"Seattle has just won the 'World Series of Jazz'", said an elated Scott Brown, band director at Roosevelt High School, after the Roosevelt Rough Riders captured first place in the Essentially Ellington 2002 Competition and Festival.

Clarence Acox, Garfield's band director added, "Tonight, the people of New York are seeing what we in Seattle have known for awhile...that Seattle has great jazz education programs and now we have to keep them going."

Monday night, that program was well-rewarded when 3 Seattle bands came away with a first, a second and an honorable mention in what Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Director Wynton Marsalis declared the toughest competition the Essentially Ellington Festival has seen yet.  Out of 149 audio submissions, 15 bands were chosen nationally to participate, all having worked and rehearsed for months on the Duke Ellington charts Lincoln Center provides participants each year.

When asked what was special about the Seattle approach, Mountlake Terrace's director, Darin Faul speculated that because the Garfield and Roosevelt traditions are so steeped in the Blues and Swing, with an emphasis on the Basie sound, that that had given them an edge in supplying what the Essentially Ellington judges were looking for.  Mountlake Terrace was awarded the only Honorable Mention. Third place went to the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida.

In describing Lincoln Center's mission, Wynton Marsalis stated that the goal is to increase the musicianship of jazz over the years and that it will take quite a long time for this process to evolve. "A lot of bands can get up and play the music with a lot of energy, but what we are really looking for is the ability to articulate and improvise through the harmonic changes with some kind of discernible logic. That is not an easy task."  Marsalis credits band educators and directors as part of a revolution that is taking place in the country, helping us to become 'who we are'.

"At Essentially Ellington, we are also  working to bring the work of a genius to life."

In addition to the band awards (which also came with $2000 and $1500, respectively to their band programs), section and individual awards were announced:

Best Rhythm Section - Roosevelt

Best Trumpet Section - Roosevelt

Best Reeds Section - Garfield, Mountlake Terrace

Best Piano - Brian Kinsella, Roosevelt

Best Drums - D'Vonne Lewis, Roosevelt

Best Alto Sax - Alex Mabe, Roosevelt and Ben Roseth, Garfield

Best Clarinet - Benjamin White, Garfield