Mike Daugherty photo by Daniel Sheehan
On almost any given night of the week, drummer Mike Daugherty might be at Columbia City’s Hummingbird Saloon. His home is literally a hop, skip, and a jump away. He even performs at the neighborhood bar once a month, with the Entertaining Quintette: “Believe it or not, this little bar with pinball machines, right in the corner over there,” he says fondly and points near the door, as the bartender, Paul, brings his regular customer a drink.
Over a couple beers and through punctuated, dramatic inflections, hearty laughter, and distracted finger-tapping, the drummer talked about his various projects, his origins as a swing musician, his quest to keep learning, and much more, all of which reveal a pure, infectious love for music.
Over the past 15 years, Daugherty has developed an affinity for traditional and hot jazz and found his scene – a strong Seattle swing scene, recognized internationally, with dancers from all over the world attending events such as the Lindy Exchange and the Killer Diller Weekend. Daugherty recently performed at Killer Diller, in the old-fashioned swing band Falty & the Defects led by Michael “Falty” Faltesek on guitar, banjo, and vocals, with Taylor Kent on bass and tuba, and Jacob Zimmerman on reeds. The Defects also perform on the fourth Wednesday of each month at the Pike Place Bar & Grill.
Aside from Falty & the Defects and the Entertaining Quintette, which specializes in Chicago and New Orleans style jazz from 1922 and earlier, Daugherty plays with several other groups, including The Swing Trio, with guitarist Kevin Connor and bassist Lamar Lofton, and the Ray Skjelbred Quartet.
Originally from Baltimore, Daugherty moved to Seattle in 1998. “I never played jazz until I moved to Seattle, it was an unusual trajectory,” he says.
It all began years ago, at a holiday work party (with an open bar, he notes) in Ballard. After nursing a few glasses of whiskey, he walked outside and heard music.
“It seemed at that moment to be coming from the heavens, this funky, brassy music, with a piano and banjo,” he says. “I turned and thought, what is that? That’s what I want to be listening to!”
His senses tingling, he walked over to what was at the time the Olde Towne Alehouse, met the band, and foisted himself onto the leader that night. “I said, ‘I play drums, I play this kind of music!’ which was a complete lie,” Daugherty explains. “I’m sure they saw right through me!”
The band happened to be the Evergreen Classic Jazz Band, and Daugherty wound up playing with the group for several years. Through this gig, he became good friends with clarinetist/saxophonist Craig Flory, who served as a big inspiration to the drummer – here was this artist who survived, financially and emotionally, by making music. He also continues to play with other band members Tom Jacobus and Dave Loomis.
Prior to that fateful night in 1999, Daugherty had little formal training. “I really didn’t attempt to play jazz until I was in my early 30s, which is probably not common.” He had grown up singing in church as a child, and started playing drums before moving to Seattle, but no formal education.
“I kind of picked it up on my own and learned,” he says. “I wanted to do it real bad, so I just kind of worked at it.”
Daugherty’s passion for playing has also led him to perform in a local rockabilly outfit, The Black Crabs. “I don’t just play old jazz; I like old American music,” he says. “It’s a great band, the musicians are top-notch, it’s just not jazz.”
“I just like good music,” he adds. “A lot of people say labels are silly, but they are descriptive. It’s when people start to divide up jazz stuff, like ‘And then Louis Armstrong did this, and then Charlie Parker did this,’ music doesn’t happen like that. Everybody was playing with everybody, young guys playing with old guys, to categorize something so much I think is pretty stupid. Good musicians don’t do that in general. They’re just interested in beautiful music.”
Daugherty’s niche of playing old American music, combined with his desire to hone his craft by seeking out drummers when they’re on tour in Seattle, or when he’s traveling, and asking for lessons, has given him numerous opportunities to continue doing what he loves.
“I just like to play drums in a good band,” he says. “It’s been a dream come true. I’ve come a long way in the last 15 years, from nothing.”
Catch Mike Around Town
January Gigs
3 w/ Black Crabs in Portland, blackcrabs.com
16 w/ Black Crabs at Shanty Tavern, 9002 Lake City Way NE
24 w/ Ray Skjelbred at Royal Room, 5pm
25 w/ The Swing Trio at Tutta Bella Wallingford, 5:30pm
27 w/ Entertaining Quintette at Hummingbird Saloon, 8pm
28 w/ Falty & The Defects at Pike Place Bar & Grill, 6pm
Regularly Occurring Gigs
4th Sundays w/ The Swing Trio, 5:30pm, Tutta Bella, 4411 Stone Way N, Wallingford
4th Tuesdays w/ The Entertaining Quintette, 8pm, Hummingbird Saloon, 5041 Rainier Ave S, Columbia City
4th Wednesdays w/ Falty & The Defects, 6pm, Pike Place Bar & Grill, 90 Pike Street, Pike Place Market
4th Saturdays w/ Ray Skjelbred, 5pm, The Royal Room, 5000 Rainier Ave S, Columbia City
