John Gilbreath photo by Bill Uznay
We’ve got an absolutely incredible festival lineup for you this year! Even though we put it together, we’re still dazzled at the way it turned out. Maybe the stars and planets all lined up, or the good Karma came back around, or our dedication and mad skills finally paid off, but things really clicked into place this year. This is easily the most expansive and impressive jazz festival Seattle has ever seen. And on our 25th anniversary no less!
Sometimes when celebrating a milestone anniversary, it is easy to cave in to temptations to look back and praise the past. But we have an amazing amount to look forward to, and we can’t wait to dig in! We’ve got sophisticated jazz masters in fine concert halls, musical inventors in performance lab settings, student ensembles playing main-stage concerts, main-stage concerts by some of the world’s top artists, non-traditional projects by traditional artists, tributes to jazz legends, debuts of exciting new projects, creative collaborations between individual artists and cultural institutions, educational concerts and workshops, rare and wonderful jazz films, a diversity of exciting Cuban musicians, a respectable number of women bandleaders, lots of home-town heroes, and a resident-artist residency that features our most charmingly complex, internationally known Ballardite. Whew!
Earshot Jazz is proud to be an important part of the vibrant cultural community of this remarkable city. Within Seattle’s world-renowned music scene exists a valued and varied jazz sensibility that continues to draw international attention. In the context of that vibrancy, Earshot produces one of the most distinctive jazz festivals in the country, enriching this community with one-of-a-kind concerts by some of the world’s most important artists, and presenting Seattle artists in a world-class festival setting. This year we’ve outdone ourselves, with more than 320 artists participating in 60 events over 48 days, in 16 venues around the city. This festival is awesome, and we’re glad you’re joining us.
The Earshot Jazz Festival is the biggest undertaking of the Earshot Jazz organization, but it is far from our only activity. We present nearly 100 concerts and events throughout the year, and collaborate on outside concert initiatives like the Art of Jazz at the Seattle Art Museum, the Bellevue Jazz Festival and others. We also publish the monthly Earshot Jazz newsletter, work to provide educational opportunities and advancements to the field, and present the Golden Ear Awards program each year to recognize the achievements of Seattle’s jazz artists.
All of our work thrives on quality creative collaborations with individuals and organizations. This year, we’re honored to partner with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s Live @ Benaroya Hall and [untitled] series on two very exciting projects, and to join the University of Washington’s School of Music in showcasing their faculty and students. We are grateful to the kind people at the Chapel Performance Space, Seattle Art Museum, Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute, the Triple Door, Tula’s Jazz Club, and the Royal Room for their enthusiastic welcome of the Earshot festival, and their commitment to jazz overall. We’re also happy to be back at the Northwest Film Forum for more innovative jazz films. Thanks to regular collaborators like the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra, nonsequitur, and especially Cornish College of the Arts. Special thanks to our major funders, including the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, and huge love to George Heidorn for his support over the years. Thanks to participating radio stations KPLU, KBCS, and KEXP, and to the many interns and volunteers who help us each year. Thank you.
Enjoy the festival! Keep in touch and give us your feedback. Oh, and drop a donation in the kitty. Let’s keep jazz alive and thriving in Seattle!
Welcome to Earshot Jazz Festival 25!
– John Gilbreath, Executive Director
