Presenting creative music in Seattle since 2013
We are happy to report that we’ve sold all the tickets we can for the reduced size of our new venue. We’re looking forward to an amazing evening of music is a beautiful setting, as the venue overlooks Elliot Bay, with an amazing sunset view (weather permitting).
All ticket holders should have received an email by now with details about the location.
We have important information to share about the upcoming Cascadence event. Ticket sales have been decidedly lackluster, and as we’ve noted in a previous post, putting on a festival like this is expensive. We have come to the conclusion that the Rainier Arts Center, while it is a great room and we hope to work with them in the future, is just too big for our means. Luckily, we have managed to secure an alternative space that suits both our needs and our budget.
Cascadence 2025 will be happening at Water Sines Studios on Alaskan Way South. This beautiful venue has a cozy feeling, with colorful rugs and art on the walls.
With the reduced budget comes a reduced lineup. Gong and the Kathy Moore Super Power remain on the bill, but Rachel Flowers and Khu.eex’ will no longer be performing. If you already purchased tickets, you should be getting an email with information about your options.
Note that while this information was accurate when it was published, subsequent events have rendered it obsolete. Khu.éex’ will not be performing at Cascadence 2025.
From the beginning, Khu.éex’ has operated as a musical collective with flexible membership, depending on who is available at any given time. Of course, leader, founder, and bass player Preston Singletary will be on hand, as will long-time vocalist and flute player Gene Tagaban and guitarist Captain Raab.
Singletary is well known in the art world for his work with glass, bringing elements of his Tlingit heritage into stunning works that have been shown around the world. His pieces appear in the collections of dozens of museums around the country.
Through teaching and collaborating with Native American, Māori, Hawaiian, and Australian Aboriginal artists, I have come to appreciate how glass expands the possibilities of Indigenous art. Indigenous artistic perspectives are deeply tied to ancestral codes, land, and cultural symbolism, and working in glass adds another dimension to these traditions. This exchange of ideas continues to inform and inspire my work.
Tagaban is a respected storyteller, having appeared at many gatherings around the country, and has been featured in the films Shadow of the Salmon and The Business of Fancydancing. He is also a board member and trainer for the Native Wellness Institute.
Also on vocals, they’ll have Sondra Segundo, a Haida singer, artist, author, and educator. She has written and illustrated several books, and founded Haida Roots, an organization dedicated to preserving and teaching the Haida language.
Captain Raab has been providing guitar for Khu.éex’ from their first album, and he’s also released music on his own and with New Mexico band Red Earth.
After the passing of founding member Bernie Worrell, the primary keyboardist for the group has been Tim Kennedy, who is quite active on the Seattle jazz scene and teaches at The Seattle Jazz Academy. He also appeared at Seaprog 2014 with Zubatto Syndicate. Rounding out the rhythm section we’ll have Larry Mahlis (drums) and Denny Stern (percussion). Mahlis is a feature on the Seattle music circuit and teaches at Seattle Drum School.
The horn section will consist of Kate Olson (baritone sax), Gordon Brown (saxophone), and Jason Cressey (trombone). Brown and Cressey also work together in local R&B band The True Loves.
Kate Olson is a well-known solo artist and group leader as well as working with a number of bands in the area. She also recently won NW Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year in the annual Earshot Jazz Golden Ear Awards. Long-time festival attendees may also remember her as a member of Northern Cantrips at Seaprog 2015.
This outstanding group of musicians will be just one part of our Cascadence 2025 show, June 14 at Rainier Arts Center. Get your tickets now if you don’t already have them!
Our friends over at Exposé Online have been covering the experimental, progressive, and avant-garde music of the world since way back in the 90s. They just published a review of the album Khu.éex’ release last year, Siyáadlan:
Khu.éex’ is a musical and performance group, and part of their mission is to help promote and preserve these cultures, with lyrics in the languages and subjects based on their experiences. Musically, elements of cosmic jazz, funk, and Philadelphia soul blend with hand drums and a spirit of experimentation to create a truly unique style. Some lyrics are in English as well, and they are sometimes sung, sometimes rapped, and sometimes spoken.
One of my favorite tracks is “Siigaay Gid uu Dii Iijang (Ocean Child I Am),” which has a loping triple beat reminiscent of North African music. And then there’s Captain Raab’s psychedelic guitar blast in the second half of “Shapeshifter.” Throughout the music, Khu.éex’ presents a decidedly modern take on traditional culture — the “music revolves around the Urban Indian experience of Native families from non-local tribes who have found themselves relocated to Seattle.”
Check out the full review here.
Over the years, Kathy Moore has played in many different bands, both her own and those led by others. For her Cascadence 2025 performance, she’s assembled an all-star lineup of musicians who haven’t worked together in this configuration.
On the drums, she’s recruited Luca Cartner. Kathy says, “The first time I played with Luca Cartner, he just walked up on the stage and played one of my original songs with so much creativity and energy and it was thrilling. He’s a drummer that great drummers think is a great drummer.” Cartner teaches at the Seattle Drum School, and one of the many projects he’s involved with is a band called Plash.
On woodwinds, we’ll have the inimitable Jessica Lurie. She’s attracted notice in such groups as the Tiptons and The Living Daylights. She’s been described as “a Balkan John Coltrane or klezmerized Sonny Rollins” but that’s only part of her scope — she’s been pushing boundaries for a long time.
Here’s a taste of what she does with her own group.
When it comes to picking a bass player for your band, you can’t do much better than Julie Slick. Kathy says. “Long before I met or played with her, Randal, myself and Andy Stoller would see her at the Triple Door with one of my favorite guitarists in the world Adrian Belew. First time I saw Julie play my jaw was on the ground. My jaw is probably still on the ground. Julie Slick is a virtuoso bassist and composer known for her wide array of unique tones and substantial melodic invention. Throughout her career, she has developed a distinctive voice through international performances and recording with acclaimed first class musicians in both the progressive rock and jazz communities.”
Here’s a fun video that shows her somewhat ridiculous technique in a very artistic setting.
Longtime Seaprog attendees might remember her from her appearances with EchoTest and Troot at our 2018 festival. She’ll also be treating us to a solo set at our Seaprog Presents show at the Substation on June 13.
Judging from the level of talent she’s assembled, Kathy Moore’s Super Power is indeed pretty super, and powerful!