The David Grisman Quintet will perform Four Nights in Seattle

The Pacific Jazz Institute at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley presents mandolinist and composer of “Dawg” music for four nights January 15 – 18, 2009. Band members are David Grisman (mandolin), Grant Gordy (guitar), Matt Eakle (flute), Jim Kerwin (bass) and George March (drums). Set times Thursday and Sunday at 7:30, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and 9:30pm. Doors open at 6:00pm on Thursday and 5:30pm Friday – Sunday.

For more than 40 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman has been busy creating ‘dawg’ music, a blend of many stylistic influences (including swing, bluegrass, Latin, jazz and gypsy) so unique he gave it its own name. In doing so, David has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music with style and virtuosity while creating a unique niche for himself in the world of contemporary music.

Dubbed "The Paganini of the Mandolin" by the New York Times, David has been praised for his mastery of the instrument as well as his varied talents as a composer, bandleader, teacher and record producer. After recording for several major labels, Grisman founded his own company, Acoustic Disc, which he runs from his studio in northern California. Upon launching the label in 1990, David entered the most prolific period of his distinguished career, producing 45 critically acclaimed, high quality recordings of acoustic music (five of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards).

Grisman was already playing the piano, saxophone and mandolin by the time he was a teenager, taking up the latter at age 16. In 1963 Grisman made his first recordings as an artist (the Even Dozen Jug Band-Elektra) and producer (Red Allen, Frank Wakefield and the Kentuckians – Folkways). David’s interests spread to jazz in 1967, while playing in the folk-rock ensemble, Earth Opera.

A failed attempt at learning to play the alto saxophone turned him into a student of jazz musicianship and theory. In the meantime, his burgeoning career as a session musician gave him experience playing other types of music and opportunities to stretch the boundaries of the mandolin. Today his discography includes recordings with Bela Fleck, the Grateful Dead, Stephane Grappelli, Emmylou Harris, Chris Isaak, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt , Earl Scruggs, Dan Fogelberg, Maria Muldaur, and James Taylor.

Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley
2033 6th Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98121
Cost: $32.50
www.jazzalley.com