Saturday, oct. 6
JAZZ joe baque
Jazz musicians are some of the coolest cats you’ll ever meet. Sure, they possess an aura of superiority, but they have earned this right. The Ben Moore Restaurant in Olympia will play host to some of these ultra-hip hipsters every week with their Saturday Night Jazz Series.
Up to bat first is one of the grooviest jazz pianists ever to tickle the ivories, Joe Baque. Pronounced in French as “Bach,” it is almost as if Baque were destined to play piano, and his career has been amazing as he has accompanied the likes of Lena Horne, Stan Getz and Louie Armstrong and has played at such legendary clubs as the Roxy, Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall. The one-time pianist for the NBC orchestra settled in the Northwest much to the delight of local jazz connoisseurs in 1984 and has been a staple on the scene ever since.
Not limited, Baque’s repertoire includes classical, folk, rock as well as jazz. I could only find one solo album by the beret wearing pianist but it’s a doozy. Choices features such top notch players as guitarist Pat Locke, drummer Brad Gibson and vocalist LaVon Hardison. The disc is truly a diamond in the rough. — Tony Engelhart
[Ben Moore Restaurant, 9 p.m., no cover, 112 Fourth Ave. W., Olympia, 360.357.7527]
Saturday, Oct. 6
POP ROCK kenny loggins
I had no idea that Kenny Loggins was from Everett, did you? Learn something new every day. The soundtrack king will return home, kind of, Saturday for a show at the Emerald Queen Casino.
“Your Mamma Don’t Dance” remains one of my all time favorite songs and was my first exposure to the bearded singer/songwriter. At the time, Loggins was a part of the power pop duo Loggins and Messina who enjoyed a string of hits in the early ’70s. The one-time staff songwriter was born to bask in the spotlight and although Jim Messina emerged as the principal writer, Loggins’ wild innocence and exuberant energy won over the fans.
After the pair split in 1976, Loggins went on his own, and the results were more rewarding than had ever been while with his former collaborator. His solo efforts sold millions, and soon Hollywood came knocking. Loggins enjoyed success with “I’m Alright” (“Caddyshack”), “Footloose” (“Footloose”), “Danger Zone” (“Top Gun”) and “Nobody’s Fool” (“Caddyshack II”). Loggins’ hit making machine dried as he became more introspective and less pop oriented. While he hasn’t released any new material since 2003, he has four decades of great songs to draw from for his energetic love performances. — TE
[Emerald Queen Casino, 8:30 p.m., $40-$75 at Ticketmaster, 2024 E. 29th St., Tacoma, 888.831.3555]
Sunday, Oct. 7
FUZZ POP spider and the webs
A few months ago I interviewed Chris Sutton about his band Hornet Leg.
Or should I say one of his bands.
Like many who’ve spent time incubating in the cozy confines of Oly, Sutton is in a number of different bands, one of them being the soul meets garage rock outfit Hornet Leg, and one of the others being the psychedelic fuzz pop threesome Spider and the Webs.
I’m sure the list goes on.
The important thing to note is not that Sutton is in too many bands to keep track of, it’s that Spider and the Webs will play the Midnight Sun in Olympia Sunday, Oct 7.
The beautiful thing about being an indie rock band is — if you’re good, you can turn all your rough edges into attributes. Spider and the Webs aren’t elite musicians, and singer Tobi Vail’s vocals don’t drop any jaws — but as a band Spider and the Webs are just sloppy enough to be endearing, and rock and roll enough to make all their blemishes marks of beauty.
Spider and the Webs just feel right. They play it with passion, and that’s enough for me. — Matt Driscoll
[Midnight Sun, with Underground Railroad to Candyland, Sunday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m., all ages, 113 Columbia St., Olympia]
Wednesday, Oct. 10
JAZZ the tiptons saxophone quartet and drums
A brief definition of jazz in Webster is: “music marked by intricate, propulsive rhythms, polyphonic ensemble playing, improvisatory, virtuosic solos, melodic freedom, and a harmonic idiom ranging from simple diatonicism through chromaticism to atonality.”
Some big words, no? In layman’s terms it means jazz is free flowing and improvised over a constructed format. To be honest, I am not an authority on the genre. But, I know when something appeals to my sense of sound, and the jazz ensemble called The Tiptons most definitely does just that.
Four saxophones and a drummer might seem a bit quirky, but it works flawlessly as the Seattle-based quintet of Amy Denio (alto sax and voice), Jessica Lurie (alto, tenor sax and voice), Sue Orfield (tenor sax and voice), Tina Richerson (baritone sax and voice) and Faith Stankevich (drums) takes jazz, turns it on its head and shakes it feverishly. A bit like the band Morphine without a lead vocalist, they lay back the tempos to a snail pace while they groove with a heroin chic timbre that is intoxicating. While they have built a reputation as a killer live act, their seven CDs are nothing to sneeze at. Their latest, Tsunami, mixes jazz in the company of some electronica and world with cartoon colors. — TE
[Art House, 8 p.m., $12, 420B Franklin St. S.E., Olympia, 360.943.3377]