John Gilbreath photo by Bill Uznay
This issue of the Earshot Jazz publication marks 30 years of organizational service to the Seattle jazz community since Earshot, Volume 1, Number 1, launched in December of 1984.
The original Earshot newsletter was conceived to formalize advocacy for Seattle’s remarkable jazz scene and was “published out of pocket by Gary Bannister, Paul de Barros, and Allen Youngblood,” with a polite request for a $10 donation to help cover postage. As its core supporters worked up new program ideas, Earshot Jazz steadily grew into one of the nation’s most comprehensive and respected non-profit jazz organizations. What a great idea, and what a legacy!
Since the original paste-up on the de Barros dining-room table, over one million copies of this Earshot Jazz newsletter – containing calendar news, record reviews, previews and profiles of Seattle artists – have been distributed free all around Seattle! Beyond that, the Earshot Jazz organization has professionally assisted hundreds of individual artists, helped thousands of students more deeply engage with this dynamic art form, and has paid out over 2.5 million dollars in artist fees to nearly ten thousand individual artists (70% of them Seattle residents) to share their skills and creative energy with hundreds of thousands of grateful audience members.
And we’re still growing! The Earshot Jazz Festival, already known for its serious creative integrity and deep commitment to its home community, gets better each year. As the national Jazz Times magazine said, “Every year, Earshot brings international stars to mix and match with Seattle artists, gets in your face and finds fresh synergies.”
Like jazz itself, Earshot links technical mastery with tangible personal expression, to help create profound human connections. Our most recently completed festival, filled with one-of-a-kind performances, also brought a ground swell of community engagement and palpable good will. But we still must politely ask for your financial support.
Earshot Jazz brings tremendous value to this community, and has for 30 years. But, like most non-profits, earned revenue from ticket sales offsets only half of our actual expenses. The balance must come, one year at a time, from often-vulnerable public sector funding, and the generous good will of individuals just like you. We could not provide our unique programs and services without your support.
Please consider a year-end gift of $200 to Earshot Jazz, or give at a level that is meaningful for you, within your capacity. Your support for Earshot’s work to further Seattle’s jazz legacy is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
And, on behalf of everyone this organization has touched over its many years, we extend our sincere thanks and congratulations to Earshot’s original founders.
–John Gilbreath, Executive Director
