Musicians at Arts al Fresco on Thursday

It will be a hot night regardless of the weather!  Musicians at Arts al Fresco on Thursday, August 1st include the Karin Kajita Trio and Dawn Clement, pianist. Performances start at 6:00pm at Shoreline City Hall and across the street in the Park at Town Center, 17500 Midvale Ave N. You won’t want to miss these musical treats.

The Karin Kajita Trio

Karin Kajita is an accomplished jazz and classical pianist who studied the piano formally for sixteen years. She studied with Professor O’Doan at the UW and earned degrees in music, piano performance, and music education with choral emphasis. She studied jazz with Jerry Gray and jazz arranging with Professor Bill Smith at the UW. Karin was awarded two Milnor Roberts scholarships and two Bainbridge Music and Art Foundation scholarships. She is the recipient of a 2006 Artist Support Grant from Jack Straw Productions. 

Having led her own jazz combo for many years at local festivals, concert series and venues, on Thursday night The Karin Kajita Trio will include her long-time band members Tony Grasso, trumpet, and Clipper Anderson, bass. This multi-talented group plays her jazz arrangements of tunes from J.S. Bach through French Impressionism, show tunes and Brazilian choro, to transcriptions of tunes by Charlie Parker, Oscar Peterson and Tom Harrell.  

Karin also plays with Finn Hill Jazz, the Nikki Dee Quartet, Mairin and Friends and the Emily McIntosh Duo (or Trio.) She is accompanist for "The Group", a talented group of singers that has produced shows at The Ruins and ACT Theatre, and at many private functions. 

In her solo gigs Karin plays three times per week in the Atrium in The Tower in downtown Seattle, and has repeat performances at the NW Flower and Garden Show among others. She recently finished a six month contract at Twelve Moons at Snoqualmie Casino. Karin has performed on the Queen of the West, a paddlewheel boat on the Columbia and Snake Rivers and has had extended solo engagements at numerous Seattle area restaurants and hotels.

Not always staying close to home, Karin has performed at venues in Kalispell and Whitefish Montana, New York, Denver, Wichita, Canada and Salt Lake City. She has done five tours of Japan, playing and singing in hotel lounges, and cruise lines in Alaska, northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Dawn Clement: Musician, Singer, Composer with special guest, Laura Welland on bass

Legendary jazz trombonist Julian Priester describes Dawn Clement's music as uniquely heard. "In all this world of jazz, there are very few individual voices, no matter what the instrument," the renowned musician and composer said. "But Dawn Clement has come up with a voice that's unique. One can't say that she sounds like Bud Powell or Oscar Peterson or the Herbie Hancocks or Chick Coreas or Keith Jarretts of the world. Dawn Clement's music is uniquely heard. And that's the thing that grabbed my attention."

Dawn Clement, a pianist, singer and composer, has made a name for herself as a master musician whose exuberant and crowd-pleasing performances inspire others to greatness. She is one of the most sought-after performers in the Pacific Northwest. A joyously creative musician, Dawn Clement plays weekly at jazz clubs, art museums and theaters in Seattle and has been a guest performer from New York to Paris.

For Dawn Clement, the piano is a partner in a dance - she is one with the instrument. "Part of it is attitude: the pure, sunny, positive emotions that emanate from her as she plays," writes Earshot Jazz Festival. "She is a joy to watch as well as a joy to hear. The broad smiles, raised eyebrows and wide-open eyes looks she gives the other musicians, the mouthing along as she pulls off a particularly multi-faceted run or arpeggio, the expressive body language, all show an overt elation in music making that is inspirational both to her associates and to the audience." Dawn Clement is the real deal, writes George Fendel in Platter Clatter. She is "an incessantly swinging bop pianist with chops galore and a beautiful sense of intimacy and feeling when it comes to ballads." He noted her offering of beautiful vocals that catch attention and touch the soul.

Dawn recorded an album with legendary trombonist Julian Priester called In Deep End Dance. Their group was named "Best Jazz Quartet" and the album was nominated for Earshot Jazz Record of the Year. Her first album Hush on Conduit Records was also nominated for Earshot Jazz Record of the Year. She has performed with such notable artists as Pharaoh Sanders, Nancy King, John Clayton, Johnaye Kendrick, and Mercer Ellington, Dawn Clement's music is a familiar sound over the airwaves with interviews and live performances in the Seattle area and beyond. She is a strong supporter of presenting original music and new works resulting in a wide ranging repertoire, collaborating with some of the Seattle area’s finest musicians and innovators.

In between her rigorous performance schedule, Dawn Clement is a music professor at Cornish College of the Arts and a thriving teacher, mentor and recording artist for Mountlake Terrace High School students through the KPLU School of Jazz.

Come on out on August 1st to hear great music, see unique pianos, sculpture and paintings.  This is definitely a “feel-good” community event.

For more information contact Ros Bird, Public Art Coordinator or visit the City webpage.