Saxophone and flute master Mark Lewis performs at the Auburn Wine and Caviar Company on Saturday nights in November with a different featured guest musician (or two) from around the region.
Performances are 6-9 p.m. at the company, 2402 A St. SE,
This month’s featured guest musician lineup:
• Nov. 3: Norm Bellas, piano
• Nov. 10: Karin Kajita, piano
• Nov. 17: Josh Mason, piano
• Nov. 24: Brian Shibayama, piano; Trent Leurquin, bass
About the musicians:
Mark Lewis is master of the alto sax, baritone sax, flute and piano; author of more than 1,600 compositions; and has recorded and produced more than 20 albums on various labels.
Rotterdam, Holland was Mark’s home base for many years. He toured and played in most of the better clubs throughout Europe, and taught jazz theory and improvised music classes in several music conservatories.
Mark lived and performed for several years in San Francisco and Victoria, B.C. as well. Mark’s CD “In The Spirit,” recorded at Music Annex in Menlo Park, Calif., made the Top 40 on Billboard Magazine’s Jazz Albums chart.
Mark has performed and recorded with pianists Mark Levine, Overton Berry and Ted Gioia; drummers Candy Finch, Eddie Moore and Billy Higgins; bassist David Friesen; saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Art Foxall; trumpet player Randy Brecker; and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. Mark often subbed for Stan Getz and John Handy during his time in San Francisco.
Norm Bellas holds a master’s of music degree in composition. He won the Washington State Blues Society “BB” for Best Keyboard and was nominated for best songwriter. Norm’s CD of original jazz compositions “Out of the Norm” was played on heavy rotation for six months on the Seattle jazz station, KPLU. Norm has played with jazz artists such as Tutti Heath, Don Lanphere, Jessica Williams, Frank Wess and Art Lande, and has played and/or recorded with many blues and R&B legends including Big Momma Thorton, Buddy Miles, Carlos Santana and the Temptations.
Karin Kajita has degrees in music, piano performance and music education from the University of Washington. She went on to pursue a career in jazz, traveling to contracts in Japan, Denver, Canada, New York, Kansas and Utah. She has played at all the major hotels in Seattle, including the Westin, Hilton, Warwick, Sheraton, Alexis and Sorrento, and frequently performs as leader of her own quintet.
Josh Mason has been performing as a jazz pianist in the Pacific Northwest for the past 20 years. During that time he has opened or performed with the Yellow Jackets, Diana Krall, Diane Shure, Joe Williams w/Louie Belson, and many well-known local Seattleites such as Greta Matassa, Hadley Caliman and Jay Thomas. You can hear a mixture of influences in his sound from greats such as Gene Harris, McCoy Tyner, Michael Brecker, Keith Jarrett, and the master of simplicity and space, Count Basie.
Trent Leurquin studied music at Olympic College and music performance at Western Washington University. He is an accomplished composer and bassist, and has performed with several different groups including Jazz Junkies and Chain Reaction. Trent performs most frequently in jazz, fusion and R&B styles.
Respected Bellevue pianist Brian Shibayama is known for his intelligent piano performance and compositions. He studied music at Western Washington University with noted instructors Americole Biasini and Dr. Edwin La Bounty, among others. He currently performs around the Northwest with various jazz groups.
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For more information, call the Auburn Wine and Caviar Company at 253-887-8530.