“No More, No Less” by The Jason Parker Quartet to be Released on October 24, 2009
J&J Music is proud to present the release of The Jason Parker Quartet’s second album, “No More, No Less”. The JPQ will celebrate with a CD Release Party at Lucid Jazz Lounge on October 24, 2009 at 9:30pm. The JPQ is: Jason Parker (trumpet), Josh Rawlings (piano), Evan Flory-Barnes (bass) and D’Vonne Lewis (drums). They are joined on three tracks by special guest Cynthia Mullis on tenor sax.
“No More, No Less” is the follow-up to the JPQ’s self-titled debut album from 2007. The new CD documents the growth the band has gone through during the past two years and illustrates the cohesive, passionate playing that prompted Earshot Jazz to call them “The next generation of Seattle Jazz.” Songs include one original by Parker and fresh takes on compositions by a diverse group of songwriters, including Wayne Shorter, Cole Porter, Sam Rivers, Nick Drake, George Gershwin, Duke Pearson and Tatum Greenblatt. The addition of Mullis on three tracks adds fire and depth to the band, and she fits in perfectly with the exploratory nature of the core quartet.
The JPQ prides itself on compelling original compositions and fresh interpretations of jazz standards. With the inclusion of Nick Drake’s “Three Hours” they have signaled a commitment to playing songs from outside the traditional jazz canon. And with Tatum Greenblatt’s “Mance’s Dance” they have shown a desire to play songs written by their peers. Greenblatt is a Seattle-born, NYC-based trumpet player currently studying for a Masters’ Degree at Juilliard School of Music.
The CD Release Party at Lucid Jazz Lounge will feature songs from the new CD and other goodies as well, featuring Mullis joining the band for the evening. The CD will be available at the show for a suggested donation of $15, but will be available to all attendees on a pay-what-you-can basis. Everyone paying $15 or more will also receive a free download of “Jason Parker and Friends – Live at Lucid”, which was recorded earlier this summer.
You can stream the album for free here, or just click the “play” button in the right-hand column to listen while you continue to surf this page.
Show time for the Release Party is 9:30pm. Lucid Jazz Lounge is located at 5241 University Way NE, Seattle. There is no cover charge and the show is 21+.
Bios
Josh Rawlings – Pianist and Composer Josh Rawlings is a renaissance jazz pianist that exhibits awesome ability on his instrument and ease playing genre-to-genre – setting-to-setting. Since moving to Seattle, Rawlings has seen wide successes as a performer and musician, and has been featured on the Northwest’ most prestigious stages. Josh graduated from Seattle’s renowned Cornish College of the Arts in 2005, and has twice since been honored by Earshot Magazine’s Golden Ear Award Nominations. Having studied and performed with renowned groups & musicians Denney Goodhew and the Qhromatics, Randy Halberstadt, Jovino Santos Neto and Hadley Caliman while at Cornish, Josh developed a voice that was literally bursting out of his school doors.
Evan Flory-Barnes – Bassist Evan Flory-Barnes has distinguished himself as the first-call bassist in the Seattle area in any number of genres. He envisions and lives the creation of a community of musicians and other artists brought together by excitement, collaboration, and a spirit of well-being, known as New Seattle. The original groups Threat of Beauty, Industrial Revelation, Ciendo and The Teaching have each been born of the New Seattle spirit. Evan’s buoyant swing, cold grooves, blistering solos and inventive bow playing are fully exposed through performances with his own groups and with groups in all genres, including the Marc Seales Quintet, Jovino Santos-Neto, Correo Aereo, Choklate, and Scandalmonger. He was recently awarded the prestigious Meet the Composer grant to produce a 9-movement orchestral work with dance that will be featured in the 2009 Earshot Jazz Festival. In 2007 he was a featured artist on the Seattle Channel’s Verve Series of artist documentaries.
D’Vonne Lewis – D’Vonne Lewis is a self-taught drummer with a background in gospel, funk, and rhythm and blues. Lewis graduated from Seattle’s Roosevelt High School where he has received numerous high school jazz band awards, including outstanding soloist at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival for the years of 2000, 2001, and 2002. In early 2007, he was awarded the Seattle Jazz, Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Award for Emerging Artist of 2006. Lewis has performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Marian McPartland, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, vocalist Dee Daniels, jazz clarinetist Eddie Daniels, Larry Fuller, and out-sax titan Charles Gayle. Lewis plays in several bands around the puget sound exploring a broad range of music styles including jazz, funk, African, Brazilian, hip-hop, and r&b. In the fall of 2004, the D’Vonne Lewis Quintet was featured at the Earshot Jazz Festival. He now leads his own quartet, Industrial Revelation and his own trio Triplication. D’Vonne is a regular member of Marc Seales’ Quintet, McTuff, Seattle’s soul queen Choklate, Seattle’s Blue Scholars. and The Hadley Caliman Quartet.
Cynthia Mullis – Cynthia Mullis is a versatile, accomplished saxophonist and jazz artist. Since moving to Seattle in 2000, she has become an active member of the Pacific Northwest music scene after many years in New York and San Francisco. Cynthia leads the jazz group New York Confidential which combines the finest jazz musicians in the Pacific Northwest with musical style inspired by the Big Apple. The chemistry of the band is organic, creative and exciting, and performs classic jazz and original jazz compositions. The band features top-notch northwest jazz musicians in concert, club and festival settings. New York Confidential also provides professional musical services for various events in the Seattle area. In addition to performing with other notable Northwest groups, Cynthia is a regular member of the Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra. She is featured on tenor and alto saxophone on their 2007 OA2 Records release, Meeting of the Waters. Cynthia also performed with SWOJO at the Lima Jazz Festival in 2007. Cynthia lived and worked in New York City from 1993 through 2000. She moved to the Big Apple at the encouragement of Jimmy Heath, and studied saxophone, composition and jazz improvisation with the legendary saxophonist at Queens College. While completing her studies with Mr. Heath, she immersed herself in the jazz scene of New York City, hitting late night jam sessions, practicing hours a day, and meeting and performing with world-class musicians. From 1994 to 2000 she was a member of the all-women big band Diva, based in New York City. With Diva, she performed extensively across the United States, backing such artists as Diane Schuur, Joe Williams and Dave Brubeck. While with Diva, Cynthia performed at numerous prestigious venues, including the Blue Note, Birdland, and Tavern on the Green in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, the SS Norway and QE2 Floating Jazz Festivals, and jazz festivals in Berlin, Montreal, Austria and Switzerland. Cynthia can be heard on two of Diva’s CDs, Leave It to Diva and I Believe in You. Cynthia Mullis earned a Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College in NYC. She holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from the University of Northern Colorado. In addition she has an AAAS Degree in Graphic Design from Shoreline Community College and a Certificate in Arts Management from the UW. Cynthia is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is also a graphic designer and writer who enjoys discovering the parallels between visual art and music.
The New Jason Parker Quartet CD is Complete!
After months of planning, writing, arranging, rehearsing, recording, mixing, mastering, licensing, copyrighting, artwork-approving, liner note-writing and many different people-paying, the new Jason Parker Quartet CD “No More, No Less” is now complete! I sent the final files and master off to the replicator this week and should have the physical CD’s in my hands sometime next month. The official release date is October 24th, and there will be a killin’ CD Release Party at Lucid Jazz Lounge that evening. If you’d like to order a copy of the CD, please visit Jason Parker Music.com.
But I just couldn’t wait until then to share the new music with the world, so I’ve made the mp3’s available for download on my Bandcamp page. As of today you can stream the entire album there. If you dig it, I hope you’ll consider purchasing it. And if you really dig it, tell a friend!
4Culture Press Release
I’m still on cloud nine about receiving a grant from 4Culture to help finish the JPQ CD! Today I received the official press release and was able to see the rarefied company I’m in. Other recipient include trumpeter Cuong Vu, filmmaker Lynn Shelton, Senegalese master drummer Thione Diop, and pianists Wayne Horvitz and Jovino Santos Neto. That’s just a small sampling of the wildly talented and deserving individuals and organizations receiving assistance from 4Culture.
Click here to view the entire list and press release.
Look What I Found!
I just did a search totally unrelated to me, and look what I found: Post-Bop.
I wasn’t Googling myself. Really, I wasn’t.
Anna & Alfredo’s Wedding
We had an absolutely wonderful time at Anna & Alfredo’s wedding this past Saturday at Top of the Market. It was one of those sunny Springtime days in Seattle where everything seems to be just right with the world. What a great day to be married!
I had the pleasure of playing with Darrius Willrich on piano and Evan Flory-Barnes on bass. Evan is the regular bassist in my Quartet and it’s always a treat to play with him. I’ve known Darrius for years and we’ve played together a bunch, but it had been a while. He’s an incredible piano player and the nicest guy you’ll ever meet. I was glad to have the chance to spend the evening with him. This is one smokin’ trio, if I do say so myself!
Anna and Alfredo came to our recent show at Tula’s and told me that they just wanted us to be ourselves and do what we do, which is always nice to hear. They did have a few requests, however, which turned out to be great ones! For their recessional, for instance, they had us play “Here Comes The Sun” by The Beatles. It’s always a challenge to take a well-know song from outside the jazz genre and do it justice. But it’s a challenge I love! And that song is so simple yet so beautiful that all we really had to do was play it straight and it worked out great. The bigger challenge was learning Jim Croce’s “Time In a Bottle”. Of course I’ve heard this song countless times, but I never paid too much attention to it until Anna asked if this could be their first dance. I take first dances very seriously, and wanted to create an arrangement that would be remembered by all in attendance. It took me a while, but the response was incredible, and I think we will add this song to our regular repertoire!
Top of the Market is a gorgeous place to have a wedding, with stunning views of Puget Sound. The staff took great care of us and was very complimentary about our music. The bartender told me she was thrilled to have such a great live band and not another cheesy DJ!
Thanks to Anna & Alfredo for including us in their big day.
Kathryn Krogstad was the photographer for the wedding and some of her beautiful shots:
Clave Nagila Debuts to a Packed House!
You know how sometimes you have an idea that you think is great, but you have no idea how others are going to react? Well, that’s how I’ve felt about Clave Nagila since the idea was born in Port Townsend four years ago. I had a suspicion that it was an idea who’s time had come, but you never know.
Nate Omdal and I have been working on the arrangements for over a year now. We started with this book of Jewish melodies and transformed them by adding different Latin rhythms to each piece. As each new arrangement was completed we grew ever more confident that we were on the right track.
Last Thursday the band made its debut at Egan’s. I arrived about an hour early to get warmed up and go over the parts one more time with the band. The first people to show up were folks I didn’t know, which I took as a good sign! By the time we took the stage the room was full! Family, friends and strangers all turned out to see what the fuss was all about. It was amazing to look out from the stage and see the anticipation on the faces. And all this for a band that hadn’t even played a note yet!
The show was a blast, and the response since has been truly amazing. This band may just become my most popular band!
I have to give huge thanks to Nate. Without his enthusiasm and dedication to the project it never would have seen the light of day. And I am honored and thrilled to have such a great band to make these songs come to life: Tobi Stone, Adrian Witherspoon, Brian Bermudez, Adam Kessler and Lalo Bello. Thanks to one and all!
I recorded the set, and as soon as I can find the time to go through it I will post a song or two. You really gotta hear this! Stay tuned for the further adventures of Clave Nagila!
Clave Nagila Debuts Tomorrow at Egan’s!
I’m very excited to announce the debut of my new project, Clave Nagila, tomorrow night at Egan’s. Almost 4 years in the making, this band combines my love of two distinct yet complimentary styles, Latin-jazz and traditional Jewish music. The concept grew out of an arrangement I did for my Quartet of a prayer called “Etz Chaim”, which I titled “Tree of Life”. That one is not in the Latin-Jazz vein, but it started me down the path toward arrangements of more Jewish music.
Over the last year my good friend Nate Omdal has helped me with the arrangements of such tunes as “Hava Nagila”, “Dayeinu”, “Adon Olam and more. I can’t wait to debut this amazing arrangements!
The band consists of 7 of the finest players in Seattle, including myself on trumpet, Nate on bass, Tobi Stone on clarinet, Brian Bermudez on bari-sax, Adrian Witherspoon on trombone, Adam Kessler on drums and Lalo Bello on percussion. These folks have dedicated much of their time and enthusiasm to rehearsing and getting ready, and I can’t thank them enough for their involvement and support.
Please come check us out tomorrow (Thursday) night at Egan’s. We play the early set, from 7:00-8:30pm, so you can join us for dinner and still get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Oyle!
Another Wonderful Night at Lucid
The Jason Parker Quartet had another great night at Lucid on Saturday night. I have to say, this is without a doubt my favorite room to play in. In just 6 months David has built his club into a hip, happening place. It feels like a true jazz club, and the energy is electric every time the JPQ plays there.
This time we were joined by our old friend Nate Omdal on bass and new friend Brad Gibson on drums. All who were in attendance agreed that they both sounded great and fit in real well, even though it was Brad’s first time playing with us. I asked Cynthia Mullis to join us for most of the evening. She’s been playing 2-3 songs with us at our recent shows, and she brings such great energy and playing to the band that I wanted her to play more and more! She absolutely tore it up on my tune “Bashert”. A few other guests sat in, including Katrina Wible, Jamie Baumgart and Bob Garrett, who played a double-trumpet throwdown with me on Nick Drake’s “Three Hours”.
If you haven’t been to Lucid yet you gotta check it out. We’ll be back there on June 19th, but don’t wait until then. They have great music 4 nights a week, and it’s always free.
Come Celebrate with the Jason Parker Quartet tonight at Tula’s!
The Jason Parker Quartet has been busy over the last few months preparing for our recent recording session. We had an amazing time in the studio on Wednesday and can’t wait to share the new music with you. Look for the second JPQ CD to be released sometime this summer.
In the meantime, we are ready to celebrate the completion of the recording phase, and we want YOU to celebate with us!
The Jason Parker Quartet is playing at Tula’s tonight and we would love to see you there! Tula’s has been the long-standing home for the top local jazz musicians and it’s very hard to break into their rotation. That’s why we’re thrilled to be on the bill, and we hope to show the folks there that we can draw a good crowd so they’ll invite us back.
Come see the band Earhsot calls “The next generation of Seattle jazz” at a club called “a cool place” by Wynton Marsalis!
We start at 7:30pm and will play 3 sets. Tula’s has an extensive dinner menu and full bar, so come for a meal, for drinks, or just for the music!
Tula’s is located at 2214 2nd Ave. between Blanchard and Bell St. in Belltown.
We love to see friends both old and new at our shows. Your energy and enthusiasm excite and inspire us. Come join the celebration toinght!
Thanks for your support. Hope to see you there.
The JPQ
Jason Parker – trumpet
Josh Rawlings – piano
Evan Flory-Barnes – bass
D’Vonne Lewis – drums
Pre-Order Your Copy of the New Jason Parker Quartet CD Today!
The new CD from The Jason Parker Quartet will be released in late-June or early-July, but you can pre-order your copy today! Every pre-order will receive their copy one week before the release to the public, and if you participate in the Micropatronage Program you can also receive special bonus materials.
Click here for more information on pre-orders and Micropatronage.
Recording Complete
After 8 hours, 9 tunes, 21 takes and 1 Indian buffet the Jason Parker Quartet recording session is complete! It was an exhausting and exhilarating day, and all-in-all I couldn’t be happier. Recording is a strange process and no matter how much you prepare it’s always different than you expect. It’s hard to get used to a new room, an unfamiliar headphone mix, no audience to draw energy from, etc. And it’s hard to forget that tape is rolling and every missed note and dropped beat is captured forever. But that’s all part of making jazz music. And with a band of professionals and a top-notch studio and engineer it’s a joyful experience.
Josh, Evan, D’Vonne and I had a dress rehearsal at the studio yesterday and worked out some of the room details, and I’m glad we did. I really wanted us all in the live room so it would be as close to our normal playing experience as possible. But our engineer, PJ Newman, wanted to put Evan in an isolation booth to capture a clean bass sound. I asserted myself as the leader and had him set Evan up in the room with us, but after listening back to the recording I had to admit that PJ was right. From then on, I deferred to him as the expert! We got all of the placement issues out of the way, set all the levels of the various microphones, and ran a couple of the tunes. It was great to have the opportunity to get used to the room before the actual recording session.
On the way to the studio this morning, I told myself that all the hard work was done and that today was about playing music with my beautiful friends and enjoying the experience. I’m so fortunate to have this incredible band and I’m inspired and excited each and every time I get to make music with them. And my fiance Darrah sent me some perfect inspiration this morning by way of this quote:
Imagination is the beginning of creation. You imagine what you desire, you will what you imagine and at last you create what you will. – George Bernard Shaw
With that in mind, I was ready to dive in and fully appreciate the experience.
So this morning we all rolled in about 11am, had a cup of coffee together and leisurely got ready to go. It was relaxed and slow, and set a good pace for the rest of the day. When we got to playing, it took a while to dial in the headphone mix. I always find it hard to get used to hearing myself through headphones, and was fiddling with them all day. The first couple takes of “Bashert” I was distracted by this, but by the third take we had all settled into our groove. I was determined not to do too many takes of any given song, and we did pretty well. Two tunes we got in one take, one tune we tried four takes, and the rest were two or three each. By the time we had gotten through “Bashert”, “Love For Sale”, “Beatrice” and “Dos Gardenias” I was starving and called a break for lunch.
After lunch we were joined by the wonderful tenor saxophonist Cynthia Mullis. I have long admired Cynthia’s playing and was thrilled when she agreed to participate in the recording. We had her come out to our last couple shows to play with us and it’s been a real treat. And I must say, she got us all excited with her playing today. After our first take of “Mance’s Dance” PJ told us we should always eat Indian food before we play, but I’m pretty sure it was Cynthia that got us all hyped and took our playing to a new level. We did a few more takes of Tatum’s tune, nailed “Idle Moments” in one, and then took a couple passes at our mash-up of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” & Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”. Cynthia was tearing it up, and after listening back we were all pleased with what we got. It was sad to say goodbye to her at that point but we had a few more tunes to get through before the day was over.
So we cut Cynthia loose and took two shots at “The Rainbow Connection” and got “Three Hours” is one take. We decide to try one more take of “Bashert” for kicks, and then my chops were done. Trumpet playing is such a physical endeavor, and when they go, they go! I would have loved to take another pass at one or two of the tunes, and we never got to my composition “Contact”, but that’s the way it goes.
After we were done we headed to Lucid for a celebratory drink, where the owner David bought the first round! He’s been super supportive of the band and the recording project and it was nice to end the day in the warm confines of his club. We even got to hear a bit of a new band called Chemical Clock, who were great!
I got home in a state that is all too familiar after playing – tired and wired. I slept for a couple hours but woke up with thoughts of the session in my head and deep gratitude for all my good fortune in my heart. PJ is going to get me the rough mixes tomorrow night, and I can’t wait to hear what we got. The band was absolutely killin’ all day long, and I look forward to getting into the mixing and mastering phase of the project.
Big thanks to Ashwin Rao for bringing his camera and documenting the session. Click here to see a slideshow of his photos.
Recording Day!
It’s recording day for the JPQ, and I’m giddy with excitement. We’ve worked hard over the last few months to prepare for this day and I’m ready to get to the studio and tear it up!
Thanks to all who have participated in the Micropatronage Program so far. Your contributions will be used to pay the band and the studio today. I couldn’t have done it without you. If you haven’t yet participated, now would be a great time.
I’ll post an update later to let you know how it’s going.
Another Wonderful Night at Lucid
The JPQ had another wonderful night at Lucid last night. Josh, D’Vonne and I had the pleasure of sharing the stage with bassist Jon Hamar. This was the first time Jon played with the JPQ, and it was such a joy to have him with us. His playing is soulful, his time rock-solid, and his personality fit in great with the laid-back vibe of the band. And when I asked him if he wanted to see any of our music or hear some recordings before the gig he said, “No, it’ll be a fun surprise.” What a pro! He read our book beautifully all night long.
Once again Lucid was standing-room-only most of the night. This time there were more unfamiliar faces in the crowd, which is always cool. And I even had two people there sign up for the Micropatronage Program! The “Parker’s Mood” cocktails were flowing liberally and everyone had a great time.
We were also fortunate to be joined by some good friends throughout the evening. Saxophonist Cynthia Mullis played three tunes with us in the first set; our mash-up of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” & Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints”, Tatum Greenblatt’s “Mance’s Dance”, and Duke Pearson’s “Idle Moments”, all of which we’re going to record with Cynthia on Wednesday. Vocalist Connor Desai sang a spirited version of the classic “Since I Fell For You” in the second set. And the third set featured both saxophonist Jacob Stickney and drummer Adam Kessler playing on another Wayne Shorter composition “Adam’s Apple, and saxophonist Hal Rose guesting on “There Is No Greater Love”. Thanks to everyone for adding to the festivities.
And thanks to Ashwin Rao for coming out and getting some great shots of the band, including the one in this post. Check out his blog for some amazing photography!
We’ll be back at Lucid in ealry May. This is quickly becoming my favorite club to play and I hope you’ll come check it out.
Jason Parker Music Newsletter
Each month I send out a newsletter to update folks on gigs I’m playing and news from the trenches. I use a great company called , who now gives each newsletter its own unique URL as well.
To view the April edition of Keepin’ Time with Jason Parker Music click here.
Click here to be added to the mailing list to receive future newsletters. On the second page check the box next to Jason Parker Music.
Beth & Chad’s Beautiful Wedding
We had the pleasure of celebrating Beth & Chad’s wedding last night at Ray’s Boathouse in Ballard. I met with them at their house about a month ago and they immediately felt like friends. They are warm and welcoming, and we talked about weddings, music, living in Seattle and their new kitty Gus. Beth was extremely organized and a pleasure to work with and told me that they just wanted us to do our thing, which is always great to hear.
So last night Josh, D’Vonne, Evan and I were joined by the lovely Katrina Wible on vocals. Katrina is one of my favorite singers in town because she’s a true musician, and she can sing just about anything, from Ella Fitzgerald to Stevie Wonder and everything in between! Check out her band Soul Kata for some great tunes.
Everyone at the wedding was just as nice as the happy couple themselves, and we received many great compliments. The best was from the mother of the bride, who told me that they’ve had 4 weddings for their 3 children and we’re the best band of them all! Once the dance floor was opened up it was crowded all night long.
Big thanks to Kaycee Parker of Parker Events and her assistant Tali for a great job coordinating the evening. Kaycee is a pro and kept everything running smoothly and calmly all night long. And I had the pleasure of meeting a new photographer, Ashwin Rao, who takes gorgeous pictures. He and his assistant Chris were fun and lively, and got some amazing shots of the band. All the photos you see here are Ashwin’s. He’s is a full-time sports medicine physician, and only shoots a handful of weddings each year, but if you’re lucky to hire him you won’t be disappointed. You can view a slide show of his photos of the JPQ and Katrina here.
Thanks also to the staff at Ray’s for taking such good care of us. I had an amazing plate of Gnocchi for dinner!
We’re #9, We’re #9!
As mentioned below my composition “Bashert” was recently the featured downlad at All About Jazz. We are now the 9th most downloaded song in the last 10 days! And I even got a new participant in the Micropatronage Program as a result. Thanks to all who have checked it out.
“Bashert” is the Featured Download at All About Jazz
My composition “Bashert” from the Jason Parker Quartet album Live at JazzTV is the featured download today at All About Jazz.com! Please head over there and take a listen. This is one of the songs we are going to record for our new CD next month, but I’m very proud of the live version as well.
If you haven’t been to All About Jazz.com before you should take a look around. It’s a great resource for both big time and independent jazz artists, and they feature a free download every day. Two of the songs from our first album were featured a while back as well, “Down” and “You and Me”.
$1000 Mark Reached in the Micropatronage Program!
On February 28th I made this post and launched the Micropatronage program for the forthcoming Jason Parker Quartet CD. Today, with your generous support, we reached the $1000 mark! And I mean “we”, because I couldn’t have done it without you.
I have been humbled and overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from my family, friends and colleagues. With this support we will be able to make the record I’ve always dreamed of making, and document my amazing band two years into our development. I can’t tell you how much this means to me, and I hope you will feel a great deal of ownership and pride in the project, as do I.
If you haven’t yet become a Patron, believe me when I tell you that every $10 makes a huge difference. One patron at a time we will reach our goals and by the end of the summer I will present to you the fruits of our labors. I can’t wait to share the new music with you and show you exactly what your support will allow us to accomplish.
My deepest love and gratitude goes out to you. Thank you.
University District Jazz Walk
I’m excited to take part in the first University District Jazz Walk. On April 2nd, 12 different venues in the U-District will feature jazz acts all night long, and Josh Rawlings and I will be playing as a duo at Herkimer Coffee from 6-8pm.
This is the first jazz walk to be held in the U-District and is being put on by the good folks at Lucid Jazz Club as part of their celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month. Every show is free (except at Galway Arms), and there’s even free parking at the University Heights Community Center.
Come on out, walk The Ave, hear some great music, and be a part of the celebration of Americ’a original art form!
And a reminder – The Jason Parker Quartet will be playing at Lucid on April 4th. Come check out the full band at Seattle’s newest jazz club and try our signature cocktail, “Parker’s Mood”.
Water Babies Are Back, Baby!
After almost a year off, I’m thrilled that my band Water Babies returns to the stage tonight at Lo-Fi Performance Gallery! It’s been too long since we’ve dropped our signature brand of Spontaneous Funk on the good people of Seattle, and we’re ready to blow the roof off the sucka!
Check out our debut album “Draw Me A Bath” to get an idea of the funky goodness that will fill the air tonight, and then get yer booty to Lo-Fi! We’ll play a couple sets between 9-12, and then The Teaching will take over for The Hang.
Water Babies is:
Jason Parker – trumpet & flugelhorn
Josh Rawlings – Fender rhodes
Aaron Kassover – electric & acoustic bass
Brad Gibson – drums & percussion
Lucid Was a Blast!
We had a most amazing show at Lucid on Saturday night! It was our first time playing at Seattle’s newest jazz club and honestly I had no idea what to expect. I had met the owner, David, and had seen the room, but you never know what’s going to happen on your maiden voyage at a new venue. Will anyone show up? Will the sound be good? Will the band adapt to the new setting? Well, what happened blew my mind!
Even before we started playing the room was starting to fill, and by the time we finished our first set it was standing room only! The vibe in the room was warm and friendly, the drinks were flowing liberally, and the band was ON.
We ran through some of the new tunes we’re working on for the recording and dusted off some old favorites as well. The new stuff went over well and our arrangements worked great in the live setting. It was fun playing “Dos Gardenias”, “Three Hours” and “Idle Moments”. And “Bashert” was particularly inspired, perhaps because Darrah and her family were in the house.
It was also nice to be able to invite some friends up to join us, including Richelle Gay, who sang beautifully on our mash-up of “Footprints/Summertime”. My soon-to-be-cousin Keith Beesley joined us on soprano sax on “If I Were a Bell” and tore it up. Harold Rosenkrans brought is signature tenor style to Wayne Shorter’s “Adam’s Apple”. And Randy Powers busted out his flugel for an inspired version of Miles Davis’s “All Blues”.
It was a beautiful night of music and the love in the room was palpable. David has created the kind of club that every musician wants to play and I hope you’ll go check it out when you get the chance (we’ll be back at Lucid on April 4th). And I can’t thank him enough for creating our new signature cocktail, “Parker’s Mood”, and donating $1 from each sale to the Micropatronage program.
And as always, it is inspiring and a true joy to play with my incredible band. Thank you Josh, Evan and D’Vonne for bringing your fire, your spirit and your love to the JPQ.
Earshot Previews Our Lucid Gig
There is a preview of our upcoming gig at Lucid in the March edition of Earhot Jazz Magazine. They called me “trumpet upstart”! Not sure what that means but I like it! And I dig the last line “…check out the next generation of Seattle Jazz”. Come see what all the fuss is about on Saturday, March 14. 
ArtZone Video is Streaming!
We had such a fantastic afternoon at the ArtZone TV taping the other day! They treated us like kings from the moment we arrived until the moment we left, with hugs all around, our own personal green-room, and the best part: cheese! And I must say they run a professional and tight ship, and we’re honored to be on the show. Big thanks to Nancy, Sheila, Travis and Greg. Click here to watch the show.
JPQ on ArtZone TV Thursday at 8pm
As mentioned in an earlier post, the JPQ is excited to be the featured performer on Nancy Guppy’s program ArtZone on the Seattle Channel. We’ll be featured on the the episode that airs on Comcast Cable channel 21 at 8:00pm this Thursday, March 5th. They rebroadcast the show all weekend long if you miss the premiere, and it will be available to stream on the web at Seattle Channel.org. Tune in to hear my original tune “Bashert” and snippets of our take on “One Mint Julep”.
Here we are after the taping with Nancy:
