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Saturday January 19:
Nancy King w/ Steve Christofferson (also May 24)
The Grammy-nominated vocal jazz icon from Portland was featured along with Jon Hendricks on Karrin Allyson’s album “Footprints.” Allyson said of King: “she is, I think, one of the best singers that ever walked the planet”.
Click here for more information. |
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Friday, January 25:
Jennifer Scott and Kristen Strom
A new international jazz group with heralded Canadian jazz vocalist/pianist Jennifer Scott and S.F. Bay Area saxophonist Kristen Strom who’s well–known for her melodic, engaging style.
Click here for more information. |
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Saturday, January 26:
Madeline Eastman Quartet
Often referred to as a "singer's singer", San Francisco-based Madeline Eastman has been lauded for her original, “hip” take on the music prompting CD Review to write, “She doesn’t tinker aimlessly, she reconstructs with purpose…”
Click here for more information. |
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Thur-Sat, Feb 14-16:
Rebecca Parris
“Her voice, a rich contralto with a baritone resonance, is so commanding that when a song’s attitude is combative, she can scare you. But when the mood is playful, she can also enfold you in a musical bear hug… makes for a style that lends much of what she sings a cosmic dimension.” – Stephen Holden, NY Times
Click here for more information. |
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Friday, March 28:
Kat Parra
SF Bay Area based vocalist Kat Parra has leapt beyond the boundaries of Latin jazz to include Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, Middle Eastern, South American folklore as well as Nueva Trova music to take audiences on an exciting and vibrant journey of world music.
Click here for more information. |
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Saturday, March 29:
Karin Plato (also June 14)
Vancouver B.C.'s Karin Plato, a rising star in the jazz world, continues to astonish and mesmerize listeners with her captivating vocals and refined technique. A Bake's Place favorite, Karin is a talent that must be experienced.
Click here for more information. |
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Fri-Sat, April 11-12:
Jackie Ryan
"Extraordinary -- a world-class talent!" Don Heckman, jazz critic for the Los Angeles Times, calls her. And it's no wonder. She has a magnetic stage presence. Wherever she performs - domestically, or in Europe, Japan, Australia, Canada.
Click here for more information. |
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Fri-Sat, April 18-19:
Linda Ciofalo Trio
The innovative jazz singer Mark Murphy said it best: "Linda Ciofalo is an absolute bundle of joy. Wait ‘til you hear her sing, you're in heaven!" New York based Ciofalo’s repertoire ranges from such diverse sources as bluesman John Lee Hooker to Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Broadway. Her voice can be both hard-hitting and gutsy, or lend itself to pure romance.
Click here for more information. |
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Fri-Sat, May 9-10:
Nancy Kelly Quartet
Nancy was “Born to Swing”. During her thirty-plus year career she has honed her trademark swing/bop take no prisoners style in front of audiences across the U.S. and abroad. Downbeat magazine’s reader’s poll voted Kelly the title of “best female jazz vocalist” two years in a row; she appears regularly in New York City.
Click here for more information. |
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Saturday, May 31:
Bassist/vocalist Belinda Underwood and Master Pianist Benny Green
A dynamic musical team characterized by unmistakable onstage chemistry. Underwood’s vocals are sultry and hypnotic and Green’s piano is exciting and hard-swinging in the Bud Powell mold. Green, one of the most sought after pianists today, has played with jazz greats Art Blakey and Ray Brown among others.
Click here for more information. |
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Saturday, June 28:
Jeni Fleming Trio
With a powerful blend of voice, guitar, double bass and occasionally tenor sax, this popular trio creates an enchanting mix of styles from Jazz to folk, classic pop like the Beatles and Jerry Jeff Walker, Bossa Nova and original works.
Click here for more information. |
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Saturday, August 23:
Amanda Jantzen
"An enthusiastic and charismatic performer who is also subtle, Amandah Jantzen is a constant joy, both musically and personally. She is on her way to becoming a major name in the overlapping worlds of jazz, cabaret and classic American pop music." - Scott Yanow, Los Angeles
Click here for more information. |
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AN INTERVIEW WITH
OWNER CRAIG BAKER:
Tell us about the VISITING SONGBIRD series. How did it come about?
Craig Baker: Well, Bake’s Place has always specialized in vocalists, but, with a few exceptions, like Freddy Cole and Rebecca Parris, we’ve had singers from the Northwest. But now with our increased seating capacity, we’re able to bring in national artists. We’re bringing vocalists from New York, San Francisco, and Montana, just to name a few places. These are established artists who travel the country and finally we’re able to offer them the opportunity to include the Seattle area in their tour.
Why vocalists?
I suppose the main reason is that I’m a singer myself. I had my own band in the 60s, although it was a rock band. After I discovered jazz, I made it my mission to bring jazz to people who maybe hadn’t an opportunity to hear it. But another reason is that Bake’s is an ideal venue for singers. It’s the perfect size, seating 74 people; a singer can have eye contact with everyone in the room and that’s important when you’re trying to put across a love song. People listen; when someone like Greta Matassa sings a tender ballad, you could hear a pin drop.
How did you select the singers ?
One of the criteria is to have artists who otherwise might not perform in the area. When you get down to it, there are only three places for them to work -Jazz Alley, which is a large club that brings in big names from various musical styles; Tula’s, a small club that books local artists; and us. Nancy Kelly, for example, is a New York based vocalist who has won the Down Beat award as best vocalist for two consecutive years but has never played in the area.
But another factor, aside from being good singers, is that they have something unique. We don’t want to bring in a bunch of artists who all sing the same way. We have a Latin songbird, for example, Kat Parra; a very cool “hip” vocalist, Madeline Eastman, from San Francisco; a swinging singer Nancy Kelly from New York; bassist–singer Belinda Underwood; pianist-singer Jennifer Scott and so on. Each one is different, so audiences will get a whole spectrum of vocal artistry, not just variations on a single theme.
I understand that you’ve just remodeled the club.
Yes, we removed the fireplace, which actually split the room in half, making one half unusable as a listening space. Then we moved and enlarged the stage. We purchased leather chairs and upgraded the lighting and sound systems.
One artist who was here recently, the great pianist Benny Green, said it was one of his favorite places to play. That made us feel good because he’s played all over the world.
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