Mindi Abair @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents contemporary saxophonist and singer/songwriter Mindi Abair for four nights. Band members joining are Jay Fore (guitar), Rodney Lee (keys), Derek Frank (bass) and Jamey Tate (drums). Set times Thursday through Sunday at 7:30pm and Thursday through Saturday at 9:30pm. Doors open at 6:00 pm on Thursday and 5:30 pm Friday through Sunday.

“I was a fan the moment I saw a tape of one of her concerts. Her ability to connect with the crowd and appeal to jazz fans as well as those who aren’t as familiar with her, makes her such an exciting artist, and I was thrilled to have her as a guest on my tour.” -Josh Groban

Singer/Songwriter Mindi Abair has broken many boundaries as she continues to define the less traditional future of jazz. Her own brand of pop and soul meets jazz adds a refreshingly unique voice to an exciting new generation of crossover artists. She was raised on the road with her father’s band, but this is not your father’s jazz band. Mindi brings a fearless energy and abandon to the stage as a powerhouse on the saxophone, hearkening back to the days of Junior Walker or King Curtis.

She’s been the featured saxophonist on the 2011 and 2012 seasons of “American Idol,” won Best International Instrumentalist at the 2011 Wave Awards in Toronto, and won Best Female Artist of the Year at the 2011 Oasis Contemporary Jazz Awards. She also appeared this season on the Fran Drescher show “Happily Divorced.” Multi-talented Mindi has even authored a book, How To Play Madison Square Garden – A Guide To Stage Performance. Her solo career has produced 10 #1 radio singles and 5 major label solo releases that have topped the Contemporary Jazz Charts. Mindi has hosted the internationally syndicated radio show “Chill With Mindi Abair” for 6 years. She is an elected governor for the Los Angeles Chapter of NARAS, and is an Artist Ambassador for Campbell’s Labels for Education and The Grammy Foundation.

Mindi is currently touring the US and abroad with her band. The list of artists she has toured or recorded with are a testament to her talent. They include Aerosmith, Keb’ Mo’, Lalah Hathaway, Duran Duran, Lee Ritenour, the Backstreet Boys, Mandy Moore, Max Weinberg, Bill Champlin, David Pack, Mocean Worker, Adam Sandler, Rick Braun, Teena Marie, Bobby Lyle, Jonathan Butler, and Peter White.

February 28-March 3, 2013

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121

Kenny G @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents Seattle’s own Grammy-winning saxophonist Kenny G for 4 nights and 8 shows. Band members are TBA. Show times at 7:30p and 9:30p Thursday – Sunday.

In a recording career that spans almost three decades and 23 albums, Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G has grafted elements of R&B, pop and Latin to a jazz foundation solidifying his reputation as the premiere artist in contemporary jazz. Since the early ‘80s, his combination of unparalleled instrumental chops and indelible melodies has resulted in sales of more than 75 million records worldwide (45 million in the U.S. alone) and more than a dozen climbs to the top of Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart.

Given these and other commercial and critical achievements, one might think Kenny is an artist with nothing to prove but he once again reaffirms his enduring place in popular music with the June 29, 2010, release of Heart and Soul on Concord Records.

On this second outing with Concord, Kenny is enjoying an unprecedented sense of creative freedom that has enabled him to make one of the best records of his career – one that’s true to his roots and true to his creative vision. “Usually, when artists are left to do what they do best, the results are better than what happens when they’re told what to do,” he says. “That doesn’t mean there can’t or shouldn’t be some sense of collaboration with producers and A&R people, but in the end, the choices and the decisions should be mine. It’s the artist’s job to be true to the integrity of his art. If he is, then things always work out well. Heart and Soul is an example of that kind of clarity and integrity, and it’s a record I’m very proud of.”

January 24-27, 2013

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121

Peter White @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley welcomes acoustic jazz guitarist Peter White touring in support of his 2012 release, Here We Go. Band members joining Mr. White are Gregg Karukas (keyboard), Michael Paulo (sax), Darryl Williams (bass) and Eric Valentine (drums). Showtimes are 7:30 and 9:30 Thursday through Saturday and 7:30 on Sunday. Doors are at 6pm on Thursday and 5:30 Friday – Sunday.

Nominated for Centric’s 2012 Soul Train in the category for Best Contemporary Jazz Artist/Group, Peter White has maintained a reputation as one of the most versatile and prolific acoustic guitarists on the contemporary jazz landscape. Armed with an unparalleled combination of lyricism and energy, he combines elements of jazz, pop and classical guitar to create a sound that is singular and at the same time accessible to a broad audience.

A sense of adventure is at the heart of White’s thirteenth solo recording, Here We Go (2012). The 11-song set, co-produced by White and DC (George Benson, Larry Carlton, Bob James, Patty Austin), features several high-profile guest musicians, including saxophonists David Sanborn and Kirk Whalum, and pianist Philippe Saisse, and includes a range of original material written in the recent and distant past. “I wanted variety,” says White. “I wanted songs that moved me, in the hopes that they’ll move the listener as well. I’m on a journey, and I want to bring with me anyone who’s willing to follow.”

Like his previous album, Good Day (2009), Here We Go is a collection of songs written and recorded to move people on a level that’s beyond any preconceived concepts. “When I start recording, I don’t have a vision,” White freely admits. “I just go with the moment – what feels good, what sounds good. The vision comes out of the music. The music doesn’t come out of the vision.”

In a career that spans nearly four decades, over a dozen solo recordings and countless performances, White insists that it’s the faces in the crowd and the fans that keep the experience fresh. “I’ll play a live show, and someone will come to me afterward and say, ‘Oh, I loved this CD,’ or ‘This song helped me through a bad time,’” he explains. “Or I get emails from people saying, ‘Oh, I love the way you covered one of my favorite songs on your record back in 1994.’ The idea that someone can write me an email and tell me about something I did on a record that was released fifteen years ago – you can’t buy that. That’s priceless. That’s what keeps me going – the idea that people out there really care about what I do, the idea that I’ve made a difference for someone.”

January 10-13, 2013
$28.50

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, 2033 6th Ave, Seattle, Washington 98121

Peter White @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley

Smooth jazz guitarist Peter White‘s lyrical lines and musical inventiveness are a joy to listen to. The affable Englishman’s charm and playfulness come through in his music, giving his style of smooth jazz a liveliness that others in the genre lack.

Peter White first gained fame with his distinctive guitar style accompanying Al Stewart. During a 20-year tenure with Stewart, he co-wrote many songs, including Stewart’s 1978 top-ten hit “Time Passages”. In the late 1980s, White accompanied Basia on a series of acclaimed albums. In 1996, Basia was featured on White’s album Caravan of Dreams, with vocals on the single “Just Another Day”. Peter White won the award for best Smooth Jazz Musician in the 2007 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. He was named the Best Guitarist at the National Smooth Jazz Awards for four consecutive years from 2000-2003. In 2000, White won three Oasis Smooth Jazz Awards. White’s latest CD on Peak Records, Good Day, marks his eleventh solo release.

February 2-5, 2012  Two shows 7:30pm and 9:30pm.

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley,2033 6th Avenue, Seattle Washington 98121