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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Sax Adventures With Wainapel At Hobart’s

William Berry

The hub club of Spokane’s live jazz scene is hosting top-notch talent on Thursday. Saxophone monster Harvey Wainapel (pronounced wine-apple) will be appearing at Hobart’s one night only - on Thursday.

Wainapel has gigged with the likes of McCoy Tyner, Joe Henderson, Benny Carter and Ray Charles, and has just come off a summer European tour with sax-man Joe Lovano. Lovano says, “Wainapel plays with the performance attitude, which for me is what jazz and improvisation is all about … it’s a pleasure to listen to Harvey’s soulful interpretations.”

His recent CD, “Ambrosia: The Music of Kenny Barron” with the huge Metropole Orchestra, shows him to be an adventurous improvisor exploring the rhythms of Brazilian music. His dark and mellow sound on all of the saxes - soprano, alto and tenor - can lull the listener into a new-age ballad frame of mind, then Wainapel will start running on the edge and shake off the crystals.

For his week-long Northwest tour, the San Franciscan is traveling light with a quartet - Randy Porter on piano, Tom Wakeling on bass and Alan Jones on drums.

Wainapel and his quartet will also be giving a free clinic at Spokane Falls Community College at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, in lounges A and B of the Student Union Building.

The Harvey Wainapel Quartet will be at Hobart’s Jazz Lounge at Cavanaugh’s Fourth Avenue on Thursday. Admission to the 8 p.m. to midnight set is $6 at the door. For concert information, call 838-6101; for clinic info, call 533-3720.