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Music of Washington (state)
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Music of Washington (state)
The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of punk rock, indie music, folk, and hip hop. Nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.
Several world-famous musicians have come from Washington. Bing Crosby, the crooner born in Tacoma in 1903 and raised in Spokane, had a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1942 with "White Christmas." Jimi Hendrix, one of classic rock's most enduring guitar legends, was born and raised in Seattle and is buried in Renton, and folk rock singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, who had a No. 1 Hot 100 hit in 1984 with "Footloose," was born in Everett. Saxophonist Kenny G is from Seattle and attended the University of Washington.
The Seattle Symphony was founded in 1903. Milton Katims (1954–1976) and Gerard Schwarz (1985–2011) have been the longest-tenured conductors. The Spokane Symphony was founded in 1945. The Seattle Chamber Players was founded in 1989. They are known for their interpretations of modern compositions. Seattle Pro Musica (founded 1972), Seattle Girls Choir (founded 1982), and Choral Arts (founded 1993) are all award-winning choral music groups. Notable individuals from Washington state include pianist Kenneth Boulton, composer/pianist William Bolcom, composer Peter Scott Lewis, composer Mateo Messina, composer/clarinetist Sean Osborn, composer/pianist/violinist Jennifer Thomas, all from Seattle, and composer/pianist Charlie Albright from Centralia.
The Seattle Opera company was founded in 1963 by impresario Glynn Ross, who served as musical director until 1983. Notable vocalists from Washington state include the sopranos Patrice Munsel from Spokane, Angela Meade from Centralia, and the baritones Roald Reitan from Tacoma and Thomas Hampson, also from Spokane. All have performed at the Metropolitan Opera at one time or another.
Washington State has had a jazz scene since the early 20th century, primarily centered in Seattle. In the early years, there was an African-American jazz scene on Seattle's Jackson Street, led by the Whangdoodle Entertainers, featuring, amongst others, Frank D. Waldron (trumpet/alto saxophone). Waldron later joined the Odean Jazz Orchestra, one of the rare African-American bands in that era to play in downtown Seattle. He remained active in Seattle jazz as a musician and teacher until his death in 1955. On the other side of the tracks, Vic Meyers (saxophone) led jazz bands playing in Seattle's Pioneer Square and Belltown districts. Meyers left music for politics in the early 1930s and served as Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 1933 to 1953 and then Secretary of State of Washington from 1957 to 1965. Another notable jazz figure in the early days was Harold Weeks, a ragtime composer/lyricist known as the co-writer (with Oliver Wallace) of the 1918 song "Hindustan," considered a jazz standard. Joe Darensbourg (clarinet/saxophone) was active in Seattle from 1929 until 1944, and Dick Wilson (tenor saxophone) played in his band from 1930 until 1936.
The early 1940s saw Jimmy Rowles (piano) come out of Spokane and Corky Corcoran (tenor saxophone) from Tacoma. In the late 1940s, Bumps Blackwell led a Seattle band that featured teenaged future icons Ray Charles (piano), Quincy Jones (trumpet), Ernestine Anderson (vocals), and Buddy Catlett (double bass). Also emerging out of Seattle during this time were Patti Bown (piano/vocals), Gerald Brashear (congas/scat singer), Elmer Gill (piano/vibraphone/vocals), and Floyd Standifer (tenor saxophone/trumpet), while Don Lanphere (tenor & soprano saxophone) came out of Wenatchee. Catlett, Brashear, Standifer, and Lanphere spent their latter years playing jazz in the Seattle scene.
The 1950s–1960s saw Tom Collier (percussion/vibraphone), David Friesen (double bass/electric upright bass) and Tim Gemmill (tenor & soprano saxophone/flute/keyboards) come out of Seattle, Ralph Towner (12-string & classical guitar/piano/synthesizer) from Chehalis, Gary Peacock (double bass) from Yakima and Larry Coryell (guitar from Richland. Only Collier returned to the Seattle scene.
The 1970s saw the emergence of Kenny G (soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone/flute) from Seattle, a smooth jazz artist with 16 Grammy nominations. Jeff Lorber (keyboards) came out of Vancouver, Washington, and also forged a career in smooth jazz, as well as jazz fusion, with 7 Grammy nominations of his own. In 1971, Clarence Acox Jr. (drums) arrived in Seattle from his native New Orleans to revive the marching band at Garfield High School. In 1979 he started the Garfield Jazz Ensemble, which he led until his retirement in 2019. The Ensemble has earned many awards and honors. Acox has also been active as a musician in the Seattle scene. Hadley Caliman (saxophone/flute) moved to tiny Cathlamet in the 1970s and later led combos in Seattle during the 1990s and 2000s. John Holte (reeds) was a leader of the West Coast Swing Band revival of the 1970s and continued to lead various swing bands in Seattle until his death in 2003. Cheryl Bentyne (vocals), who grew up in Mount Vernon, sang in Holte's New Deal Rhythm Band before joining the renowned vocal group The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, with whom she has won 10 Grammy Awards.
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Music of Washington (state)
The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of punk rock, indie music, folk, and hip hop. Nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.
Several world-famous musicians have come from Washington. Bing Crosby, the crooner born in Tacoma in 1903 and raised in Spokane, had a number-one hit in the U.S. in 1942 with "White Christmas." Jimi Hendrix, one of classic rock's most enduring guitar legends, was born and raised in Seattle and is buried in Renton, and folk rock singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins, who had a No. 1 Hot 100 hit in 1984 with "Footloose," was born in Everett. Saxophonist Kenny G is from Seattle and attended the University of Washington.
The Seattle Symphony was founded in 1903. Milton Katims (1954–1976) and Gerard Schwarz (1985–2011) have been the longest-tenured conductors. The Spokane Symphony was founded in 1945. The Seattle Chamber Players was founded in 1989. They are known for their interpretations of modern compositions. Seattle Pro Musica (founded 1972), Seattle Girls Choir (founded 1982), and Choral Arts (founded 1993) are all award-winning choral music groups. Notable individuals from Washington state include pianist Kenneth Boulton, composer/pianist William Bolcom, composer Peter Scott Lewis, composer Mateo Messina, composer/clarinetist Sean Osborn, composer/pianist/violinist Jennifer Thomas, all from Seattle, and composer/pianist Charlie Albright from Centralia.
The Seattle Opera company was founded in 1963 by impresario Glynn Ross, who served as musical director until 1983. Notable vocalists from Washington state include the sopranos Patrice Munsel from Spokane, Angela Meade from Centralia, and the baritones Roald Reitan from Tacoma and Thomas Hampson, also from Spokane. All have performed at the Metropolitan Opera at one time or another.
Washington State has had a jazz scene since the early 20th century, primarily centered in Seattle. In the early years, there was an African-American jazz scene on Seattle's Jackson Street, led by the Whangdoodle Entertainers, featuring, amongst others, Frank D. Waldron (trumpet/alto saxophone). Waldron later joined the Odean Jazz Orchestra, one of the rare African-American bands in that era to play in downtown Seattle. He remained active in Seattle jazz as a musician and teacher until his death in 1955. On the other side of the tracks, Vic Meyers (saxophone) led jazz bands playing in Seattle's Pioneer Square and Belltown districts. Meyers left music for politics in the early 1930s and served as Lieutenant Governor of Washington from 1933 to 1953 and then Secretary of State of Washington from 1957 to 1965. Another notable jazz figure in the early days was Harold Weeks, a ragtime composer/lyricist known as the co-writer (with Oliver Wallace) of the 1918 song "Hindustan," considered a jazz standard. Joe Darensbourg (clarinet/saxophone) was active in Seattle from 1929 until 1944, and Dick Wilson (tenor saxophone) played in his band from 1930 until 1936.
The early 1940s saw Jimmy Rowles (piano) come out of Spokane and Corky Corcoran (tenor saxophone) from Tacoma. In the late 1940s, Bumps Blackwell led a Seattle band that featured teenaged future icons Ray Charles (piano), Quincy Jones (trumpet), Ernestine Anderson (vocals), and Buddy Catlett (double bass). Also emerging out of Seattle during this time were Patti Bown (piano/vocals), Gerald Brashear (congas/scat singer), Elmer Gill (piano/vibraphone/vocals), and Floyd Standifer (tenor saxophone/trumpet), while Don Lanphere (tenor & soprano saxophone) came out of Wenatchee. Catlett, Brashear, Standifer, and Lanphere spent their latter years playing jazz in the Seattle scene.
The 1950s–1960s saw Tom Collier (percussion/vibraphone), David Friesen (double bass/electric upright bass) and Tim Gemmill (tenor & soprano saxophone/flute/keyboards) come out of Seattle, Ralph Towner (12-string & classical guitar/piano/synthesizer) from Chehalis, Gary Peacock (double bass) from Yakima and Larry Coryell (guitar from Richland. Only Collier returned to the Seattle scene.
The 1970s saw the emergence of Kenny G (soprano, alto, and tenor saxophone/flute) from Seattle, a smooth jazz artist with 16 Grammy nominations. Jeff Lorber (keyboards) came out of Vancouver, Washington, and also forged a career in smooth jazz, as well as jazz fusion, with 7 Grammy nominations of his own. In 1971, Clarence Acox Jr. (drums) arrived in Seattle from his native New Orleans to revive the marching band at Garfield High School. In 1979 he started the Garfield Jazz Ensemble, which he led until his retirement in 2019. The Ensemble has earned many awards and honors. Acox has also been active as a musician in the Seattle scene. Hadley Caliman (saxophone/flute) moved to tiny Cathlamet in the 1970s and later led combos in Seattle during the 1990s and 2000s. John Holte (reeds) was a leader of the West Coast Swing Band revival of the 1970s and continued to lead various swing bands in Seattle until his death in 2003. Cheryl Bentyne (vocals), who grew up in Mount Vernon, sang in Holte's New Deal Rhythm Band before joining the renowned vocal group The Manhattan Transfer in 1979, with whom she has won 10 Grammy Awards.
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