Susan Pascal: Music Of Vibes Is Like A Language

For Susan Pascal, music has always been about evolving.

At age 5, her parents started her out on xylophone lessons, and she spent her elementary school years learning to read music and tap out the sounds on the wooden instrument.

Later, attracted by the sounds of the marimba bands her parents used to listen to, she picked up that instrument. Then she started studying classical percussion, but she eventually switched to the vibraphone, which is essentially an evolved model of the xylophone.

Her affinity for melodies and lack of patience is what made her stop playing percussion.

"I got tired of counting empty measures and waiting for the triangle part," she said. "(The vibraphone) feels very natural, kind of like your first language."

Now, at age 41, Pascal can be found playing the vibraphone, or "vibes," in small clubs around Seattle. Developed in the 1920s and '30s, the vibes are arranged like a piano. Made out of metal alloy bars, the instrument has a vibrato mechanism and a piano-like damper pedal.

Playing with two wooden mallets in each hand - a technique picked up from Gary Burton, whom she considers one of her biggest influences - Pascal is able to achieve a rapid, intricate and surprisingly melodic sound, working the three-octave range of the instrument.

A part-time freelance graphic-designer, Pascal received a bachelor's degree in music from the University of Washington and has played locally with several different bands, including The Jazz Police, a 20-piece contemporary big band; the Savoy Swing Band, which played Benny Goodman tunes; and Red Fish Blue Fish, a seven-piece jazz ensemble that plays at The Speakeasy Cafe.

Pascal appeared in the Seattle Art Museum's Art of Jazz concert series, and has been featured on KPLU-FM's "Jazz Northwest" program.

Currently, she is also playing with a bassist and a drummer in the Susan Pascal Trio. It performs jazz standards, and Pascal spends her time, when she's not playing in clubs or working, practicing new arrangements. She said she's looking to record an album by the end of the year, and isn't seeking to learn another instrument. Rather, she'll continue to evolve, but as a vibes player.

"There's nothing to get tired of, there is always something new to learn," she said. "It's a real giving experience."

Where to check out Susan Pascal: Pascal will play four-hour gigs starting at 8:30 p.m. today, tomorrow and Saturday in the Gallery Lounge at the Seattle Sheraton with jazz pianist Barney McClure; from 9 p.m. to midnight on July 19 and 20 at Prego in the Madison Renaissance Hotel, with the Jim Greeninger Trio. The Susan Pascal Trio will play from 8 to 9 p.m. July 26 at the Kirkland Park Place Concert in Kirkland. For a complete listing of Pascal's performances, send your name and address to: P.O. Box 16506, Seattle, WA 98116.

Are you in a local band? To be considered for Sound Check, send a cover letter telling us about your band and your upcoming gigs, the name and daytime phone number of your manager or contact person, a tape and a photo to Sound Check, Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle WA 98111.