Meeting of the Waters

The Seattle Women's Jazz Orchestra features some of the top jazz musicians and arrangers in the Pacific Northwest, primarily focusing on original music written for the band. The tight harmonies of the ensembles and strong soloists are key ingredients to their success. This is not strictly an all-female band like Diva, as drummer Jeremy Jones and lead trumpeter Dennis Haldane are regular members and there are several male guests in the trumpet section. Musical director Daniel Barry contributed several charts and guests on his "Encontro das ¡guas (Meeting of the Waters)." Hazel Leach wrote the powerful, complex ballad "Self Portrait," which features a moving vocal by Greta Matassa, and the perky "The Tulip Wonder," which showcases trombonist Jennifer Kellogg. Jill Townsend's setting of the decades-old standard "Old Folks" incorporates imaginative background colors behind alto saxophonist Cynthia Mullis' potent solo. Highly recommended.