Steve Bentley Ensemble Great Northwest jazz supreme Steve Bentley Ensemble at Rhythm & Rye LIVE show Review

Steve Bentley Ensemble Great Northwest jazz treasure STEVE BENTLEY ENSEMBLE AT RHYTHM & RYE LIVE SHOW REVIEW:  It was only a month or so ago that I reviewed another act with Steve Bentley’s fantastic drums, when he played with The I-5 Allstars… he’s truly a Great Northwest jazz treasure, having played with too many great bands/artists around the globe to itemize here – suffice it to say that the “night went well”. 

Thanks are definitely in order for the folks in Olympia Jazz Central, who put these events together, as well as the venue owners for Rhythm & Rye… without their efforts, our town wouldn’t have the solid jazz presence and reputation that it enjoys.

Steve’s ensemble players were – Jeremy Shaskus – saxophone; John Hansen – keyboard; Chris Symer – bass and, of course Steve Bentley on drums… as you’ll hear in the short clips I captured during the show, these are totally professional players who play at full-tilt, all the time – every time.  Whether it’s a slow jazz ballad, or a more “out” tune penned by another of Olympia’s jazz legends (Bert Wilson), these gents NAIL IT, and breathe new life into each piece! 

Before I get too far caught up in my ranting, though, give these folks a listen…

You see?  You hear?  Members of our community here at the very bottom edge of Puget Sound are indeed privileged to have such precision jazz to go out for… on top of that, as you witnessed in the videos, it’s not just their technical expertise… these cats play with SOUL, and (as most of my readers know) – THAT’S what jazz is really all about. 

My hat is off to this excellent ensemble; they get a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from me… lastly – they play in different formations around the Great Northwest, and you should DEFINITELY catch them when they show up in your city’s listings!         Rotcod Zzaj

(author’s note… if you’re part of a high-energy, high-talent band who will be playing in the Olympia or Tacoma areas, PM me (or email to rotcod2009@gmail.com) to arrange for a LIVE SHOW review)