of t ..read more