A sense of humor from Welsh-born singer-songwriter Judith Owen is part of her show (“We’re a melancholy people, happily depressed most of the time”). She’ll perform a short concert and sign CDs today in Seattle.
Owen began writing songs as a teenager as a way to alleviate the grief following the death of her mother.
Her single “Train Out of Hollywood” was No. 20 on the adult-contemporary charts; and “Hand on My Heart” appeared in the Jack Nicholson movie “As Good as It Gets.” Several tracks from her “Limited Edition” album have appeared in television shows, and she appeared in animated form on “The Simpsons” to introduce jazz-Celtic music to a new audience.
Kitchen Syncopators: The quartet spent its first few years honing its skills on the streets of New Orleans before taking their show nationwide and to Europe. The band performs tonight in Sultan with local jug band Lowdown Ramblers in a fundraiser for Hurricane Katrina relief. Kitchen Syncopators perform original and traditional rural country blues, early urban ragtime and jazz.
Marta Topferova: The Latin vocalist is a world traveler. Born in the former Czechoslovakia, where she began singing, Topferova has ties to Seattle (Seattle Girls Choir) and Spain (private studies), and now lives in New York. She performs Tuesday and Wednesday in Seattle. Fluent in several languages, Topferova also plays the guitar and the four-stringed cuatro.
Chris Botti: The pop-jazz trumpeter and Oregon native is riding high in the 2005 Billboard music awards list and has had two Grammy nominations, including best pop instrumental performance with Burt Bacharach. He performs Sunday in Seattle. Botti was a sideman during Paul Simon’s 1990 tour, released his solo debut in 1995, met success on stage and in the studio, and later composed and performed the score for the movie “Caught.”
Shemekia Copeland: The standout blues singer wants passion and feeling in music, something sorely missing on the airwaves, she points out in “Who Stole My Radio?” So Copeland delivers a new album of sit-up-and-take-notice R&B that brings the gutsy ’60s soul sound into the 21st century. The 26-year-old performs Thursday through Feb. 5 in Seattle. She’s still rooted in the blues but sings about today with her Big Mamma voice and swagger.
| Judith Owen: 12:30 p.m. today, Borders Bookstore, 1501 Fourth Ave., Seattle; free; 206-622-4599.
Kitchen Syncopators: 9 p.m. today, Bubba’s Roadhouse, 924 Highway 2, Sultan; donation. Marta Topferova: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle; $20.50; 206-628-0888. Chris Botti: 8 p.m. Sunday, Moore Theater, 1932 Second Ave., Seattle; $35, $45; 206-628-0888. Shemekia Copeland: Various times Thursday through Feb. 5, Jazz Alley, 2033 Sixth Ave., Seattle; $23.50; 206-628-0888. The Chieftains: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Benaroya Hall, Seattle; $20-63; 206-628-0888. Austin Lounge Lizards: 9 p.m. Thursday, Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave., Seattle; $15; 206-789-3599. |
The Chieftains: Nominated for a Grammy for best traditional folk album, the legendary ambassadors for Irish traditional music continue their 43-year, 35-album run. They’ll perform Tuesday in Seattle. The band has collected six Grammies, an Oscar, an Emmy and a Genie.
Austin Lounge Lizards: The veteran string band has a hot number in “The Drugs I Need,” written for the Consumer Union’s campaign concerning the pharmaceutical industry’s profits. Paired with animation, the song has drawn more than 1.5 million hits on the Consumers Union Web site. The Lizards perform Thursday in Seattle.
Marta Topferova performs next week in Seattle.
Chris Botti performs Sunday in Seattle.
Shemekia Copeland performs next week in Seattle.
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