The Portland based group Blue Cranes performed with a string section at the Tractor Tavern Tuesday night in the third week of the Earshot Jazz Festival.
Part of the recent movement of jazz musicians to bring an indie-rock ethos to their post-bop chops and harmonic sensibilities (think a West Coast version of the Bad Plus), The Blue Cranes work a fine line between avant-garde improvisation and toe-tapping catchiness. Regarded as “a welcome addition to a scene that too often tries to define itself as straight ahead” (Kyle O’Brien), the band members Reed Wallsmith (alto sax), Sly Pig (tenor sax), Keith Brush (bass), Rebecca Sanborn (keyboards) and Ji Tanzer (drums) have also been noted for their strong ensemble playing. “The greatest strength of Blue Cranes is their unity as a band,” All About Jazz’s Marc Meyers says, “they anticipate each other’s moves with considerable empathy.”
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Click here for the complete schedule for the rest of the upcoming shows at the 2010 Earshot Jazz Festival
Jazz Photography by Seattle photographer Daniel Sheehan creating portraits for publications and a Seattle Wedding Photographer with a photojournalist style.