By chance, I found a tiny, telling detail on singer Kelley Johnson’s
lead sheet for the classic ballad “Moon River,” one that would be
perfectly at home in a graphic score for an avant vocalist. At first, I
thought it was one of those arcane chord symbols that sometimes get
scribbled on jazz charts, but the glyph—(ah
aw)—reveals Johnson’s dedication to
endowing words with the right rhythmic weight and emotional
heft.
When I mention it, Johnson laughs, “You’ve found a little secret of
singing.” She says such directions are crucial. “It’s not just about
how to get the voice to be in tune, but to find beauty and longing in
‘Moon River.’ Sound itself communicates so much. Your tone needs to fit
the song, otherwise the lyrics won’t tell the story.”
On her latest disc, Home (Sapphire Records), Johnson sings
superbly, sculpting the words in up-tempo renditions of “Rose
Colored Glasses” and “A Lovely Night.” Mancini’s schmaltzy “Moon River”
gets transformed into a yearning nocturne while “Home,” penned by
Johnson and Jim Knapp, is a shuffling, bluesy lament.
Johnson keeps her Home bandmates close by; for this
CD-release show, the trumpeter Ingrid Jensen joins an expanded lineup
of Johnson’s group, which features multihorn wizard Jay Thomas, bassist
Paul Gabrielson, John Hansen on piano, and drummer Jon Wikan. 
Catch Kelley Johnson and her quintet Wed July 30, Triple Door,
7:30 pm, $18 adv/$20 DOS, all ages.
Thurs 7/24
MICHAEL SHRIEVE’S SPELLBINDER
Shrieve, revered as the original drummer of Santana, leads a group
devoted to incubating fusion in its purest sense: not the slick,
radio-friendly pap critics love to hate, but a vintage, rough-hewn
translation of jazz and blues-based improvisation to rock through
amplification, an expanded timbral palette, and dilated forms that
liberate (and potentially delude) musicians with generous solo space.
Also Mon July 28 at ToST at 9 pm. City Hall, 600 Fourth Ave, 684-7171,
noon–1:30 pm, free.
EARTHA KITT
You remember her as Catwoman from the original Batman TV series, but
Kitt has been purring cabaret and show tunes in multiple languages for
over half a century. Kitt’s sharp, sometimes snarling, always sassy
enunciation marks her as a breed unto herself. Meow! Through Sun July
27. Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave, 441-9729, 7:30 pm,
$32.50–$35.50.
Fri 7/25
HOPE WECHKIN
Chiefly known for singing with the much-missed chamber group
Sorelle, Wechkin reprises her one-woman show, Charisma. The soprano
portrays a hospital patient who sings and plays the violin
simultaneously while coping with a cavalcade of unusual characters.
Also Sat July 26 at 2 and 7:30 pm. Seattle Academy of Arts &
Sciences Theatre, 1100 12th Ave E, 7:30 pm, $12 adv/$15 DOS.
KAREN SHIVERS
I love drummerless jazz combos. Freed of the steady broadband
percussive pulse of the cymbals and bass drum, the ears can focus on
the rhythmic interplay of the other instruments and really get inside
the tunes. As part of Pony Boy Records’s “Jazz & Sushi” series,
vocalist Shivers fronts such a trio with pianist Bill Anschell.
Hiroshi’s Restaurant, 2501 Eastlake Ave E, 726-4966, 7:30–10 pm,
free.
SCMS SUMMER FESTIVAL
Although the main 8 pm concert serves up interesting
pieces—some Tanayev, a Beethoven trio, and Variations on a Theme
by Schumann for four-hands piano by Brahms—the free 7 pm recital
looks more compelling. Nathan Hughes and Anna Polonsky present a
microfestival of works for oboe and piano, including Eugène
Bozza’s “Fantaisie Pastoral,” Britten’s aptly titled “Two Insect Pieces
for Oboe and Piano,” and the gorgeous Sonata for Oboe and Piano by
Francis Poulenc. Unlike the festival’s concerts, the 7 pm recitals are
not broadcast on KING 98.1 FM. You have to go to get the music. Through
Fri Aug 1. Lakeside School, 14050 First Ave NE, 283-8808, 8 pm,
$8–$38.
Sat 7/26
MICHAEL GENDREAU
While David Byrne recently garnered a ton of press for inducing
sonic vibrations from the Battery Maritime Building in New York, other
artists have been practicing similar sonic architecture for years,
notably Michael Gendreau and the fraternal team of Mark and John Bain.
Better known as one-half of Crawling with Tarts, Gendreau applies
sensors and other apparatus to wrest structural sounds from one of our
burg’s best performance venues. Don’t miss it. Fourth floor Chapel
Performance Space, Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave N,
789-1939, 8 pm, $5–$15 sliding scale donation.
PARITY 4
Pianist Gust Burns curates a summer series exploring connections
between improvised and composed music. The main difference between the
two rests not in content but the rate and pace of creation. Burns
juxtaposes a solo piano improvisation with Adrian Varner’s recital of
Music for Marcel Duchamp for prepared piano by John Cage, Lou
Harrison’s seldom heard Six Sonatas for Cembalo or Piano written in
1943, two pieces by Jarrad Powell, and the “Piano Pieces for Children”
of Toru Takemitsu. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave, 322-1533, 8 pm, free,
but donations accepted.
Sun 7/27
TSSS CONCERT
The Tallis Scholars Summer School opens. Conductor and scholar Peter
Phillips leads the Tudor Choir and members of the renowned English
ensemble Tallis Scholars in choral works by William Byrd (including
“Laudibus in sanctis” and “Ave verum corpus”), Phillipe de Monte’s
“Super flumina Babylonis,” “Verbum caro” by John Sheppard, and more.
St. James Cathedral, 804 Ninth Ave, 382-4874, 8 pm, suggested donation
$20/students and seniors pay as able.
Tues 7/29
GRETA MATASSA
For those who love jazz but heed an early bedtime, this installment
of the downtown Out to Lunch series is a treat. Matassa sings the
blues, jazz, and pop standards with sass and arch wit. Occidental
Square, S Main St and Occidental Ave, noon–1:30 pm, free.
Wed 7/30
JOHN EDWARDS
A linchpin of London’s improvised music scene, bassist Edwards teams
up with a slew of local improvisers. Also Thurs July 31 with Amy Denio
and another Londoner, Seattle-born trombonist/vocalist Caroline
Kraabel. Gallery 1412, 1412 18th Ave, 322-1533, 8 pm, free, but
donations accepted.
