Upcoming Gigs
2009—recent and upcoming gigs:
Josh Sinton’s “Ideal Bread” Steve Lacy Music Quartet—Egans, Ballard,
Seattle, August 13 www.joshsinton.com
Jim Knapp Orchestra , Seattle Drum School, Sept. 7
Julius Watkins Jazz French Horn Festival, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, Oct 3
www.cornish.edu/music/watkins Workshops from 12:30 pm, evening concert at 8:00
WACO (Washington Composers Orchestra, co-led by Wayne Horvitz and Robin Holcomb) at “ToST” , Fremont, Seattle, http://www.tostlounge.com/
WACO at Earshot Jazz Festival, Good Shepherd Chapel, Oct 27 www.earshot.org
Tom Varner Tentet at Earshot Jazz Festival, Good Shepherd Chapel, Oct 29
Jim Knapp Orchestra, Earshot Jazz Festival, Cornish College, Poncho Hall, Oct 31 www.earshot.org
Jim Knapp Orchestra, Seattle Drum School, Nov 2
Steve Griggs, “Spanish Flamenco Project” Good Shepherd Chapel, Nov 19 http://www.stevegriggsmusic.com/
WACO, at ToST, Fremont, Seattle, Nov 29 www.tostlounge.com
2007—recent gigs:
September 3, with Jim Knapp Orchestra, Seattle Drum School
October 1, with Jim Knapp Orchestra, Seattle Drum School
October 5, with Greg Sinibaldi’s “Mobiles” large ensemble project, Good Shephard Center, Wallingford, Seattle
October 11, Thursday, Tom Varner Quartet, with Bill Anschell, Phil Sparks, and Byron Vannoy, Tula’s, 8—12, 2214 Second Ave., 206-443-4221, www.tulas.com , $10 cover. A new look at Rodgers & Hart, Hoagy Carmichael, and Thelonious Monk. (Happy 90th Thelonious!)
October 16 & 17, with the Vern Sielert Dektet, University of Idaho,
Moscow ID, workshops, and concert at 7:30 on the 17th. More info:
http://schuldt.music.uidaho.edu/concerts/events.aspx
November 1, Thursday, with the Vern Sielert Dektet, Seattle Jazz Showcase, Seattle Drum School, 8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. More info: http://www.seattlejazzscene.com/
November 9, Vienna Austria, with the Bob Zieff Chamber Jazz Ensemble, Wiener Musik Galerie Festival, 9:00 pm
November 10, Vienna Austria, with the Franz Koglmann Pipetet, Wiener Musik
Galerie Festival, 9:00 pm, for more info: http://www.wmg.at/
(25 Year Celebration---Wiener Musik Galerie--ATYPICAL JAZZ--”structured
emotions” )
9—11th November 2007
ORF RadioKulturhaus – Grosser Sendesaal
Argentinierstrasse 30a
1040 Wien
December 3, Jim Knapp Orchestra , Seattle Drum School, www.jimknapporchestra.com
Other recent gigs in 2007:
June 28th, Thursday: with the Francois Houle Tentet, Vancouver International
Jazz Festival. ( www.coastaljazz.ca )
June 29th, Friday: 1:00 pm, workshop at the Vancouver International Jazz
Festival
June 29th, Friday, 9:00 pm, Tom Varner/Francois Houle Quartet, “New Looks
at Lacy, and Monk too” –Vancouver International Jazz Festival www.coastaljazz.ca
Tom Varner, French Horn; Eric Barber, saxophones
Please join two of Seattle's leading improvisers for an intimate concert of solo
music. Presented by Nonsequitir, Varner and Barber will perform compositions
and improvisations in the haunting acoustics of the Good Shepherd Chapel in
Wallingford. Expect fresh ideas, new sounds, and two idiosyncratic musicians
exploring the freedom and vulnerability of the solo set.
“A few years ago, I played an improvised
unaccompanied solo set for my fellow artists at the Blue Mountain Center,
a wonderful artist colony up in New York’s Adirondack Mountains,
in an old seaplane hangar on the shore of a beautiful lake. As the
sun set and I played with the natural echoes of the space, we had a few
magical moments. I hope to revisit that evening, in a new way, on
May 19 at the beautiful chapel space at Wallingford’s Good Shepherd
Center. This time, I’ll also be thinking more of another great
solo artist, my late friend and mentor Steve Lacy, who brought me to Seattle
in 1993 in his “Vespers” project. Perhaps a bit of Sonny
Rollins will sneak in too!" --TV
June 4, Monday: with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Seattle Drum School, 15th
and 125th NE, Seattle
May 19, Saturday, Seattle:
Eric Barber and Tom Varner: Two Solo Sets,
8:00 p.m.
CHAPEL PERFORMANCE SPACE
Located at the Good Shepherd Center, 4649 Sunnyside Ave. N, Seattle, WA
Presented by nonsequitir
$5-15, sliding scale
http://gschapel.blogspot.com/
Swiss Tour with “Object Trouves,” a wonderful group of top Swiss improvisers, with Tom’s old friends Gabriela Friedli, composer and pianist, Jan Schlegel, bass guitar, Co Streiff, alto/soprano sax, and Dieter Ulrich, drums. Tom wrote the liner notes for the group’s new CD, “Fragile,” now out on the Intakt label. ( www.intaktrec.rec ) Gabriela plays on Tom’s “The Swiss Duos” as well. Please check local listings.
3.mai -- (12.00 noon concert) Brugg, 1 set
4.mai --Basel
5.mai --Langenthal
6.mai -- Küsnacht
9.mai -- Lucerne, “la fourmi”
10.mai-- Jazzfestival Schaffhausen
April 22, Sunday: with the Seattle Jazz Repertory Orchestra, playing the music of “Birth of the Cool.” North Bend, WA, 3:00 pm. www.SRJO.org
March 11—14: Workshops with horn students and concert with big band at the Royal Netherlands Conservatory of Music in Rotterdam, Holland. Much thanks to Martin Van de Merve, hornist and teacher, for all the organizing.
March 2: with the Jim Knapp Orchestra at Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle
Other gigs in 2006:
Thursday November 16, 2006,
with the “Francois Houle Clarinet Plus Three Brass Sextet,”
in Vancouver, B.C., for more info go to www.FrancoisHoule.ca
Wednesday, November 1, 2006, 8:00 p.m.
Tom Varner New Seattle Quintet,
featuring Mark Taylor and Eric Barber, saxes, Phil Sparks, bass,
and Reade Whitwell, drums.
Tula’s Jazz Club, 2214 2nd Ave (at Bell), Seattle. $12.
This is part of Seattle’s wonderful Earshot Jazz Festival, www.earshot.org
Saturday, October 21, 2006, midnight, Pacific time: (3:00
a.m. NY time Oct. 22)
Tom Varner Chamber Trio (Eric Barber, saxophones,
Greg Campbell, drums and French horn)
with special guest pianist Gust Burns —
“Sonarchy Radio” broadcast on KEXP, 90.3 FM.
Streaming at www.KEXP.org , and podcast
available the next day: go to programs—Sonarchy.
This is a one-hour, mostly “free” session, recorded at the Jack Straw
Foundation, with three of Seattle’s best improvisers.
Also, with Seattle’s musical treasure,
the Jim Knapp Orchestra:
October 14 at the Kirkland Jazz Festival 3:00 p.m.
Monday, November 6, and December 4, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle,
8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
August 10, Thursday----at Seattle Asian Art Museum, 1400 E. Prospect
St., Volunteer Park, Seattle (206) 654-3100
5—7 p.m.
The “Tom Varner Chamber Trio,” featuring Eric Barber, saxophones,
Greg Campbell, drums, (and French horn, too!), with special guest Jesse Canterbury,
clarinet.
This ensemble, with Seattle’s top free improv/new music players, will be more reflective and exploratory, making use of the unique acoustics of the museum’s beautiful Garden Court. This is part of the “Art Of Jazz” Series at the Museum, presented by Earshot Jazz. ( www.earshot.org )
July 30, Sunday---at Tula’s, 2214 Second Ave., Seattle
(206) 443-4221
3 sets starting at 8 p.m. $8.00 cover.
Tom Varner’s “New Seattle Quintet,” featuring
Mark Taylor, alto sax, Hans Teuber, tenor sax,
Phil Sparks, bass, and Reade Whitworth, drums.
This quintet, featuring Seattle’s top jazz players, will feature
music from the French hornist and composer’s recent cd “Swimming,” earlier
works, and new compositions recently commissioned by the Doris Duke Foundation/Chamber
Music America New Works Grant.
Also, with Seattle’s musical treasure, the Jim Knapp Orchestra:
August 7, Monday, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle, 8:00, 12510 15th
Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
September 3, Sunday, at the Bumbershoot Festival, Seattle, 12:00 noon
Wednesday, January 4: with the Vern Sielert Dektet at Tulas, Seattle
Monday, January 9, with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle, 8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
Friday, February 10, with the Seattle Jazz Repertory Orchestra, The Seasons, Yakima, WA www.SRJO.org (Music from “Birth of the Cool”)
Monday, February 13, , with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle, 8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
Friday, February 24, with the “University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point Faculty Jazz Quartet,” International Horn Society Midwest Regional Workshop, Stevens Point, WI
Monday, February 27, with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, Meany Hall, University of Washington, Seattle, 8:00, . www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
Monday, March 6, with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle, 8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
Saturday, March 11, with the Jamie Baum Septet at the Braga Jazz Festival, Braga, Portugal www.JamieBaum.com
Tuesday, March 14, with the Jamie Baum Septet, Terassa Jazz Festival, Spain www.JamieBaum.com
Saturday, March 25, with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, the Seasons, Yakima WA
Monday, April 3, with the Jim Knapp Orchestra, at the Seattle Drum School, Seattle, 8:00, 12510 15th Ave NE, Seattle. www.JimKnappOrchestra.com
[Select previous engagements:]
2004
September 20-27, 2004 — In Vienna with Franz Koglmann’s “Let’s Make Love” concert and Between the Lines recording project, with Tony Coe and Peter Herbert.
November 11, 2003 — With the Jamie Baum Septet, celebrating Jamie’s new CD on the OmniTone label, at Sweet Rhythm (formerly Sweet Basil, NYC)
January 24—Concert/workshops at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg VA
January 26—Concert/workshops at James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Fabruary 14-18—on tour in Austria and Germany with the Jim McNeely Tentet . For more info: http://www.JimMcNeely.com
Appearances in 2003
March 21 and 22—with the Mingus Orchestra in western France
June 7—at the International Horn Society Convention in Bloomington, Indiana
June 23—At Yoshi’s in Oakland CA, with the Graham Connah Sextet, at the Eric Dolphy Memorial Festival
August 12—with TILT Brass Ensemble, featuring Dave Ballou, Russ Johnson, and Marcus Rojas, at the Bowery Poetry club, NYC
October 1—with the Jamie Baum Septet at Makor, NYC
October 16—with the Peter Scharli Special Sextet featuring Glenn Ferris and Tom Varner, concert for the grand opening of the new Aarou Art Museum, Aarau, Switzerland
October 26—with Tilt Brass Ensemble, Joe’s Pub, Public Theatre, NYC
November 21—25, 2003
It’s Tom Varner week in Washington State!
Tom Varner in Concert. Friday, November 21, 7:00 PM
Chris Knutsen Hall, University Center, Pacific Lutheran
University, Tacoma
Tom will be the featured guest artist with the Pacific
Lutheran University Jazz Ensemble.
Ticket prices: $8 - general admission
$5 - seniors
Free - PLU students and under 18
Tom Varner Quartet Northwest Saturday, November
22, 8:30 PM
Tom Varner, horn, Rob Blakeslee,
trumpet, Michael Bisio, bass, Greg Cambell, drums
Pole
Star Music Gallery, 1412 - 18th Ave. at E. Union, Seattle
(206) 329-4224
Pole Star Music Gallery
is a not-for-profit concert venue in a renovated storefront
in Seattle's Central District.
All ages, no alcohol, no café. Pole
Star Music Gallery has quickly established itself as the
place in Seattle
to hear adventurous and experimental music in a simple
recital hall setting. Tom will play the music of
Don Cherry with a new look at Complete Communion and
some free improvisation
with his quartet as featured on his new CD, Second
Communion,
on OmniTone. $10 cover charge.
Tom Varner in Concert. Sunday, November 23, 8:00 PM
Hertz Recital Hall, Central Washington University, Ellensburg,
WA
Tom Varner with the CWU Jazz Band I and CWU faculty jazz
artists. The concert is free and open to the public.
Tom Varner Quartet Northwest Monday November 24, 8:30
PM
Tom Varner, horn., Rob Blakeslee, trumpet., Michael
Bisio, bass, Greg Cambell, drums-
Patti Summers Jazz Club, 1st and Pike, Seattle (206) 621-8555
Patti Summers Restaurant and
Cabaret is a cozy jazz club and restaurant (Italian food)
in historic Pike Place Market.
It is one of the oldest jazz clubs in the northwest. Tom
will play more straight-ahead jazz sets this night with
some new looks at American standards and some Tom Varner
originals. $6.00 cover charge.
Tom Varner Jazz Horn Workshops
Central Washington University - On Sunday, November
23 and Monday morning November 24 Tom will work with CWU
students. Schedule is at www.cwu.edu/~music/horn/horn.html.
Both CWU workshops are free and open to the public.
University of Washington at Seattle - Tuesday mid-day,
November 25