Folklife Sessions at Métier Brewing Company
NW Folklife is excited to enter our 2nd year of the Folklife Sessions at Metier Brewing Company with a new partner and sponsor, KNKX Public Radio! This monthly concert series hosts local musicians every 1st Thursday, showcasing the exceptional talent and artistry that is all over Washington State!
MBC is all about strengthening community and creating a welcoming gathering space for families, friends, and those who appreciate exceptional beer. Located in the Central District, Seattle's Historic Black neighborhood, Metier is one of the few Black-owned breweries in the country.
KNKX delivers jazz, blues and NPR news on air and online from its studios in Seattle and Tacoma, Washington, and has been a longtime media sponsor and partner of the NW Folklife Festival. We're thrilled to have them as sponsors for this monthly concert series!
As a continuation of our 2022 Cultural Focus, Metamorphosis, this partnership helps reclaim the dynamism of Folk as a way of life for people of all backgrounds, heritages, and traditions, not merely a stigmatized musical genre.
Push 4 Love
Push for Love is a Seattle, WA based band their style of music is based on their different influences which come together to create a melting pot of unique sounds. Styles consisting of latin grooves, hard rock/blues, reggae, neosoul, etc….Playing tunes and writing lyrics that often push boundaries, we are a powerhouse of undeniable raw talent.
Rafael Tranquillo, April 4th
Rafael Tranquilino is known locally in the Seattle area as the lead front-man and guitarist of his band, The Rafael Tranquilino Band. A power trio consisting of guitar, bass, and drums that fuse rock, blues, and funk with an alternative and fresh sound. He’ll play a searing riff, tease you with an old-fashioned Delta slide and then bring you back down with his powerful lyrics.
Rafael's exciting style and notable chops have earned him the reputation of being one of the "hottest" young guitar slingers in the Pacific Northwest and his band was noted as “Best Blues Band of 2012” in the Tacoma Weekly.
Born in Mexico City, Rafael Tranquilino is a big-city kid. He is accustomed to subways, stadium sports (especially baseball), and lots of opportunities to hear and play live music. His father, a newspaper journalist, fostered Rafael's interest and talent in music. He started him on the piano when Rafael was just five years old. By the time he was nine, he was playing guitar, bass, and drums.
Website: https://traffmusic.com/home
Past Events
Benjamin Hunter, March 7th
Benjamin Hunter will be filling in for Jed Crisologo this month. A cross-genre, multi-instrumental roots artist, Benjamin Hunter weaves storytelling and music, sometimes carefully, sometimes anecdotally, and sometimes completely tangentially.
"An unbridled freedom and genre emancipation is evident in Ben Hunter's music, yet the deep blues are a cornerstone of his style" - Brank Matheis, Living Blues Magazine
"The music he plays not only spans an array of genres but a huge swatch of history." - Leah Baltes, City Arts Magazine
Website: www.benjaminhuntermusic.com
Grace Love, February 1st
Grace Love, the soulful songstress, captivates audiences with her powerhouse vocals and magnetic stage presence. Hailing from Seattle, her music weaves through genres, fusing R&B, Rock, soul, and blues, creating a sonic tapestry that resonates deeply. With a voice that effortlessly traverses highs and lows, Grace infuses raw emotion into each note, leaving an indelible mark on listeners. Her journey from local stages to international acclaim showcases not only her undeniable talent but also a genuine connection to the heart of her craft. Grace Love, a true artist, continues to enchant the world with her soul-stirring melodies.
Website: https://gracelove.co/
Jay Mabin, January 4th
Jay Mabin kicks off the first Folklife Sessions at Metier Brewing Company on Thursday, January 4th. He'll be joined by his band playing a variety of styles from blues to jazz.
Danny Godinez & Friends, December 7th
Venerable Seattle-based guitarist and singer/songwriter Danny Godinez plays solo at the Metier Brewery, December 7th, 4-6pm. Versed in an array of musical styles, he has played with Carlos Santana, Jason Mraz, Pura Fe, and Michael Shrieve among others.
The Blue Tide, November 2nd
The Blue Tide is a Seattle-based blues duo comprised of Daniel Rapport on guitar (including slide guitar) and J.D. Lenoir (AKA Jesse Hagopian) on harmonica and vocals.
Daniel and J.D. are lifelong friends and collaborators who grew up in Seattle and have been playing blues since the days of their high school band with the same name. They have played festivals and shows around the northwest (https://www.instagram.com/p/CY...) and their eponymous debut album features covers of some of the greatest blues songs of all time, including, Dust My Broom," "Rollin' and Tumblin'," and "Summertime" (https://thebluetide.bandcamp.c...).
The Blue Tide sound is rooted in the classic delta blues tradition while their lyrics and attitude are firmly in the present.
More info:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artis...
Bandcamp: thebluetide.bandcamp.com
The Real Lady A, October 5th
Lady A has been a Pacific NW favorite for 20+ year in the business. Nationally and Internationally known, Lady A, has a high energy show has been compared to the likes of "Tina Turner" and "Chaka Khan" ~ a smile that easily draws the audience in with her sultry-husky voice and contemporary blues-funk style and like a Good pot-a-Gumbo, Lady A is best served HOT!
As well as a Touring Artist, Producer, Vocalist, Community Activist, Storyteller and Songwriter, Lady A brings musicians to the Seattle area under Lady A Productions for live performances in Blues, Gospel, and has served as MC of the Winthrop Rhythm & Blues Festival All-Star Jam and a part of the Methow Valley Juke Joint All-Stars band 8 years running.
Lady A has truly lived up to her moniker as "The Hardest Workin' Woman in Blues, Soul, Funk & Gospel"
Ayesha MUSICBOX Brooks, September 7th
Ayesha Brooks is a singer and songwriter based in Seattle. Often performing under her alter ego or moniker name “Musicbox”, it is clear that music is reflected in everything Brooks does. She has sung with The Wayne Horvitz Songs Project, Imagine the Giant, and different rock groups within Seattle. Her soulful and canorous voice is expressive and deeply moving within any context or musical setting.
“Her voice continues to draw heads in local venues, including the Royal Room, where she’s collaborated with local blues outfit the Jelly Rollers, in tributes to Aretha Franklin, and with Horvitz on stirring tributes to the Grateful Dead.” – Ian Gwin Earshot Jazz
https://www.instagram.com/iamm...
"Watch Ayesha Brooks accompanied by Darren Loucas for the 2022 NW Folklife Quilt Sessions here:" https://vimeo.com/831274764?share=copy
Maya Marie, August 3rd
Bringing an unforgettable presence to any stage, Maya Marie will captivate an audience as her soulful voice and kicks a beat into your heart. Backed by the grit of rock, soul and blues, she inspires the audience to let go and liberate themselves while digging up her truths from the depths of her soul.
Reggie Garrett featuring Darren Loucas, July 6th
Reggie Garrett has performed throughout the US and Canada for many years presenting mostly original songs mixed with pop covers and traditional folk ballads. His music is quite diverse tapping into urban acoustic Folk music, Gospel, Latin rhythms, Blues, Celtic and many other forms. He performs both solo and with his group Reggie Garrett & the SnakeOil Peddlers. Since its inception Reggie has carved out his own unique sound. He has been compared to acoustic legends Richie Havens and Bill Withers by the national folk publication Dirty Linen. He doesn’t consider himself to be a Bluesman - even so Living Blues magazine featured him in an article in the August 2018 issue.
Mr. Garrett was trained and educated as an artist, receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from Williams College, and a Masters in Painting from SUNY Albany. Since then he has spent time as a starving artist in New York City, worked as a Systems Engineer for IBM, worked in computer center planning and disaster recovery planning and taught English, History and Math at the high school level. For a number of years he also taught in a college level program at that guided high school dropouts into and through college. Through it all he has worked as a musician, as a bassist and vocalist in several rock bands, more recently as a vocalist and guitarist, both solo and with his own ensembles. He has six CD releases to his credit and has had songs included in a number of compilations over the years.
Benjamin Hunter, June 8th
Benjamin Hunter, a Seattle-based polymath, is an award-winning multi-instrumentalist, composer, creative & culture advocate, social entrepreneur, producer, and educator.
He is the founder of Community Arts Create, co-founder of the Hillman City Collaboratory, co-founder of Black & Tan Hall, and currently serves as the Artistic Director at NW Folklife. He served on the Seattle Music Commission from 2017-2021, and co-chairs the Columbia Hillman Arts & Culture District.
For almost a decade, Benjamin toured in the internationally acclaimed roots duo, Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons. As a soloist, he performs original works, and with his band, The Intraterrestrials. In 2017, Benjamin composed music for the critically acclaimed dance piece, Black Bois, which presented at On the Boards in 2017, and The Moore Theater in 2020. In Spring 2023, Benjamin collaborated with Seattle and New York based artists to create Untitled, composing the music for a multi-disciplinary production with dance, visual, architectural, and storyteller artists. Summer of 2023, Benjamin collaborated with local artists to produce, Umamalengua Okan (Little Brown Language), to weave stories about land, language, memory and becoming. Connecting all his experiences in one musical language, Benjamin’s music scans the margins and the nucleus alike searching for the stories and intersections where everything converges.
www.benjaminhuntermusic.com
Manazma Sheen, May 4th
Mananzma Sheen is an instrumental group of musicians based in Seattle, Washington seeking to groove and swing and rock and everything in between.
"We focus on playing original compositions and arrangments of music by people we admire."
Walter Cano Band, April 6th
Walter Cano is a trumpet player, composer and arranger based in New York City. He enjoys playing music, spending time with friends, and teaching his cat new tricks.
Chris Patin Band, March 2nd
Chris Patin might be one of the hardest working (and most laid-back) drummers in the Seattle music scene. You'll see him playing with the illustrious Josephine Howell one night, backing up the prolific Marina Christopher on another night, or soulfully guiding Rev. Osagyefo Sekou at Valley & Mountain Church on Sunday mornings. Whatever it is, you're sure to be moved, and guaranteed a good time!
The New Triumph Quartet, February 2nd
TNT 4 features members of The New Triumph playing a unique mix of Latin, Funk and Jazz music featuring Danny Godinez, Mack Grout, Adam Kessler and Camilo Estrada.
Freddy Fuego, January 5th
Freddy is a professional trombonist and composer from New York City with over 20 years of performing and recording experience. He was most recently the featured artist on Abe Beeson's "The New Cool" on KNKX in July, with his latest single broadcast alongside music by Jacob Collier, Joshua Redman, and Lionel Loueke. As a composer, he wrote the music for Emmy nominated documentary “Senior Year Was Crazy” (KCTS9, 2020), which aired locally on PBS in Seattle and nationally in Canada. As an educator, was featured on NPR for a one-on-one interview that spoke about the importance of teaching students the history of protest music. As a performer, he completed the ‘Sirope’ world tour with 20-time Latin Grammy award-winning artist Alejandro Sanz in 2018. He is currently working in Seattle, WA.
Beserat Tafasse Quartet, December 1st (2022)
Beserat went to Central Washington University to pursue a degree in Classical Euphonium Performance, unintentionally cementing his love for jazz trombone instead. From there he attended the Manhattan School of Music, studying Jazz Trombone with some of the greats, and shedding nightly with many of New York’s living legends. You may have seen him playing with acts such as the Mambo Legends Jazz Orchestra, The Birdland Big Band, or blasting away with Slavic Soul Party. You may also have heard his work on the Grammy Nominated album Art of the Arrangement, by Doug Beavers, one of many projects he gladly lent his horn playing to. While in Seattle, Beserat continues to collaborate with world class musicians and teach at Cornish College of the Arts as well as work on his own debut solo project.
Evan Flory-Barnes, November 3rd (2022)
Evan Flory-Barnes is a sorcerer. Able to concoct large, swelling scores with symphonies following his precise baton or manifest nuanced, delicately woven narratives on his solo upright bass. “The Emissary of Avant-Soul Pop” creates an original and distinct sound that merges classic soul and experimental pop, featuring talents as a bassist, composer/arranger and singer-songwriter. His songs touch on the cultivation of hard won self-love, personal sovereignty and experience relationships as both a catalyst and crucible in the developing of one's soul and self. Or as Artist Home put it:
“A gorgeous and irresistible call to self-actualization. The door to a parallel universe—where Prince and Curtis Mayfield are alive and duetting, with Brian Wilson producing—has apparently been opened."