A jazzy night at the Bike
Island Jazz Quintet, a homegrown local group that has played widely throughout the Northwest, will perform a free, all-ages show at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Red Bicycle Bistro.
The group’s style combines improvisational jazz, bossa nova and a smoky hint of cabaret in distinctive arrangements and has earned praise from critics. Victory Review noted, “Vashon Island boasts a group worthy of national attention. This group would be right at home in a New York cabaret.”
The group has produced three CDs, all of which have wound up on radio playlists throughout the United States.
Band members include Maggie Laird on vocals, Richard Person on trumpet, Michael Gotz on guitar, Todd Gowers on bass and Todd Zimberg on drums. Their Red Bicycle show will kick off a series of performances in the greater Northwest.
Rock duo with sounds of the 60s visits Vashon
Diamond Dust, a duo that has been on tour across North America since the release of their debut, self-titled album in June 2011, will stop off to play a show at 9 p.m. Saturday at Red Bicycle Bistro. It’s a free show for all ages until 11 p.m., and for those 21 and older after that.
Pete Welch, who organizes shows for the Bike, said he’s excited the band is coming here. “Sheryl Crow meets Led Zeppelin is how they describe themselves. It’s a rock show for Vashon.”
The two are unabashedly retro — for their recent album, they used vintage gear and kept to a warm style of analogue recording, shunning digital trickery.
Critics loved the results, saying the album evoked the sounds of the 1960s and 70s. New Slang called it “gritty rock that seems to ooze out the very soul of that famously defining era of revolution, love and peace,” and The Independent Florida Alligator said the album was “reminiscent of classic rock, with grooving bass and catchy riffs.”
Singer/songwriter Melanie Dekker will open the show. Dekker is a widely traveled singer, having played almost 200 shows all over the world in the past couple of years. Her influences, she said, include storytellers such as Tracy Chapman, Emmylou Harris, Billy Joel and Sheryl Crow.
Local musicians grace the Coffee Roasterie
A double-bill of local music will take place at the Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Singer/songwriter Gregg Curry will play Americana music — a hybrid that blends elements of rock, country, blues, folk, bluegrass and gospel. Cami Lundeen, another singer/songwriter, plays music with an indie folk-pop feel.
The concert is free.
Ron Irvine, owner of Vashon Winery, will also be on hand to host an open wine tasting. He’ll offer four wines.
Find out more about the tasting at vashonwineclub.org.
