Seattle's Premier Wedding & Event Jazz Band
December is shaping up to be a watershed month for the JPQ. In addition to the public gigs listed in my last post, we have been asked to play some pretty high-profile Holiday Parties:
Dec. 13 @ Microsoft
Dec. 15 @ WaMu
Dec. 15 @ Starbucks
Dec. 19 @ University of Washington Medical Center
We also have a wedding to play on Dec. 30 which promises to be loads of fun.
We hope to see you at one of our club dates, or perhaps at your next party/event. Email me for booking and availability.
I’m happy to report that the Jason Parker Quartet will be performing live at three new venues this Fall/Winter. I’ve had a lot of brides ask me where they could see us play…well, now you have many chances!
On November 10th, we are excited to make our debut at Seattle newest Jazz Club, Egan’s Ballard Jam House. When I first read their Mission Statement I knew this was going to be the new home for Jazz in town. Their website states that their main goal is “[T]o preserve and honor not just the music, but the tradition of passing down the history and culture of jazz from generation to generation.”
We’ll be playing the early set, from 7-9:30pm, so don’t be late! In fact, even if you have plans, why not start your evening with dinner at Egan’s, enjoy the music of the JPQ, and then head off for the rest of your Friday night? Sounds like a fine idea to me!
On Saturday, December 2nd, Josh and I will play a duo gig at Tutta Bella Pizzeria in Columbia City. Tutta Bella serves up the finest Neapolitan style pizza in town, and offers Jazz three nights a week. Josh and I love playing as a duo, and we’ll pull out all the stops from 7-10pm. Come by, have a slice and dig it!
Finally, on Saturday, December 16, the full band will take the stage at Caffe Bella, a cozy coffee house and wine bar in downtown Seattle. They serve espresso drinks, fresh pastries, draught beer and wine. We’ll play 2 sets between 9-11pm.
Hope to see you at one or more of the shows!
I first met with Krista and her mother Mary Kay back in May. They came to my house to discuss Krista and Brook’s wedding with K&B’s adorable son Tylan in tow. Tylan kept himself busy (and Mary Kay, too!) while Krista and I went over the details.
She may not believe this, but Krista is one of the most prepared brides I’ve worked with. She had a book she was working out of to help her plan the ceremony, and by the time the wedding rolled around, had a three-page schedule all typed out with music cues and everything! She and Mary Kay put all the music they wanted for the ceremony on their iPod, and I sat pushing buttons behind the scenes, taking my visual cues from Sheri Nohle, Wedding Coordinator extraordinaire, and proprietor of Fleur de Lis Events. This was the first time I worked with Sheri, and I can’t say enough good things about her. She kept everything rolling and on track all evening long, and made my job much easier. If you’re looking for someone to help coordinate your wedding, I can’t recommend Sheri enough.
The wedding was at the Clise Mansion in Marymoor Park, which is a wonderful backdrop for a wedding. The set-up was a bit strange, and for dinner, we were playing in a different room, but it all went off without a hitch. After dinner the party moved into the reception room, where we were playing, and we got a few people on the dance floor! There was a young boy there, probably middle-school age, who kept requesting great songs like “It Don’t Mean a Thing if it Ain’t got that Swing†and “Watermelon Manâ€. Krista & Brook had requested that we play “A Kiss to Build a Dream On” for their first dance, which is such a great song, and the first time we’ve been asked to play it.
Krista had asked me to MC for the evening, which I’m always happy to do. I was able to help the buffet line move smoothly by calling out the tables one at a time, and that seemed to work really well. This meant leaving the band alone for much of dinner, which was actually kind of nice for me because I got to listen to them play…and hot diggity did they sound good! It’s an honor to play with such fine musicians night after night.
I want to give huge thanks to Tim Kennedy for filling in on keys while Josh was playing a wedding with his other band. Tim is an amazing player, and a super nice guy, and it was an honor and a pleasure to have him in the band for a night…I hope we’ll get the chance to do it again! He is also very animated when he plays, and had all the little girls in rapt attention the whole night!
Krista’s cousin Bryan took photos and said he’d send me some, so I’ll post as soon as they arrive.
My good friend Adrian plays a mean trombone, and is 1/4 of the Prima Donna Horns, with whom I play in Soul Provider. His wife Tina works for GGLO, one of the leading Architecture firms in Seattle. She recommended us to her boss, who hired us to play at their 20th Anniversary Party this past Friday at the Roof Park on top of Rainier Square. Luckily the beautiful weather we’ve been having held, and it was the perfect evening for an outdoor gig.
We set up under the tent in the roof-top garden, and played for a couple hundred GGLO employees past and present and their clients, family and friends. They were a great crowd, and the party was gorgeous. The Cobb Building was right across the street and beautifully lit. GGLO recently completed their renovation of this historic building, which is now new luxury apartments.
Adrian sat in with us during the last couple sets, which is always fun. He and I have been playing together for years now, and know eachother pretty well. It’s fun to come up with harmony parts on the fly and play off of one another.
And Josh continues to amaze me. It’s so much fun to play with him. He has brought a great new energy and enthusiasm to the band, and raised the bar for us all musically. On a side note, Josh has also agreed to become the primary keyboard player for one of my other bands, Water Babies.
Mark Wainwright, Head of Marketing at GGLO, sent me this email the day after the event: “Thanks, Jason. It was a great night and you guys did an awesome job. I’m certain our paths will cross again.” Jeff Foster, one of the Principals, had this to say: “You guys were perfect. We have received many comments about what a great evening it was, including your music.”
Thanks to Mark, Tina, Jeff Foster and the whole crew at GGLO for having us…I hope we’ll get to play for you again!
All photos by Jeffrey Fong.
On what might very well have been the hottest day of the summer, we had the pleasure of playing for Susan & Keith at Susan’s parent’s beautiful home in Sammamish. The setting could not have been better, as the house backs up on some wetlands, and no neighbors are in view from the property. Despite the wilting temperatures, a good time was had by all!
It was quite a large affair, and gorgeously appointed in greens and whites. Susan looked fabulous, as did Keith in his tux, cowboy boots and hat (don’t mess with Texas!).
Josh, Troy and I were joined by Brad Papineau on drums, as Donovan was home taking care of the twins. We set up on the corner of the deck, overlooking the yard where the tent was set up. An old family friend joined us for a nice rendition of “All The Things You Are”, and we even had one of Keith’s nieces’ sing “Texas, Oh Texas!”.
I received this nice note from Susan: “Just a quick note upon return from our honeymoon to thank you so much for making our wedding such a success. You and the band were wonderful and we couldn’t be happier!! We appreciate it so much. We hope you are well and we will be sure to recommend you to others!!!”
All photos by Laura & Scott Schoeggl of Wallflower Photography.
