Seattle Sun Newspaper - Vol. 7, Issue 2, February 2003
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LIVE FROM NORTH SEATTLE:
'Satchmo' sound-alike to perform at Woodland Park Inn
By CLAYTON PARK
Eddy Jeffreys knows about making lemonade out of lemons.
Twenty-two years ago, he was badly injured in a car accident, which required doctors to perform a tracheotomy to help him breathe. The Seattle native recovered, but the operation left the one-time tenor with a gravelly baritone voice that made him sound like the second coming of late jazz legend Louie Armstrong, also known as Satchmo.
A few years ago, at the urging of a musician he saw perform at a pub in Vancouver, B.C., Jeffreys got up on stage and sang one of Armstrong's signature tunes: "What a Wonderful World."
"The reaction from the crowd was great," Jeffreys recalls.
He received further encouragement to pursue a career in music after singing at a pub in San Diego.
Thrilled the cheers from the audience, Jeffreys began learning more Armstrong songs and honed his act at karaoke bars.
Jeffreys, now 43, adopted Satchmo as his stage name and performed on the festival circuit in Canada, including an appearance at the Montreal Jazz Festival. He moved to Las Vegas in 2001 to perform at hotels and casinos, including the Aladdin, where he recently completed a two-and-a-half month stint.
At the Aladdin, Jeffreys performed five nights a week near the entrance on a stage he shared with an Elvis impersonator and a performer known as "The Human Flute" ("He'd whistle songs instead of sing and if you closed your eyes you'd swear it was a flute," Jeffreys explains of his good friend, Mark Caldwell).
Jeffreys uses a trumpet as a prop when he performs, but admits he's still learning how to play the instrument for which Armstrong is considered one of the all-time greats. Jeffreys sings to recorded background music.
While in Las Vegas, Jeffreys says he got to meet Joe Jackson, father of the famous Jackson family (as in Michael and Janet), who offered him encouragement and advice regarding his prospects for becoming a full-time entertainer.
Jeffreys recently moved back to Seattle to spend time with his family. He currently lives in the Greenwood neighborhood. He hopes to return to Las Vegas to do more gigs but is also looking to form a band that could perform both original music and covers and tour overseas.
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Jeffreys will perform his Satchmo act at an invitation-only party at the Woodland Park Inn, located at N. 61st Street and Phinney Avenue N. The party, from noon to 3 p.m., is being put on by Jeffreys' aunt, Sylvia Corven, in conjunction with the grand opening that weekend of Corven's new business, Sylvia's Accessory & Gift Boutique.
Corven, whose shop sells hand bags, hats, fashion jewelry and home decor, says a limited number of invites will be available by request on a first-come, first-serve basis to people who visit her store, at 6421 Phinney Ave. N, on Saturday, Feb. 1, between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.
The party on Sunday will include a video fashion show, and live classical guitar music, in addition to her nephew's performance.
Jeffreys is available to perform at parties, corporate events and weddings. He can be reached at 772-3919 or on his cell phone at 702-419-7206.
Salon hosts 'jazz socials'
A new monthly jazz jam recently kicked off at a venue already known for great chops as in haircuts.
Now, Steven Cole Salon, located at 8408 Greenwood Ave. N, can also be a place where chops, as in musical skills, can be heard, thanks to the jazz jam's organizers: Greg Robinson and Angelo Primo.
Robinson is a pianist whose jazz trio, The Jump Ensemble, had been hosting a regular jam night at The Roadhouse pub in Magnolia.
When the pub closed in December, Robinson, who lives on Phinney Ridge, began searching for a new place to hold the jams.
Enter Primo, an accordionist and keyboard player who works by day as a hairstylist at Steven Cole Salon. Primo persuaded his boss, Steven Cole, to host the "jazz socials" on the first Tuesday of every month, from 8-11 p.m.
The inaugural jazz social on Jan. 7 drew more than a dozen musicians and approximately 30 guests mostly clients of the salon, says Primo, who shares the title of "social chairman" with Robinson.
The next jazz social will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 4. Admission is free, but donations will be gladly accepted to pay for the refreshments coffee and tea which are also free. No haircuts will be given during the jam, but Cole and Primo will be on hand to greet visitors and make daytime appointments for the salon.
Cole doesn't receive any money for hosting the jazz socials, but appreciates any opportunity to let the public know about the salon, which opened in October, says Robinson.
Musicians interested in participating in the jam are welcome to sit in with the "house band" Robinson on keyboards, drummer Mark Filler, and bassist Marty Hasegawa. Some amplifiers will be available for use, but the event doesn't have a PA sound system. Robinson explains that the jams are primarily meant for instrumentalists, as opposed to singers.
The repertoire for the jams largely consist of jazz standards and show tunes, along with some blues, bossa nova and samba numbers, Robinson says.
The cool thing about holding the jams at a salon, as opposed to a nightclub, is that people of all ages can attend, including kids, Robinson notes. "We're trying to turn it into a more public event," as opposed to a musicians-only gathering, he adds. Drop-ins are most certainly welcome.
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For more information, call the salon at 783-7999.