Pianist Brent Edstrom Making One Last Appearance In Spokane At Hobart’s

The Spokane jazz scene loses one of its finest players this weekend when pianist Brent Edstrom plays his last gig here.

Edstrom made an immediate impression when he arrived in 1991 to teach at Spokane Falls Community College. His playing is both subtle and powerful and he has a deep understanding of theory and technique, so he’s a valuable asset in a broad variety of settings. Within a year of his arrival, he had been recruited to teach at Whitworth and he has played in several local outfits.

Edstrom graduated from Washington State University and earned his Masters at the Eastman College of Music. He composes and arranges for the Hal Leonard Publishing Company and has written two books of Art Tatum solo transcriptions. This fall, he’ll accept a teaching position at Western Carolina University.

Saturday, Edstrom joins fellow keyboard player Jim Templeton for another of their “dueling piano” outings at Hobart’s. They’ll be joined by drummer Rendall Childs. Friday, the Uptown Quartet holds forth with an evening of traditional and Dixieland Jazz.

Music starts at 9 p.m. both nights; the cover charge tonight is $4; the cover Saturday was unavailable.

, DataTimes