Leo Saul Berk at the Frye Art Museum

“Structure and Ornament,” an exhibition of work by Leo Saul Berk, opened at the Frye Art Museum, in Seattle, on May 30, 2015. The sculpture and video comprising the show address issues of architecture and imagination, paying  homage to the mid-century American architect, painter and musician Bruce Goff (1904–82). “Structure and Ornament” runs through September 6, 2015.

Frye director Jo-Anne Birnie Danzker & Leo Saul Berk

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque at Jazz Alley

On May 12 and May 13, Jazz Alley, in Seattle, welcomed Jane Bunnett and Maqueque to the stage. Band members the Canadian bandleader Jane Bunnett (sax/flute), Dayme (percussion), Yissey (drums), Danae (piano), Celia (guitar/bass) and Magdelys (batas/congos). Except for Bunnett all members of the band are from Cuba.

Ester Rada at the Stroum Jewish Community Center

On May 3, 2015, Israeli-Ethiopian vocalist Ester Rada led her band into the Stroum Jewish Community Center Arts Stage, on Mercer Island. 

Earlier this year, BBC News described her as follows:

“Ester Rada is an arresting young singer-songwriter with a rich musical heritage. Her Ethiopian roots are clearly audible in her music. But so is the influence of Israel where she grew up and now lives.

“Her EP, Life Happens, released in 2013, was a confident debut showcasing her powerful, soulful voice and seductive combination of Ethiopian Jazz, funk and R&B.”

After experiencing her performance, I'm buying the BBC News description, only adding that African American female vocalists, perhaps especially Nina Simone, also strongly inform her approach.

Delfos Danza Contemporanea at Olympic Sculpture Park

On April 11, 2015, Delfos Danza Contemporanea, from Mazatlán, México, presented a pop-up performance in the Olympic Sculpture Park. The dance company was in Seattle as part of the University of Washington World Series performance program. The Olympic Sculpture Park is a campus of the Seattle Art Museum. The dancers performed amidst a new installation by artist Sam Vernon.