Shows
KNKX Studio SessionsMonty Alexander celebrates his 80th birthday at Jazz AlleyThe nostalgia was thick in the air at Seattle’s Jazz Alley as pianist Monty Alexander celebrated his 80th birthday on a stage he’s played hundreds of times. Alexander spent part of the visit reconnecting with an old friend, John Dimitriou, the owner of Jazz Alley since its opening in 1980.Alexander's birthday, June 6, also marked the 80th anniversary of D-Day, when allied forces landed in northern France in 1944 and changed the direction of World War II. It's impossible to forget when you're born on such a famous date.“You’re reminded your whole life," Alexande...2024-06-2543 min
Seattle Opera PodcastHow Daniel Schnyder & Bridgette Wimberly Created CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRDDaniel Schnyder and Bridgette Wimberly, composer and librettist of CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD, talked about this exciting new opera the other night with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean and Abe Beeson of radio station KNKX, Seattle’s connection to jazz and blues. An edited version of that interview, this podcast offers windows into how Wimberly found the story of several women who loved a musican, how Schnyder bridged the worlds of ‘classical’ music and jazz, and how their opera evolved. You’ll hear brief excerpts from the opera (including a special example of Schnyder playing the role of Charlie on a sopra...2020-02-1545 min