Two venues doing positive things for the Seattle scene:
One of the great new additions to my list of places to be, the Seamonster Lounge is a great gathering spot for local heavies and for music that sometimes falls in those gaps between jazz, funk, and rock. Featuring weekly appearances by the McTuff trio, Nathan Spicer, Woogie D, and others, the club has really cultivated a great jam band, groove-based vibe that doesn’t cut any corners when it comes to musicianship. In short, a rocking venue.
Another inspiring spot that I hope to frequent more often is Cafe Racer in the Ravenna/U-District area. You can go to Racer one night and check out a rock band, go the next night and see a blues duo, go the next night and watch free jazz. I particularly was drawn to the new Sunday Racer Sessions, an open jam session curated by a different musician each week that usually revolves around open ended free improvisation. I was there this last Sunday to see a solo performance by Neil Welch and was blown away. Check his website here and check out the Racer Sessions site at http://racersessions.com