Rick's Picks of the Week: Tribute to Jim Knapp

Rick's Picks of the Week is a Tribute to Jim Knapp on Wednesday, November 2nd, at 7:30 on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

The Seattle jazz community will come together to celebrate Jim Knapp, a trumpeter, composer, and bandleader who founded the Cornish College's jazz program in the late 70's. Presented by Earshot Jazz Festival, the tribute will include the Jim Knapp Orchestra, the Cornish big band, and surprise musical guests.

Born in Chicago, Knapp received B.A. and M.A. degrees in Music Composition from the University of Illinois where he studied with Kenneth Gaburo and Salvatore Martirano, among others. For the past thirty-eight years he has made Seattle his home, where he has led the Composers and Improvisors Orchestra, various small jazz ensembles, and more recently, the Jim Knapp Orchestra. Currently, he continues to teach and serves as a professor of music at Cornish College of the Arts.

Presented by Earshot Jazz Festival, the tribute will include the Jim Knapp Orchestra, a 15-piece orchestra featuring many of the finest jazz soloists in the Northwest, the Cornish big band, and surprise musical guests.

The Tale of the Backstage Ale

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, a brewmaster for the brewery affectionately known throughout the realm as being the best in the region, realized something was missing. On this particular day, he ardently stumbled into a sophisticated yet dungeons rathskeller.

Once inside, he met the jovial operations controller and his group of eagerly helpful workmen. Impressed with their dedication, he asked the the group if they would like to join him on an adventure- a voyage to find the missing ale. The operations controller and his workmen were beyond honored to help the brewmaster find what the kingdom was missing.

In order to find the absent ale, they embarked on a journey in search of the finest juniper greens, and the matchless Citra and Sorachi Ace hops. Along the way they faced obstacles and trials, but met them head on, and successfully found the ale the kingdom had been missing. Upon their return, they rejoiced and celebrated their triumph by inviting everyone in the royal domain to taste the new found ale. The whole kingdom loved it and the brewmaster, the operations controller and his workmen lived happily ever after.

Ok, maybe this is a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, it went a little something like that.

This past summer, Dick Cantwell, Head Brewer and Co-Owner of Elysian Brewing Company, and Brian McKay, Operations Manager at The Triple Door, met to design a new pale ale exclusively labeled for The Triple Door. With the help of Steve Luke, brewmaster at Elysian Brewing Company, Jason Lock, General Manager at The Triple Door, and Byron Fenske and Andy Snyder, head bartenders at The Triple Door, they created the Backstage Ale.

"I was honored to participate in this project," says McKay. "I've always been an Elysian fan, and being able to work with some of the best brewmasters in the nation was an experience I will never forget."

Designed to complement the sweet and spicy notes of Southeast Asian cuisine, the Backstage Ale is a pale ale with a generous portion of Sorachi Ace hops, Citra hops and fresh juniper greens.

"The finished product is exceedingly well balanced, with just a hint of the juniper on the nose and maybe another tiny hint on the finish," says Kendall Jones, Washington Beer Blog. "The hops are lively but not overbearing. The citrus notes will help this beer pair widely and beautifully with The Triple Door's Pan-Asian menu."

The first batch, of 16 kegs, completely sold out after a soft launch party celebrating The Triple Door's 8th anniversary on September 23rd in the Musicquarium. The public was invited to participate in the celebratory cask tapping by Dick Cantwell and Brian McKay at The Backstage Ale Launch Party on October, 13th. Since then, an average of 850 pints are being sold per week and batches are constantly being brewed to meet demand.

Rick's Picks of the Week: The Campbell Brothers ~ Sacred Steel

Rick's Picks of the Week is The Campbell Brothers ~ Sacred Steel on Sunday, October 23rd at 7:30, on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

Earshot Jazz Festival presents The Campbell Brothers, a sizzling band that delivers a devoutly rocking Holiness-Pentecostal repertoire with growling, wailing, swinging steel.

Pedal-steel guitar ace Chuck Campbell joins his brother's, lap-steel playing Darick and electric guitarist Phil, along with Phil's son, Carlton on the drums, and Katie Jackson with her soul-curing vocals. The Campbell Brothers create a lively and bluesy twist to the traditional sound of African-American gospel music.

See The Campbell Brothers ~ Sacred Steel live October 23rd at 7:30 on the Mainstage.

Rick's Picks of the Week: Robben Ford Trio

This week, Rick's Picks of the Week is five-time Grammy nominee, blues guitarist Robben Ford and his newly formed band, Robben Ford Trio, on October 18th and 19th, at 7:30 pm on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

Within the past few years, Ford formed the group Robben Ford Trio with friends and talented musicians, Mike Landau (guitar) Jimmy Haslip (bass), and Gary Novak (drums). Most recently, the group collaborated to release "Renegade Creation," a project recorded for Mike Varney's Shrapnel label.

Ford is one of the premier electric guitarists today, known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. Joining him is session musician and guitarist, Mike Landau, as well as pioneering electric bassist, Jimmy Haslip, and innovative drummer, Gary Novak, whom triumphantly create- Robben Ford Trio. See Robben Ford Trio live 10/18 and 10/19 at 7:30 pm on the Mainstage.

Rick's Picks of the Week: Tales from the Sahel: An Evening with Baaba Maal

This week's Rick's Picks of the Week will be a unique event filled with music and discussion from Tales from the Sahel: An Evening with Baaba Maal on Tuesday, October 11th, at 7pm on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

During the course of the evening, Baaba will be playing songs with LA musician Mermans Mosengo, from Playing for Change, as well as talking about his personal experience growing up in Africa and his views on issues facing the continent today with acclaimed music journalist and author, Chris Salewicz.

Known for his fiery vocal performances and his musical fusion of western sounds with the traditional beats and melodies of West Africa, Baaba Mall has earned immense critical acclaim and has continually reinforced his role as a innovative artist in the world music arena. His work has also extended beyond music and into the realms of humanitarianism through his role as emissary for the United Nation's Development Program. People gather to support his continual outspoken stances on HIV/AIDS in Africa, the growing role of women on the continent and his support of youth-based initiatives to help Africa move into the new millennium.

"I think the musician's role is to give advice, to warn people, and to make them aware of what they might not have thought of themselves. We use melodies and harmonies to make songs enter your mind." So declares the celebrated Senegalese master-musician, Baabe Maal, of the songs on Television, his new multi-lingual album which was released in June.

To purchase tickets to see Baaba Maal, following this link: Tales from the Sahel: An Evening with Baaba Maal.

Rick's Picks of the week: Hindi Zahra

Rick's Picks of the Week: Hindi Zahra on October 4th at 7:30 on the Mainstage at The Triple Door.

Hindi Zahra's gently flowing sense of melody is accompanied by subtle, understated, with a dash of gypsy, guitar and a hint of blues between the lines. With sonically intense, intimate, poetic vibrations, and a velvety feline quality, her music speaks her story. Being a self taught multi-instrumentalist, music is the story of her life. A story of a Beber girl born in Morocco.

See the beautiful and talented Hindi Zahra with opener J Wong on October 4th at 7:30 on the Mainstage.