Jazz Series at the Tasting Room
JOIN hosts Clif & Nelda Swiggett
select Friday Nights
7-10pm
Friday, January 30th 2026
MICHAEL GLYNN
Michael Glynn began performing professionally at the age of 16. While living in the Pacific Northwest, New Mexico, and the Bay Area he has performed with such jazz luminaries as Eric Alexander, Peter Bernstein, Seamus Blake, Conte Candoli, Eddie Daniels, Dave Grusin, Louis Hayes, Geoffrey Keezer, Don Lanphere, Mark Levine, Harold Mabern, Lewis Nash, William Parker, Aaron Parks, Bud Shank, Bobby Shew, Gary Smulyan, and Terell Stafford. In addition to his jazz work, Michael has performed in a variety of other genres, including classical concerts with the New Mexico Philharmonic, the New Mexico Symphony, Opera Southwest, and Canticum Novum Santa Fe, calypso with Trinidadian steel drum legend Ray Holman, and Arab/European music with Iraqi-American oud virtuoso Rahim Al Haj.
Michael will be joined by Jazz at the Tasting Room hosts Clif and Nelda Swiggett. This jazz duo, also a married couple, are each highly accomplished musicians who’ve made music together since the night they first met in 1987.
PAST SHOWS
November 27th WITH Travis ranney
Clif & Nelda are stoked to feature Travis Ranney, a Seattle-based saxophonist with a stylistic emphasis on bop and swing jazz. He has been performing and touring since 1990 and has played with many jazz greats as well as with top local bands. His work includes performances with John Pizzarelli, Doc Severinsen, the Ramsay/Kleeb Orchestra with Pete Christlieb, and he toured in the Northwest region with the Duke Ellington Orchestra (under the direction of Paul Ellington). He has also been featured many times in the Port Townsend Jazz Festival Big Band. Indeed, Travis is one of Seattle’s great tenor players. It’s going to be a super fun night exploring classic jazz standards as well as a few side trips into afro-cuban, brazilian, rock, and funk songs and grooves. This is also warm up for the following two days when our band, Megabopolis, is recording a new album with Travis, as well as Michael Van Bebber (trumpet), Michael Glynn (bass), and Max Wood (drums).
June 27th with Greta Matassa
Clif & Nelda are thrilled to feature one of the Northwest’s true jazz masters, vocalist Greta Matassa. Greta’s 40 year career has been a whirlwind of exciting opportunities and experiences. Over the last 20 years she has become established as one of the greatest jazz singers of her time. Working with top jazz musicians in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. In 2016 She was featured with bassist John Clayton’s group in a centennial tribute to Ella Fitzgerald. Greta will be joined by the great Clipper Anderson on bass, as well as Jazz at the Tasting Room hosts Clif and Nelda Swiggett. This jazz duo and married couple, each highly accomplished musicians, has made music together since the night they first met in 1987. Nelda is an award-winning composer, teacher, and OA2 recording artist who has headlined many of the Northwest’s top jazz venues. Clif started playing jazz trombone as a teenager in New York, toured with the Glen Miller Orchestra, shared the stage with jazz greats including Bill Watrous, Phil Woods, and Dizzy Gillespie. Since moving to Seattle in 1985, he has performed, recorded, and toured with dozens of northwest jazz, funk, and salsa bands.
April 25th with Kate Olson
Clif & Nelda are thrilled to feature the extraordinary musicality of saxophonist, composer, and band leader Kate Olson. Kate’s a creative tour de force who’s been helping shape Seattle’s music scene since her arrival in 2010. She was recently named Earshot’s Instrumentalist of the year for 2025. Buckle up for a night of great music!
Kate Olson is an improvising saxophonist and music educator based in Seattle, WA. Since moving to Seattle in 2010, she has done her best to infiltrate the local, regional and international improvised music scenes. She can be heard performing with her own projects KO SOLO and KO ENSEMBLE, and as a collaborator with the Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble and Electric Circus (led by Wayne Horvitz), Birch Pereira and the Gin Joints, Battlestar Kalakala (formerly West Seattle Soul/the Pulsations), and with such Seattle staples as cabaret producers Can Can Presents and Verlaine & McCann. Kate has a BA in Music (Jazz Emphasis) from the University of Wyoming and an MM in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, and is currently on the jazz faculty at Pacific Lutheran University and University of Puget Sound.
