The Best Music Shows in Seattle: Summer 2019

Below, we've rounded up the biggest and best music events you need to know about this season, from Music Under The Stars to the Jazz Port Townsend Festival to Death Cab for Cutie. You can also find a complete list of music shows in Seattle this summer on our Things To Do calendar, or check out the rest of our critics' picks from Seattle Art and Performance.

Found something you like and don't want to forget about it later? Click "Save Event" on any of the linked events below to add it to your own private list.

Jump to: Classical | Opera | Jazz | Pop, Rock & Hiphop

Classical

Mon June 10

In the Spotlight: Hannah Kendall Seattle Symphony presents the U.S. premiere of The Spark Catchers, a luminescent number from British (and millennial!!) composer Hannah Kendall. The composition conveys such a strong sense of narrative and action-adventure drama that it could be the soundtrack to a lost scene from Star Wars. The piece, commissioned by the BBC, has been getting good reviews. "Confident," says Classical Source. "Rhythmically incisive," says The Guardian. Stick around after the show to check out the symphony's new innovative space, and also to talk shop about chamber music with Kendall. RS (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $25)

Tues June 11

In the Spotlight: Bolcom, Jolley, Poteat & Hausmann Seattle supports a pretty robust scene of local symphonic composers. Seattle Symphony has plucked out a few of the major players—William Bolcom, Jérémy Jolley, Ben Hausmann, and Angelique Poteat—and given them the room for the night. Bolcom's piece is a fun ragtime jam, Poteat's Ripples of Possibilities features meditative and warbly clarinets that break into madness, Hausmann's Sonnett for Eternal Loveliness is just sort of pleasant and at its best occasionally sounds like Vince Guaraldi's A Charlie Brown Christmas, and Jolley's (contro-)clessidra I & IV combines electronic instruments with regular ones and basically sounds like it looks. RS (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $20)

Wed June 12

Rain City Symphony Spring Concert In their annual springtime concert, Rain City Symphony will perform orchestral works by Paul Dukas, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Jules Massenet. (Lake City Mennonite Church, 7:30 pm, free)

Sun June 16

Steve Hackman's Harder, Better, Faster, Stravinsky Composer/producer Steve Hackman will lay out the full spectrum of Stravinsky to Kanye in this pop-classical mash-up concert that matches composers with chart-toppers. (Benaroya Hall, 2 pm, $30—$70)

Tues June 18

Ludovico Einaudi Iconic Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi has topped the classical charts in 42 countries and recently released an album called Elements, which accompanied a video of him playing piano on an Arctic glacier. Before embarking on this North American tour, Einaudi additionally released a new seven-part album called Seven Days Walking (Decca Records/Universal). (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $47—$250)

June 20 & 22–23

Ludovic Morlot Conducts Debussy Ahhhh!!! This is your last chance to see Ludovic Morlot conducting live onstage at Benaroya Hall, at least in his capacity as Seattle Symphony's music director. Couldn't ask for better exit music, though. As a French conductor whose intellectual/artistic lineage traces back to Debussy, Ludo is the only person I ever want to hear painting with the watery colors of the French composer's Nocturnes. The evening also features a composition from Leoš Janáek called The Eternal Gospel. The dramatic piece is shot through with golden moments of pastoral tranquility. The Northwest Boychoir will join the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Symphony Chorale onstage for different parts of the party. RS (Benaroya Hall, $37—$122)

Wed June 26

Enchanting China The China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra will present "Enchanting China," a production of Chinese musicians and vocalists performing on traditional instruments like the erhu, sheng, banhu, liuqin, and ruan. The musicians will be accompanied by dancers and a full chorus for a multi-part show encompassing Chinese opera, folk music, and modern classical movements. (McCaw Hall, 7:30 pm, $48—$168)

June 27–29

Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert If you do not know who John Williams is, do not bother reading what I have to say about him in this blurb. John Williams's greatest achievement as a film composer is his love theme "Han Solo and the Princess" for Han and Leia in The Empire Strikes Back. (You, the pop-culture ignoramus, are still reading! Yes, Williams composed the music for the Star Wars series, and also Jaws, Indiana Jones, and so on, and so on.) This love theme has all of the sensitivity and cheap beauty that made "Spartacus: Love Theme" a jazz standard. If the great jazz pianist Bill Evans were alive today (why don't some people live forever?), he would have made pure magic out of Williams's "Love Theme." CM (Benaroya Hall, $37—$210)

July 1–27

2019 Seattle Chamber Music Society Summer Festival Seattle Chamber Music Society is, once again, throwing their Summer Festival, with free informal recitals and full orchestral performances for all ages throughout the month of July. The cabal of esteemed artists involved this year will include Andrew Wan, Jonathan Vinocour, Jeewon Park, Tessa Lark, Yura Lee, and many more. Plus, don't miss the Music Under The Stars series, during which a student ensemble sets up in a park and plays to whoever shows up, often folks with picnic blankets in tow and maybe a surreptitious bottle of wine or two, after which Benaroya Hall pipes in whatever festival performance is happening that night. (Benaroya Hall)

July 9–10

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial in Concert These Seattle Symphony + film match-ups are a great way to enliven a cinematic chesnut while drawing in more diverse audiences than what you traditionally find at a classical music concert, pairing a screening with the symphony's live performance of the film score. This presentation is the one of several to highlight John Williams' exquisite music-movie capabilities (the first two were Jurassic Park and The Empire Strikes Back; Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban is up next). LP (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $40—$90)

July 12–14

Harry Potter & The Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert The Seattle Symphony will take on the cultural phenomenon with a screening of Prisoner of Azkaban paired with a live performance of John Williams' unforgettable score. (Benaroya Hall, $50—$160)

July 13–Sept 8

Olympic Music Festival The Olympic Music Festival features classical programming almost every weekend of the summer, from works by Medtner, Prokofiev, and Tchaikovsky to Enescu, Walton, Chopin, and Dvoák. (Fort Worden State Park)

Fri July 19

World Music Series: Ganesh Rajagopalan Ganesh Rajagopalan is a virtuosic violinist and vocalist of Carnatic music. He'll perform traditional and contemporary music of South India in this evening of innovative genre-blending. (Volunteer Park Amphitheater, 7 pm, free)

Sat July 27

Chamber Music in the Park For this year's Chamber Music in the Park performance, members of the Seattle Chamber Music Society will play Zoltán Kodály's Duo for Violin and Cello, Op. 7 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Trio for Violin, Viola and Cello (Divertimento) in E-flat Major, K. 563. (Volunteer Park, 7 pm, free)

Sept 11–12

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy with the Seattle Symphony Distant Worlds, the collection of music from Final Fantasy, will be presented in full multimedia concert format, with the music of Japanese video game composer Nobu Uematsu and projected imagery from the game, conducted by Grammy winner Arnie Roth. (Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $37—$150)

Sat Sept 14

Opening Night Concert & Gala Go big at this Seattle Symphony season kick-off with Thomas Dausgaard taking the stage in his first event as Music Director, and a featured solo by pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 4. (Benaroya Hall, 5 pm)

Sundays

Compline Choir This is an excellent opportunity to lie on the floor while listening to choral music. Rich Smith once wrote, "Something about the combination of the architecture, the fellowship, and the music gave me a little peek into the ineffable." (Saint Mark's Cathedral, 9:30 pm, free)

Opera

Aug 10–28

Rigoletto You may have heard one of the most famous tunes of any opera, "La donna é mobile" (roughly, "woman is fickle"), long used in pizza and Doritos ads—but let's banish those bad memories, shall we? The origin of that song is Giuseppe Verdi's terrific Rigoletto, a tale of political machination, ruined innocence, and revenge, where its jaunty misogyny is undermined with devastating irony. Court jester Rigoletto jealously guards his daughter Gilda's virtue. But when his employer, the depraved Duke of Mantua, seduces the girl, Rigoletto fatefully vows revenge. No doubt Seattle Opera will hint at parallels to #MeToo and to certain powerful lechers we could name. JOULE ZELMAN (McCaw Hall, $35—$342)

Jazz

June 15–17

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra—Ray Charles: I Can't Stop Lovin' You Witness the massive legacy of Ray Charles with this performance by the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra of his classics and rare big band scores played on the road by the Ray Charles Orchestra. (June 15: Benaroya Hall, 7:30 pm, $50; June 16: Kirkland Performance Center, 2 pm, $15—$50; June 17: Edmonds Center for the Arts, 7:30 pm, $10/$36)

June 18–19

An Evening with Kenny Garrett Saxophonist, composer, and long-time bandleader Kenny Garrett will show off exactly what has made him one of the greatest performers of his generation with pieces from his time spent with the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, and Miles Davis. (Jazz Alley, 7:30 pm, $31)

Thurs June 20

Donny McCaslin You could pour everything I know about jazz into an airplane-size liquor bottle and still have room for enough bourbon to get a buzz going. And yet even my ignorant ass knows enough to know that Donny McCaslin coming to Seattle is an event. McCaslin and company were handpicked by David Bowie to help him create the sound of his triumphant final album, Blackstar—the majesty of which continues to deepen with age. And lest it seem gauche not to let more than two sentences of a McCaslin preview go by without mentioning the late great Mr. Jones, the band seems to have no qualms about embracing the association—their most recent album, Beyond Now, was dedicated to and inspired by Bowie. SEAN NELSON (Triple Door, 7:30 pm, $30—$40)

Mon June 24

Cécile McLorin Salvant and Sullivan Fortner In 2016, Cécile McLorin Salvant won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her record For One To Love. She is celebrated for her ability to bring together the connections between jazz, vaudeville, blues, and folk music with her strong tone. (Jazz Alley, 7:30 pm, $35)

June 27–30

Bill Frisell Trio with Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen Winter 1995. My girlfriend dumped me. My publisher ripped me off. One of my best friends fired me from the job I needed to pay the rent. Another best friend was laughing at my anguish. I hurt, physically, constantly. On my way to feed the fishes at Sakuma Viewpoint, I drop into Tower Records and the lonely clerk plays Deep Dead Blue by Elvis Costello and Bill Frisell. And Costello sounds blue, but Frisell sounds haunted. Stuff inside only his bearing as a gentleman allows him to bear. I didn't know then that Frisell can get to any emotion, bone-deep from blue to bliss-ninny blowout. I feed the fishes. I drink Budweiser. Then I go back to my piss-pocked mattress and get on with life. ANDREW HAMLIN (Jazz Alley, $33)

Fri June 28

Paal Nilssen-Love: Large Unit Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love can be viewed as the Tony Williams of Scandinavian avant-garde jazz. Over the last quarter century, the 44-year-old percussion dynamo has proved himself adept at various permutations of jazz and rock with an array of esteemed collaborators, including Peter Brötzmann, Jim O'Rourke, the Thing, and Arto Lindsay. The 14-member Large Unit present many complex moving parts in pieces that can change from five-alarm blow-outs to airy meditativeness with the hiss of a hi-hat. Immersion in the Large Unit's repertoire should disabuse any notions that Scandos lack passion. DS (The Royal Room, 7 pm, 9:30 pm)

July 11–25

Jazz: The Second Century Jazz: The Second Century is a long-standing program by Earshot Jazz that invites Seattle musicians to creatively consider the future of jazz, and what that could look like, in resulting performative interpretations (thus, an ensuing concert series spread out over four consecutive Thursday evenings in July). Each night showcases original compositions by Seattle artists, and is curated by different peer groups within our local music community through a blind jury process from responses to a general call for submissions. (Chapel Performance Space, 8 pm, $5—$15)

Wed July 17

KNKX Presents Piano Starts Here: Chicago in the 20s — National Jazz Melting Pot The Piano Starts Here series showcases the work of musical icons who contributed to the knowledge and appreciation of the instrument. This iteration will celebrate the jazz legends who incorporated Chicago traditions into the jazz canon through innovation and inclusivity, including the work of Earl Hines, Jelly Roll Morton, Jess Stacy, and Joe Sullivan. Featured performers for the evening will include Ray Skjelbred. (The Royal Room, 7:30 pm, $5—$12)

July 25–27

Jazz Port Townsend Festival Here is what you have to do: drive down to the ferry dock, drive onto a ferry, cross the bay on this ferry, exit the ferry, drive across the island, cross some bridges, stop at a gas station for something fried, salty, and not good for you, eventually enter Port Townsend, and, before heading to Fort Worden State Park, admire a number of the town's Victorian-style homes. When you finally park your car in the pretty park, roll down your window and listen to jazz music from the Jazz Port Townsend Festival in the sun-brightened air. Cars were not made for the city, but for short trips like this. CM (McCurdy Pavilion at Fort Worden State Park, $25—$185)

July 25–28

Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band Playing six shows over four nights at Jazz Alley, the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band offer plenty of chances for you to shimmy and shake to their warm, slinky, percussive-fueled rhythms. Mexican American namesake Sanchez has been rapping, tapping, and slapping congas for crowds since he played his first ever set in the mid-1970s with renowned vibraphonist Cal Tjader, with whom he played until Tjader's death in 1982. Sanchez went on to release more than 30 albums as a solo conguero (backed by a full band that currently includes players on timbales, bass, trumpet, sax, trombone, bongos, and piano), and has built on his Latin-jazzy sound with elements of R&B, soul, cha-cha, and salsa music. LP (Jazz Alley, $35)

Fri July 26

World Music: Emi Meyer Tokyo-based singer-songwriter Emi Meyer will perform a personally designed blend of pop, jazz, and soul music at this free live set outdoors. (Volunteer Park Amphitheater, 7 pm, free)

Fri Aug 2

50th! Great Records of 1969 - Miles Davis' 'In A Silent Way' One of the best things about the Royal Room is its dedication to spotlighting music of world-historical import. This tribute to Miles Davis's fusion classic, In a Silent Way, is deep in RR owner and supremely versatile keyboardist Wayne Horvitz's wheelhouse. While Miles's sly trumpet motifs are obviously integral to the sublimely chill jazz moves here, In a Silent Way is a keyboardist's paradise, with Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul, and Chick Corea flaunting crystalline ambience, rococo ostinatos, aquatic swells, and the suave main theme from "It's About That Time" on electric piano. There's much room to improvise here, and Horvitz and his excellent cohorts will surely do this masterpiece justice. DS (The Royal Room, 8 pm, $15/$20)

Aug 8–11

Jane Monheit with Michael Kanan, Neal Miner, and Rick Montalbano Jane Monheit sounds like she took the persona of an opera diva (not a diva diva) and assumed the diva's point of view, but toned it down just a few notches, singing in, let's say, her bathroom, alone, just her and the sink and the shower and the toilet and maybe some ikebana. Private joy. Private sadness. But a diva, being a diva (even a diva diva), can't help projecting. Can't help putting it over. ANDREW HAMLIN (Jazz Alley, $33)

Aug 13–14

Marquis Hill Blacktet Witness the triumphant Seattle return of immensely skilled Chicago trumpeter Marquis Hill and his Blacktet, a group focused on reinterpreting jazz standards by incorporating spoken word and hiphop. The Blacktet includes Joel Ross (vibes), Jonathan Pinson (drums), and Jeremiah Hunt (bass). (Jazz Alley, 7:30 pm, $31)

Fri Aug 16

Herbie Hancock & Kamasi Washington You have to be rich or well-connected to see Herbie Hancock perform live nowadays, but do make the effort. One of the most eclectic and innovative jazz musicians of the last 55 years, the keyboardist has traversed hard bop, modal jazz, fusion (with Miles Davis and his own Mwandishi band), funk, hiphop, electro, Joni Mitchell covers, myriad world-music tangents with artists such as Anoushka Shankar and Tinariwen, and has even concocted a radically rearranged cover of the greatest Beatles song, "Tomorrow Never Knows"—albeit with Dave Matthews. Kamasi Washington is today's jazz fusion innovator. A fine match-up indeed. DS (Marymoor Park, 6:45 pm, $50—$90)

Aug 22–25

Keiko Matsui Not just her career, but Keiko Matsui's life itself as a Japanese producer, contemporary jazz pianist, and composer spans genres, borders, and decades. She tours constantly and has brought her music to every corner of the globe with over 20 albums of original music. She has also utilized her voice for causes dear to her heart, like the United Nations World Food Programme, Be the Match Marrow Registry, and the National Donor Program and Marrow Foundation. (Jazz Alley, $33)

Aug 27–28

Otis Taylor Band My introduction to Otis Taylor was his third album, 2001's White African. He's from Colorado, but he took hill-country blues to heart, droning wickedly and refusing to change chords, except exactly where it would break the listener's mind. He sang in the voice of a black man framed for a murder, lynched, doomed to roam railroad tracks and the wilderness alongside them as a ghost, trying in vain—and already losing hope—that anyone would ever hear. Well, that cost me a few winks. The more recent album is called Fantasizing About Being Black, so his humor is still obstinately corrosive, and over the years he's added drums, trumpet, and a few other not-strictly-blues touches. But he's still singing about death. About running, running, and not looking back unless you want to see your last muzzle flash. ANDREW HAMLIN (Jazz Alley, 7:30 pm, $31)

Aug 29–Sept 1

Maceo Parker Soulful saxophonist Maceo Parker has spent decades exploring and rewriting the history of funk in collaborations with icons like James Brown, George Clinton, and Prince, while simultaneously honing his own brand of creative showmanship. (Jazz Alley, $41)

Sept 5–8

Sérgio Mendes Elder statesman of Brazilian jazz, bossa nova, and funk lite Sérgio Mendes is a busy septuagenarian who, as recently as 2012, earned an Oscar nom for his work (Best Original Song as co-writer of "Real in Rio" from the animated film Rio). Without a doubt, you've heard "Mas Que Nada," Mendes' signature song—if not the fine 1966-era original, then the remake he did with Black Eyed Peas in 2006. Or perhaps you're familiar with the 1983 soft rock balladry of "Never Gonna Let You Go"? Yep, that's him. News to you? News to me, too, and I grew up in the '80s. LP (Jazz Alley, $66)

Sept 12–15

Tower of Power Oakland's fabulous funk and soul-jazz heavies Tower of Power return for yet another Seattle residency. Reports from the most gushing-est of fans claim that every TOP show is a killer dance party, but then they are the "Hipper Than Hip" from "Bump City" and would obviously know how to dig it deep "In the Slot"! That they keep killin' it time and again is REALLY saying something, as Tower of Power have been active for 50 years and show no signs of getting up from all their serious getting down! MIKE NIPPER (Jazz Alley, $67)