Elnah Jordan smiling at the camera with purple hued lighting in the background.

Elnah Jordan photo by Lisa Hagen Glynn

Tuesday, February 18, 6pm
Various Locations (Pioneer Square)
Free

There was a time in the 1990s when one could traverse ten clubs in Pioneer Square and see ten bands for a single cover charge. It became a thing, a hang centered around the city’s local music scene. For one night this coming February 18th, that spirit will be revived with thirteen bands at thirteen venues across Seattle’s first neighborhood with Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s presentation of: “Jazz Night in Pioneer Square.” Patrons will have the opportunity to walk between these sites and take in a proud jazz tradition that began more than a century ago in the Pacific Northwest, and still rings true in modern times. 

Participating artists represent a variety of Seattle’s most-loved musicians. They include Jacqueline Tabor, Jay Thomas, Ann Reynolds / Heather Chriscaden, Jovino Santos Neto, D’Vonne Lewis, Kate Olson, Marc Seales, Dylan Hayes, Duende Libre, Beserat Tafesse, Elnah Jordan, and Free Fall with Thomas Marriott, Rick Mandyck, Jeff Johnson and John Bishop. The jazz-walk style event culminates at what should be an epic version of the historic Tuesday night jam at the Owl ‘N Thistle – a cherished session that has taken place weekly for over a quarter century. 

The Seattle Jazz Fellowship’s space at 109 S Main Street is the only venue on the walk that is exclusively dedicated to jazz music. It gives the majority of the sites the opportunity to experience live jazz for an evening. It also provides area jazz fans the opportunity to support local businesses reviving the spirit of the city’s historic first neighborhood. The venues, like the music, cover a wide spectrum of the community. Sites include classic music venues like the Central Saloon and the aforementioned Owl ‘N Thistle, as well as an upscale art space in The Frederick Holmes Gallery. Bad Bishop, Baba Yaga, and Underbelly provide that old town, neighborhood bar vibe. The variety continues with all ages fits like Long Brothers Fine and Rare Books, and the elegant Occidental food and wine space, Ephesus. The jazz walk event looks back in time at the Pioneer Building lounge, and the New-Old Skid Road Theatre in the Seattle Underground. 

In staging “Jazz Night in Pioneer Square,” the Seattle Jazz Fellowship hopes the attendees can regain some of the fun that once resided along First Avenue when the neighborhood was the center of live local music in Seattle. While it may conjure up echoes of past good times and cultural relevance, the work of non-profit is very much rooted in the present, with its sights set on the future vibrancy of local jazz music and culture. One of its prime principals is to remove barriers of access to the music. This free event provides local music lovers the opportunity to celebrate and support Seattle area resident artists and the world-class musicianship they offer.