Home » Jazz Articles » Live Review » Billy Childs Quartet at Jazz Alley
Billy Childs Quartet at Jazz Alley

Courtesy Lisa Hagen Glynn

Billy Childs
pianob.1957

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
band / ensemble / orchestraA deeper dive into his jazz history, and in particular, his history as a live jazz performer in Seattle, revealed some answers. His two-day Jazz Alley stop was his first as a leader in the Emerald City. He had appeared at Jazz Alley alrightbut not at the current configuration in Belltown. He had appeared at the original jazz bistro iteration of the club in the city's University District, and in the current room when the stage was in a different location and housed half as many guests. All of those appearances were as a sideman for

Freddie Hubbard
trumpet1938 - 2008

Wynton Marsalis
trumpetb.1961

Joe Henderson
saxophone1937 - 2001
Childs' brief time at Windham Hill Records in the late 1980s, and extensive work outside of the jazz mainstream also may have given area listeners an incomplete view of his career, including his work as a hard bop pianist. That prowess earned him the 2015 Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album. Rebirth (Mack Avenue, 2017), was a return to his hard bop style of the seventies, a time when he played outside the dominion of his own compositions, playing freely as a result.
Childs led a quartet to the venerable Seattle nightspot featuring trumpeter and fellow Mack Avenue artist,

Sean Jones
trumpetb.1978

Hans Glawischnig
bassb.1970

Christian Euman
drums
McCoy Tyner
piano1938 - 2020
The quartet worked their way down the evening's set list in the same natural order in which Childs presented the material on The Winds of Change.. "The Great Western Loop," written in reference to the four major trail systems in the American West, was one of the aforementioned epic narratives. Improvised solos emerged out of the thicket of Child's small-group orchestrations. The album's title track bore very different traits, as this tribute to the late trumpeter

Roy Hargrove
trumpet1969 - 2018
While the complexity of the music and attention to compositional detail may speak to the often applied west coast stereotype, Jones' playing brought that east coast fire to the proceedings, straight from the trumpeter's home digs in Baltimore. Within each piece performed, Jones' improvised solos were the pearls within the density of the music. In speaking to audience members before and after the performance, it seemed as many fans had come to see Jones as had for the leader, Childs. It speaks to the leader's skill in choosing the best musicians to express his particular brand of jazz composition.
"In Carson's Eyes," an ode to Childs' son, was performed as a trio piece, with trumpeter Jones on the sideline. The emotive playing of the trio was highlighted by Glawischnig's riveting solo, and Childs' tender, melodic brilliance.
"Master of the Game" was the piece where the band stretched out fully, with longer, scintillating, swinging solos gracing the Jazz Alley crowd. The quartet's interpretation of

Chick Corea
piano1941 - 2021
In short, the quartet's playing was incendiary, whether working their way through Childs' compositional labyrinth, or soloing freely within the flowing harmonic framework those tunes provide. Those who attended one or both of the two sets performed, came away more than satisfied, if not thrilled. Childs for his part was very personable, and conversed comfortably with the audience. It gave the evening a very intimate feel, and provided insight into the music of this brilliant, complex artist who at last had made his way to Seattle as a leader. He clearly has gathered the tools and wisdom gifted him from masters like Hubbard and Henderson, and applied them to his place in the jazz universe. One would suspect that his next pass through town will see a larger crowd, as word of these two impressive sets circulate in the Seattle jazz community and beyond. One can only hope.
Tags
Live Review
Billy Childs
Paul Rauch
United States
Washington
Seattle
Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
jazz at lincoln center orchestra
Freddie Hubbard
wynton marsalis
Joe Henderson
Sean Jones
Hans Glawischnig} and impressive young drummer, {{m: Christian Euman
Chick Corea
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Seattle
Concert Guide | Venue Guide | Local Businesses | More...
Sep
15
Mon

The Westside Trio
The AlleySeattle, WA
Sep
15
Mon
Factory Tour (11:00am-12:00pm)
Cocoa LegatoSeattle, WA
Sep
16
Tue
The Showbox
The ShowboxSeattle, WA
Sep
17
Wed
Factory Tour (7:00pm-8:00pm)
Cocoa LegatoSeattle, WA
Sep
18
Thu

Mercedes Nicole Trio
North City Bistro & Wine ShopShoreline, WA
Sep
18
Thu
Buckets Of Rain // Norman Baker & The Backroads
Cocoa LegatoSeattle, WA
Sep
19
Fri
Uhouse // Tim Thorpe
Cocoa LegatoSeattle, WA
Sep
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Sat
Adrian Golay
Cocoa LegatoSeattle, WA
Sep
20
Sat

Chris Botti
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Jenny Davis Band
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