Tribute to sax player Mike Allen ends Sudden Valley 2015 season

For five years, Vancouver, B.C., saxophonist Mike Allen was the head of the jazz program at Western Washington University. Not coincidentally, the interest in jazz in Bellingham showed a definite uptick during that time.

Allen still teaches at Western and he has fostered many students individually, and promoted an atmosphere where young Western graduates can now be seen in many jazz performances in the Northwest, says Sudden Valley jazz enthusiast K.C. Sulkin.

Allen played the inaugural concert in the Legacy Jazz Series at the Sudden Valley Dance Barn that was organized by Sulkin four years ago to raise money for construction of the library inside one of the barns in Gate 2.

Sulkin says it’s fitting that the last concert of this year’s series, on Saturday, Nov. 14, will feature Allen’s new U.S quartet, with stellar Seattle-based pianist Dawn Clement, bass player Michael Glynn, on drummer Max Wood.

The barn itself has been condemned and Whatcom County Library System is renting space from Sudden Valley in an adjacent building. Proceeds from the jazz series go toward rent on that building until the library can get permanent quarters, Sulkin says.

Allen says Saturday’s program includes some of his quartet’s original songs, a couple of trio originals by Clement, and several well-known standards, such as “Someone To Watch Over Me” and “Get Happy.”

Allen recently played gigs in Helsinki that were recorded by Finnish national radio, and he taught a guest master class at the Sibelius Academy.

He says the Sudden Valley Jazz Series is his favorite series in the Northwest because of the wonderful audiences and volunteers, and the excellent acoustics at the Sudden Valley Dance Barn.

“I’m looking forward to seeing lots of familiar faces on Saturday,” he says. “I'm very pleased to be making my return as part of the Sudden Valley Jazz Series with three fabulous Seattle jazz musicians.”

Sulkin also announced the 2016 series, starting in April.

“It should be a super one,” he says.

Along with a “Battle of the Tenors” featuring saxophonist Harry Allen out of New York City and Corey Weeds of Vancouver, B.C.; there will be a concert featuring Seattle jazz singer Greta Metassa, backed by a 13-piece band led by Dave Marriott; and a tribute to Louis Armstrong for listening and dancing with New York trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso. The final concert will feature pianist Jorge Pacheco from Havana, Cuba.

As has been a Sudden Valley tradition, tickets for the series will be offered for one time only for $60 at the Nov. 14 concert. After Saturday’s concert, series tickets are $70 at Village Books, the Sudden Valley Administration Office, and at fswl.org.

All concerts are at 3 p.m. Confirmed dates are:

▪ April 2: Battle of the tenors featuring Harry Allen and Corey Weeds on saxophone;

▪ May 21: Vocalist Greta Metassa and her little Big Band;

▪ Sept. 24: Trumpeter Jon-Erik Kellso’s “Salute to Satchmo,” featuring Evan Arntzen on reeds;

▪ Nov. 5: Cuban pianist Jorge Pacheco.

This story was originally published November 11, 2015 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Tribute to sax player Mike Allen ends Sudden Valley 2015 season."