EARSHOT JAZZ

Each year Earshot Jazz presents over 100 concerts in the Seattle area including a major fall jazz festival spread over three weeks and multiple venues.  This festival encompasses a wide spectrum of jazz styles and attracts a larger, more enthusiastic audience each year.  The quality of the musicians performing at this festival is very high, drawing heavily on New York and Los Angeles artists as well as many of the local favorites.  Dave Brubeck, Keith Jarrett, Ellis Marsalis, Bobby Hutcherson, Wayne Shorter, Greg Osby, Eric Reed, Bill Charlap and Seattle's own Bill Frisell are some of the recent participants.  Find out more about Earshot here. 

SRJO

There are many jazz musicians who have chosen to settle in or return to Seattle and a group of them have been playing together for some time.  Last year this group was officially designated a "non-profit" organization.  They are beginning to grow into another of Seattle's fine civic and cultural assets. SRJO is co-directed by Michael Brockman and Clarence Acox (Garfield High School's well-loved jazz Director).  The group performs three subscription concerts over the year and various other special events including a celebration of Duke Ellington's sacred music in December. Click here for SRJO's website.

KPLU

First, we have to sing the praises of our favorite radio station, KPLU.  Every thing they do is "classy".  If you check their web site for the programming schedule (linked in the sidebar) you will find that in addition to major jazz programming, they are also a part of National Public Radio.  In addition to these there is a fair amount of blues programming and a number of feature programs such as the annual KPLU Jazz and Blues cruises.

Our favorite is the daily 9 to noon Dick Stein show which is always entertaining, witty and relaxing. We never miss Jim Wilke's Jazz Northwest on Sundays.  Jim features local and sometimes not so local performances which he has recorded live in many different venues. Ken Wiley brings a wealth of history and personal anecdotes to his show and educates while entertaining.  He plays rare and special recordings while delivering wonderful stories about jazz history from his long-time perspective as a jazz radio host.

There are many many Northwest jazz fans who welcome KPLU into their homes, offices and cars regularly and now, since they broadcast on the web, this great programming is available to a much wider international audience.  Those who tune in are indeed richly rewarded.

We are not alone in raving about KPLU.  Read what All About Jazz had to say here.

AREA SCHOOL NEWS AND LOCAL TALENT IN THE JAZZ NEWS

Roosevelt High School's Sara Gazarek toured with the Concord Jazz Vocalists...at The Paramount, March 10, 2005 and played Jazz Alley shows September 10 and 11, 2005. Read the Paul DeBarros' column here.

Anne Drummond grew up in the Seattle Public School jazz band scene and after leaving Garfield, she went on to Manhattan School of Music in NYC. She tours with Kenny Barron regularly...read more.

Other former Seattle high school jazz program graduates like Ben Roseth, D'Vonne Lewis, Phil Parisot, Tatum Greenblatt, Jay Lepley, Adam Kessler, Greg Goad, Dylan Heaney, Ari Zucker, Andy Coe, Carmen Staaf, Josh Rawlings, Jumaani Smith, and many others can be found playing in various clubs.

Seattle has become a "hot-bed" of jazz activity and it seems to definitely be filtering down to the early school band/music programs.  Students are finding a lot of enthusiasm for listening to and playing jazz. Many are garnering awards and heading off to stellar music programs for college, returning to Seattle to gig during their breaks and after graduation.

Actually, some would say this interest rather begins at the lower levels and evolves into well-trained performers who are fed into the high school jazz environment. Clarence Acox and Scott Brown owe a lot of their success to the middle school band programs. Eckstein and Whitman are two of these. The strongest of the Seattle middle school programs belongs to the band director at Washington Middle School, Robert Knatt. He has such a formidable program, that some refer to it as a "jazz boot camp". Read the Paul de Barros article about Robert Knatt's legacy. Knatt was inducted into the Seattle Hall of Jazz Fame in February, 2005. Details.

Roosevelt, Mountlake Terrace, and Garfield High School Jazz Bands are regular participants in the Essentially Ellington Festival in New York City. Read about Seattle bands and EE 2001 here. EE 2002 here. Garfield has the unprecedented honor of taking top honors at EE 2 years in a row, both in 2003 and 2004. In 2005 3 Seattle area bands garnered high honors -  Roosevelt, 2nd place, Mountlake Terrace, 3rd place, and Shorewood the only honorable mention.Read the Paul De Barros article here.

HOT JAVA COOL JAZZ

Starbuck's annual program featuring area high school big bands playing at The Paramount is always a big hit. The proceeds from the performances go to enhance the various high school jazz band programs. Great music from outstanding bands is the rule at this event. The events are held at The Paramount Theater in Spring and these concerts sell out regularly. Details.

OTHER AREA BIG BANDS

We follow quite a few professional and semi-professional other big bands in the area including The Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, The Jazz Police, MOJO, The Jim Knapp Orchestra, Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, Jay Thomas and the Usual Suspects, Roadside Attraction, Portage Bay Big Band and The Latin Expressions.  We will bring you information about these groups and their activities from time to time.