| Interview / Edit by Kevin Cummings, SSBA VP and Editor with Maia Santell
Growing up Italian in a family of professional musicians in Seattle’s
Maia Santell Jazz and blues vocalist and band leader Maia Santell was raised in a family of professional musicians. Her mom, dad and uncle were prominent entertainers in the Northwest music scene. She says, “My musical career is pretty much an unavoidable consequence of my upbringing. My mom tells me at age three I would lie in bed singing jazz standards “. She and her backing band, “Maia Santell and House Blend,” have been performing around the Northwest since its’ first inception in 1986. Her smooth and soulful vocal style is a must-see and hear for music lovers in the area. If you are lucky enough to catch them performing, you will be treated to a fantastic mix of jazz, blues, Latin, swing, Motown, big band, contemporary favorites, and popular hits from the Great American Songbook. While members of the band may have changed over the years, the stellar musicianship is always consistent. Maia says “I look for musicians that have a background in big band, jazz, Latin, R&B and blues, or what I call a good crossover feel. I prefer players and accompanists who swing hard, feel the blues, know the fine art of comping, and who provide lots of rhythmic fill.” In addition to her family, she was musically influenced by an eclectic mix of musical influences; she lists Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Duke Ellington, Santana, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Chu Cho Valdes, Antonio Carlos Jobim, The Temptations and Billie Holiday as entertainers who helped shape her musical style. She attended Seattle’s Garfield High School, listening and dancing to Motown and soul music as well as singing in jazz ensembles, R&B bands, blues bands and musicals. Her band was honored to perform at the Garfield Centennial Celebration, and she counts it as one of the most memorable gigs of her life. Santell works hard on her art, she spends a lot of time writing arrangements, transcribing music, procuring engagements, advertising, and promoting. As a bandleader and musician, she writes out her own arrangements and charts and adds, “I amuse myself by rearranging tunes to different rhythms, tempos, grooves and lyrics”. In her spare time she enjoys reading and writing about Washington state history, especially as it pertains to music and to Italian immigration. She administers a Facebook page that offers insights and anecdotes about NW musicians who were part of a thriving Seattle jazz scene during the 40’s throughout the 70’s. It is called “Descendants of Seattle’s Jackson Street Era of Jazz.” (20+) Descendants of Seattle’s Jackson Street Era of Jazz | Facebook When asked about any advice she could offer to young musicians, she says “It’s all about paying dues, persistence, tenacity and a downright refusal to go away. My grandmother said it best in Italian. Translated, the saying went something like this, ‘If you throw enough pasta on the wall, sooner or later it’s bound to stick!’” Maia Santell and House Blend will be playing their yearly all ages Holiday Jazz & Blues Show at Jazzbones Nightclub in Tacoma on Sunday, Dec. 10th. On this special event House Blend instrumentalists feature Jay Mabin on harp, Ted Dortch on sax, Steve Luceno on bass, Gary Crooks on guitar and Mike Slivka on drums. Mark your calendars now, get tickets and prepare for a great show. For details, upcoming gigs, audio and video clips, see: www.MaiaSantell.com or visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MaiaSantellandHouseBlend/
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KEEPING THE BLUES ALIVE SINCE 2005
Maia Santell and the House Blend