John Gilbreath photo by Bill Uznay
Here we go again, forward and back! In jazz, the past and the future weigh in with almost equal importance, though, sure, we can only live in the present. The writer Nate Chinen pointed out in a recent Jazz Times piece, “Jazz discourse usually boils down to a narrative of progress. We talk about the art form moving forward, evolving, finding new ground.” We also have to talk about the past and respect the elders, whose pioneering work, then, laid the ground work for now, and further informs the shape of jazz to come.
Which brings me to dish out some serious thanks for this past year, and talk with equal enthusiasm about concerts and programs coming up in 2015.
First and foremost, we want to give enormous thanks to you: our reader, member, concert-goer, student, teacher, partner, or curious newcomer. You are the backbone of Seattle’s famously rich, self-renewing jazz ecology. Thank you! Thanks to all of the sponsors, partners, community collaborators, volunteers, venues, technicians, and individuals who have supported our work for Seattle jazz in this past year. And, of course, thanks to all of the artists that make up Seattle’s incredible jazz scene. Without them, nothing else would matter.
Massive thanks to our donors, at every level, and to those hyper-regular concert attendees who have supported and seen hundreds of Earshot concerts over the years. Though the individual names are way too numerous to mention, Earshot’s All-Star Band would most certainly include George Heidorn, Jeff and Blue Resnick, Lola Pedrini, Sue Coliton, Dave and Jane Emerson, Jerry Davis, Richard Thurston, Susan Yanigahara, Karen Caropepe, Steve Deutsch and Carol Levin, Daniel Sheehan, and many, many others.
Earshot Jazz will continue and expand programs and services in 2015. On the concert front, we’re already cooking up some fascinating projects for next fall’s Earshot Jazz Festival. Meanwhile, concerts planned so far for the spring include: January 17, FOOD; January 25, Ben Wendel Quartet; February 8, Thumbscrew (w/ Michael Formanek, Mary Halvorson, Thomas Fujiwara); March 1 & 2, Kenny Wheeler Tribute (w/ Steve Treseler, Ingrid Jensen & Jon Wikan); April 10, Mark Helias Open Loose (w/ Tony Malaby & Tom Rainey); April 15, Hank and Lucia Roberts; May 13, Peter Brötzmann Trio (w/ William Parker and Hamid Drake); June 20, Giulia Valle Trio; June 28, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit; and many more.
As always, we invite you to join us. Drop some dollars in the metaphorical kitty. Drop a suggestion in the suggestion box. Get involved. Join Earshot, or some other organization. Take some lessons. Buy some music. C’mon out!
Have a healthy and happy New Year.
–John Gilbreath, Executive Director
