Parker Gambino

Stephanie Porter – Sunset Hill Community Association  – 10 February 2024

The venue was the Sunset Hill Community Hall, where I am a regular open mic performer.  Jazz stylist Porter was the entertainment for the annual meeting.  Great pipes, localist-informed warm rapport, and the first time I’ve heard lyrics to “Desafinado”!  (Slight digression here, as I delve into the history and twists and turns of Desafinado, good luck with this website!( https://www.kuvo.org › desafinado-stories-of-standards ).

https://stephanieporter.com/
https://www.tonyfostermusic.com/

Stephanie Porter

Tony Foster

Steve Yusen

Geoff Cooke

Carl Christensen & the Local Flora Band – Conor Byrne Pub, Seattle – 27 January 2024

This was billed as Carl Christensen & the Local Flora Band “Second Crossover Episode”.  The format called for a series of singer/songwriters (including Chistensen himself) to each perform a couple of numbers solo, and then a couple more backed by the full-on band.  A great strategy for maximizing attendance at the pub, as well as my opportunity to experience a broader assortment of performers in a concentrated time/space.  And talk about concentrated!  I abandoned all hope of using any medium other than the most basic, a Sharpie.  I no longer have the stamina for extended standing sessions amid a crowd, so I ducked after the first three acts.

https://www.instagram.com/carlc.lfb/

https://amylaybourn.com/

https://www.facebook.com/FMstereochild/

https://www.nextmusiccompany.com/taryn-hadfield

Carl Christensen

Avi Knight

Jesse Floyd

Tom Corey

Tim Sturgill

Amy Laybourn

FM Stereochild

Taryn Hadfield

Tuba Duo –   Ballard Farmers Market  –  24 December 2023

This duo is apparently more than just of the “tuba” kind (check the last names).  Their appearance at the market is seasonal, with holiday tunes galore, arranged with tiny flourishes of tongue-in-puffed-cheek scattered throughout.

Tuba Duo

Holiday Harps – Broadview Branch, Seattle Public Library  –  2 December 2023

Harpist Susi Hussong is a teacher, and this was a student recital.  So there was some range of skill among the players in rendering the holiday-themed program, which alternated between solo and ensemble (of various size) performances.  Even those towards the beginner end of the scale projected delight!  There were about 10 harps in the crowded room, and even more performers, so there was some seat-and-instrument switching, a kind of “musical harps” shuffle (groan, yes I did go there), with occasional accompaniment by bells, violin, guitar.   Hussong herself did not perform; seated next to me, she gently silently exhorted, and conducted for the ensemble selections.  Everyone had their chance to shine, though I could manage only four portraits.

Molly Keller

Aeron Langford

Molly Gough

Poppy Neukom

Busking Seattle – Ballard Farmers Market  –  29 October 2023

Two solo guitar/singer acts this day.  Rubin I had actually seen on an earlier date, but just as he as finishing his set and dashing off to his waiting ride.  He channels the youthful Bob Zimmerman pretty well.  Evergreen, with a fuller voice that suggested some formal training, was into Paul Simon’s “Kathy’s Song” when I came upon him.  He kept returning here and there to repeat the same verses in what I’d call a fragmented way, and I thought to myself, “Oh no, a one-song set” (nice turn of trick reffing One-Trick Pony, whose stream of consciousness ends up at Blair Brown (https://parkergambino.com/?p=1851).  Yes, I’ll always digress to strain shoulder self-back-patting!  But he (like me) snapped out of it and moved on to other stuff, to my relief and enjoyment.

Marty Rubin

Jonathan Evergreen

Urban Sketchers – Swansons Nursery, Seattle  – 26 October 2023

Swansons is a scenic and accommodating establishment; in the past I have scored numerous plants there for my own vegetable garden.  My original intention was to just go with graphite, a recently acquired (see the August 2nd USk posting) vintage Eagle “Chemi-Sealed” Draughting 314 pencil, to better familiarize myself with its capabilities.  But later I decided to go further with the Bladimiro portrait, so I added substantial watercolor, colored pencil, and Photoshop chromatics at home.  The photo shows me at work on the Buddhas.  Fay had trouble tearing herself away from the sketching, and nearly missed the throwdown and group photo (which I have not yet gotten my hands on).

Pumpkins Center Stage

Fay

Parker & Kay sketching Buddhas

Buddhas, etc.

Bladimiro stringing the lights

Live Aloha Hawai‘ian Cultural Festival – Seattle Center  –  10 September 2023

Wow, packed day, never took a break from non-stop sketching, bouncing between the two performance stages.  So didn’t have a chance to scarf until all was over, and by then the food vendors had sold all the good stuff and were packing up.  I’m pretty much out of touch with what’s happening musically in Hawai‘i, so all of the musical acts were new to me.  The pall of the Lahaina fire disaster rallied the community of Seattle Hawai‘ians and sympathizers in solidarity and support, even had me opening wallet.

To my ear, the trios ‘Uhu‘uhene and Hi‘ikua are steeped in the Gabby Pahinui Hawai‘ian Renaissance tradition, deservedly cherished.  Musical pedigrees abound.  In addition to performing with Hi‘ikua, Kamuela Kimokeo serves as head of the Music Department at Windward Community College.  Chin is one of those modern uke slingers who does not accept hackneyed clichés about his instrument.  Yes he’s got the traditional down, but embraces varied non-Hawai‘ian influences as well; at this gig, he busted out a dynamite instrumental “Girl From Ipanema” in tribute to the departed Astrud Gilberto.  Wehilei’s website touts her as “a Kohala girl lost in her island reggae world”, a stylistic departure from the aforementioned acts, more world-music oriented, and perhaps more for the young-‘uns, not so much the hula dancers.

‘Uhe’uhene

Wehilei

Neal Chin

Hi’ikua

https://www.facebook.com/Uheuhene/

https://wehileimusic.com/

https://www.nealchin.com/

https://www.facebook.com/p/Hiikua-Music-100063631783839/

*I am posting this link instead of a dot-com link (expired?) that I found at several locations, as that one misdirects to an unrelated site

LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends –  Westlake Park, Seattle  –  7 September 2023

Bell has got Philly soul royalty in his blood, with connections to the Gamble & Huff stable; he keeps his end up, having written (with confrère Casey James) songs recorded by Elton John, among others.  His home base is in the Puget Sound area.  Bassist Morgan is the “only friend” who goes back the furthest with Bell, and he handles a lot of the set announcing and patter.  The music gets people movin” & shakin’!

LeRoy Bell and His Only Friends

Busking Seattle – Ballard Farmers Market  –  27 August 2023

Cavazos is a ragtime blues fingerpicker extraordinaire.  His rig is less than 20 years old, but has mileage making it look four times that, due to his incessant practice regime.  He suggested a new  source for my next finger pick purchase.  Goings fronts a band at times; here he worked with a recorded backing track for his horn and vocal stylings.  Cachiguango, also working with backing track, alternated between the straight flute-type woodwind shown and the pan-pipes (AKA siku).  He also had instruments for sale.

Nick Cavazos

Reggie Goings

Luis Cachiguango

HyperResonance Sax Ensemble – Ballard Locks, Seattle,  – 13 August 2023

The HyperResonance quartet had its balanced ensemble sound blend VERY together.  The opening chestnut, “My Favorite Things”, got the performance off to a great start with its Coltrane invocation/reference.  Leary’s MC duties included a brief introduction to the variety of saxophones in action.  The wide-ranging program content was also well-blended, including selections of show tunes, movie music, and classical.

HyperResonance Sax Ensemble